[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Godly Jealousy -- The Power of His Presence

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "TONY_at_FloridaHealth" <FloridaHealth21 at verizon.net>
To: <tony1.familyoffaith at yahoo.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Godly Jealousy -- The Power of His Presence
Date: 
Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:58:16 -0400

Godly Jealousy - The Power of His Presence
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                    Godly Jealousy

                  Daily Devotion for September 23

                  From the Writings of Ray Stedman
                 
                    From your friends at

                  www.RayStedman.org
                 
           
            Read the Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:1-2

              I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you
to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to
him (2 Corinthians 11:2).

            Perhaps the most vicious and destructive quality in the world
today is jealousy. It has been properly called the green-eyed monster.
Jealousy is all angry, strong, powerful emotion that refuses to tolerate a
rival. It can be a very powerful motivator to aggressive action. It is one
of the most frequent causes for broken homes, broken hearts, and broken
bodies in the world today. Yet amazingly, God declares in the book of
Exodus, I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). All through
the Scriptures there is this emphasis upon the jealousy of God. If jealousy
is so bad, why is God jealous? Here Paul says that he feels a godly
jealousy for these people. Surely that indicates that jealousy can be both
good and bad. So when you feel jealous of someone, you have to ask
yourself, Is my jealousy a rightful one, or is it false? The difference is
right here: False jealousy is always selfish. It is concerned with your own
feelings. It is possessive, and it wants to control another person. It is
therefore often dominating and even cruel and tyrannical. It usurps the
rights of others and insists on its own way. It is imposed upon someone
else whether that person likes it or not. Because it is so vicious in its
cruelty and its tyranny, jealousy perhaps is the most destructive force in
the world today.

            A true jealousy, a godly jealousy, on the other hand, as Paul
felt for the Corinthians, is one that arises from a deep passion for the
welfare of another. It becomes careless of self, and it is always
manifested in a tenderness and a thoughtfulness about someone else. It may
never cease, because it is a powerful motive, just like the jealousy in
both God's and Paul's hearts. Paul likens his jealousy to that of a father
who has betrothed his daughter to a young bridegroom. Throughout history,
fathers have had the privilege of giving their daughters away in marriage,
and this is symbolized today when, in a wedding ceremony, the father walks
down the aisle with the bride. Every father (I speak from experience) longs
to be able to present his daughter, having raised her in a careful,
nurturing home, as a chaste and lovely virgin to the young man she loves.
This is a rather startling analogy to use about these Corinthians, for we
saw in 1 Corinthians 6 their impure backgrounds. There Paul tells us that
some of them had been adulterers, immoral people, homosexuals, thieves,
drunkards, robbers, and cut-throats. And that is what some of you were, he
said (1 Corinthians 6:11a). And yet now he says, [I have desired] to
present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

              Lord, teach me to see the difference between godly jealousy
and that which is selfish. Let me love others with the same fierce passion
with which You have loved me.


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            Life Application: God is passionately jealous for the Good of
His own people. Are we being freed from damaging our relationships with
self-focused jealousy?

            Related Message: This daily devotion was inspired by one of
Ray's messages. Please read "Keep it Simple" or listen to Ray for more on
this portion of scripture.
           
                  Devotions for September from 1st John 
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            ©2007 by Elaine Stedman -- From the book The Power of His
Presence: a year of devotions from the writings of Ray Stedman; compiled by
Mark Mitchell. Devotion pages, excerpts, or quotes may be used is long as
the copyright notice includes the book title, author and a hyperlink to
www.RayStedman.org.