Like A Disease

Ever heard the quotes "Seeing green" or "Green with envy"?  I'm sure you have.  When I stopped to think about it, I realized that I had never even stopped to consider the meaning behind these popular sayings.  Thankfully, the most commonly used explanation behind them is relatively simple.  Jealousy and envy are figuratively thought of as a disease by many people.  Whenever someone is ill or has a disease, their skin may take on a pale whitish-green color.  Knowing these two facts should help you to figure out the simple explanation behind green's association with jealousy.  Now that you know the origin of these famous quotes, I'll get to the point of this post.  Have you ever felt jealousy (or envy, depending on what you feel compelled to call it)?  I know I sure have!  In fact, I can even go so far as to declare you a liar if you claim that you've never felt the suffocating grip of jealousy.  In reality, jealousy is a disease.  Once it gets inside you, it grows and eats away at you until all that's left is hatred and bitterness.  I've had first hand experiences with jealousy.  I can only describe it with one, simple word: Bad.  It doesn't matter if you are jealous about someone's talent(s), someone's possessions, or are in any other jealousy-inducing situation.  Jealousy is all the same.  It's an inevitable monster in life.  How do we get rid of this monster, you may ask?  Simple: With God's help.  Yeah, yeah.  I know that sounds like the easiest answer to give, but it's the best and only one.   Without God we can accomplish nothing on our own.  Galatians 6:4-5 says, "Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.  For we are each responsible for our own conduct."  I think this verse says it all.  Like many other things that torment us in life, most of our battles with the jealousy monster take place in the mind.  Our thoughts can either help us break free from jealousy, or they can drag us deeper into the black hole of bitterness.  Romans 12:2 says, "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."  We are never going to be completely free from jealousy, but we can win the battles against it each day by continually letting God transform our mind and thoughts.  Only then can we emerge victorious!