Rainbow-colored Coats And Green-eyed Monsters
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: I think one of the "seven deadly sins" is jealousy, which may be a temptation for many of us.
Jacob loved his son Joseph more than all his other sons and showed his preference by making him a beautiful coat or robe (Genesis 37). The coat became a symbol of his brothers' jealousy, causing them to sell him as a slave. It may be difficult to estimate how great a problem jealousy is in our society, however it may be extensive enough to warrant better understanding of the phenomenon and what we can do about it.
a. Admiration. The more mature we are, the more we are able to admire someone else's good qualities or be happy for their good fortune without being envious. We won't feel threatened by their achievements, nor will we feel a need to measure our success, status, or character by their position. Jealousy occurs when we make what we believe to be unfavorable comparisons between ourselves and others around us. We should admire the gifts of others.
b. Appreciation. Related to admiration, we should be genuinely pleased about the talents and abilities of others. We should join in the respect and appreciation they receive from others. This is true generosity. We might wonder what the true unexpressed feelings are, of golfers in a tournament, for example. When Hale Irwin is about to make a putt that will tie him with Tom Watson for first place and force a play off, does Watson secretly pray Hale will miss? If Hale makes the putt, is Watson pleased for him? Would it be Christian for one of us in the same circumstance to pray for our opponent to miss, or be resentful if she or he makes the putt?
c. Justice. Could we at times try to rationalize our jealousy (even give it a different label) by appealing to a sense of justice? We may want to believe another person is in no way deserving of success, being rewarded, winning, or enjoying the respect of others. We consider it a miscarriage of justice. "If others only knew the facts or had any common sense, they would realize the person didn't deserve any accolades or recognition. It isn't fair for someone to get something they don't deserve; and it isn't jealousy on our part, it is simply a keen sense of justice." We know how to cover our petty falls from grace.
d. Selfishness. A good case of the jealousy is grounded on selfishness and greed. We simply "covet our neighbor's house, spouse, cattle," or anything else (Deuteronomy 5:21) he or she might have. Living in a land flowing with milk and honey hasn't been good for our acquisitiveness. "Keep up with the Joneses" may be more than a cute phrase. Possessions may get too much control over us.
e. Envy. One of the main emphases in the dictionary definition for envy stresses hate, anger, ill will, malice, and resentment, among other negatives. This could be much different from a selfish jealousy that focuses on wanting what others have. Envious jealousy focuses on despising the other person. Selfish jealousy may say, "I wish I had her car and she had a better one." Envying jealousy will say, "I want my car and his car and he shouldn't have any." Envy may result from feelings of low self-esteem.
f. Desire. Is a little bit of desire permissible? Is it wrong to have desires for things or qualities other persons might have? It depends. Those desires shouldn't cause you to sell your brother or sister into slavery. Desire should allow us to be pleased for the good fortune of others, and it shouldn't be devastating not to get what we want. It certainly is appropriate to desire God's love and approval, and many other good things in life.
Jacob loved his son Joseph more than all his other sons and showed his preference by making him a beautiful coat or robe (Genesis 37). The coat became a symbol of his brothers' jealousy, causing them to sell him as a slave. It may be difficult to estimate how great a problem jealousy is in our society, however it may be extensive enough to warrant better understanding of the phenomenon and what we can do about it.
a. Admiration. The more mature we are, the more we are able to admire someone else's good qualities or be happy for their good fortune without being envious. We won't feel threatened by their achievements, nor will we feel a need to measure our success, status, or character by their position. Jealousy occurs when we make what we believe to be unfavorable comparisons between ourselves and others around us. We should admire the gifts of others.
b. Appreciation. Related to admiration, we should be genuinely pleased about the talents and abilities of others. We should join in the respect and appreciation they receive from others. This is true generosity. We might wonder what the true unexpressed feelings are, of golfers in a tournament, for example. When Hale Irwin is about to make a putt that will tie him with Tom Watson for first place and force a play off, does Watson secretly pray Hale will miss? If Hale makes the putt, is Watson pleased for him? Would it be Christian for one of us in the same circumstance to pray for our opponent to miss, or be resentful if she or he makes the putt?
c. Justice. Could we at times try to rationalize our jealousy (even give it a different label) by appealing to a sense of justice? We may want to believe another person is in no way deserving of success, being rewarded, winning, or enjoying the respect of others. We consider it a miscarriage of justice. "If others only knew the facts or had any common sense, they would realize the person didn't deserve any accolades or recognition. It isn't fair for someone to get something they don't deserve; and it isn't jealousy on our part, it is simply a keen sense of justice." We know how to cover our petty falls from grace.
d. Selfishness. A good case of the jealousy is grounded on selfishness and greed. We simply "covet our neighbor's house, spouse, cattle," or anything else (Deuteronomy 5:21) he or she might have. Living in a land flowing with milk and honey hasn't been good for our acquisitiveness. "Keep up with the Joneses" may be more than a cute phrase. Possessions may get too much control over us.
e. Envy. One of the main emphases in the dictionary definition for envy stresses hate, anger, ill will, malice, and resentment, among other negatives. This could be much different from a selfish jealousy that focuses on wanting what others have. Envious jealousy focuses on despising the other person. Selfish jealousy may say, "I wish I had her car and she had a better one." Envying jealousy will say, "I want my car and his car and he shouldn't have any." Envy may result from feelings of low self-esteem.
f. Desire. Is a little bit of desire permissible? Is it wrong to have desires for things or qualities other persons might have? It depends. Those desires shouldn't cause you to sell your brother or sister into slavery. Desire should allow us to be pleased for the good fortune of others, and it shouldn't be devastating not to get what we want. It certainly is appropriate to desire God's love and approval, and many other good things in life.
