A Dark Harbor
I love harbors. I’m sure that comes as no surprise to anyone but i do find them especially charming. Harbors give refuge to boats - a habitat to shelter them from the elements. While harbors are a great place to provide safety and cover, there is specific instruction in scripture that warns us against “harboring” the wrong things in our hearts.
James 3:14-16 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
There are a couple of key items in this passage that we need to pay attention to:
Living in envy/jealousy shows that we are not operating in the wisdom of God.
With jealousy we are opening the door for disorder and every evil thing to operate in our lives.
It’s unwise to underestimate how dangerous jealousy can be. The impact of “harboring” jealousy in our hearts can be far-reaching:
1. It impacts our attitude toward God - “God, you are cheating me. I deserve better.” We can become angry and bitter towards God because we believe that we have been slighted in some areas of our lives.
2. It can create a very toxic environment for us and those around us.
Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
3. We start to see people as rivals and our attitudes toward them completely change.
4. Envy exposes our insecurities, worldliness and our spiritual immaturity
Corinthians 3:2-3 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
There is not room in our hearts for both gratitude and jealousy to live. Which one are we feeding? Focusing on what we are grateful for will starve out jealousy.
Stay Hungry,
Big E