Sunday 07:28:13

Thanks to Andy Stanley for a lot of the content for this series is from his teaching from years ago. Your heart drives your whole life. Proverbs 4:23 We lead, parent, handle money, live married from our hearts We know how to filter our words and behavior, but need to learn how to guard - and monitor - our hearts. Jesus said your mouth speaks what's in your heart. We create a filter, bur blow through that filter and find out there's something wrong in our hearts. All of us deal with envy or jealousy at some level. There are people you don't like because their ahead of you. The closer you are to them, the worse you feel about you. "If I had that much money, I wouldn't have spent it like that." We're critical of them. We may not even be aware of our own jealousy. But the people around you are. Because your mouth has been speaking what is in your heart. Are there people that you have a hard time saying anything good about? Are there people that when you are talking about them with someone else, you always say, "yeah, but..." The Bible says we have to be careful with our tongues. Our words are like seeds that we scatter and one day we'll eat their fruit. Proverbs 18:20 ESV From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. If you ate from the harvest of your own mouth, what would you eat? Some goodness, kindness, grace? Some bitterness, envy, anger? God has called you out of that darkness. James 3 says, blessings and curses from the same mouth - this should not be. When it comes to jealousy, we say, "It's not fair...." You don't want what's fair. We actually want to be a little ahead of the next guy. I need an excuse for the crud in my heart. What you want wont fix you. If you had what you wanted today, you'd want more tomorrow. It's a heart issue. We have insecurities and their success, beauty, strength, money, bring it out. I think, "you're my problem." If I can distance myself from you, it will solve my problem. but you can't solve my problem. Jealous people make themselves feel better when others fail. This is the slime of jealousy - you feel better for others to fail. Those feelings come from your heart. The people that cause jealousy to surface in you are not your problem. Your problem is not them, it is a reflection of your relationship with God. Your real issue is with God. Jealousy says, "God owes me" Guilt says, "I owe you" Jealousy says, "God owes me..." A different body, different parents, more money, looks, brains, talent, different husband/wife Fair went out with the garden of Eden Daniel 4:35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" 1 Chronicles 29:12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 1cor 12 - God gave spiritual gifts "as he determined" I think my issue is with people, but I'm mad at God. He owes me. Not the people you're jealous of. When you have the guts to go to God and say, "you ripped me off" They reflect an issue for you that you have with God. 1 Cor 13 you cannot carry love and envy. God has called you out of the darkness of jealousy. God has to dredge that up in you and address it with you. You cannot love the way God intended while you carry jealousy. It will affect and destroy relationships. Bring it to God. You think He owes you. 1. Acknowledge your jealousy to God - that you think God owes you. 2. Confess your jealousy to the people that you have been cutting down. You cannot hardly say anything positive about them. 3. Celebrate out loud the people you're jealous of. "Great idea." "Nice car." "You look beautiful." Do it publicly. Do it as a habit. Public celebration will break the power of jealousy. Refuse to let jealousy rule your heart. It belongs to The Lord.