He Is Jealous For Me.

He is Jealous For Me.

Do you think it’s possible to be jealous of what you do have? Seems a bit bizarre does it not? Generally, we think of jealousy as being an act of desiring something we do not have. How often do you find yourself envious of someone else—both outwardly in your actions and subliminally inside of you? A lot! I know I catch my mind drifting towards an attitude of jealousy. But what about being jealous of what you DO have? It’s possible!

I was reading in James this morning and was reading over a passage of scripture that is always convicting; take a look:

“Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Very convicting passage is it not? You may be thinking to yourself, “Well the jealousy described here is not towards something I have, it is very obvious that the jealousy is towards something I do not have (vs.2). Well what does this next verse say?

“5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?”

This verse literally opened up my mind to the character of God. Read it again. Again. Ok, let’s think about the definition of jealousy that we are use to: desiring something we do not have; now try and put that definition into this passage you discover, God’s jealousy is a different kind of jealousy. It says that “he jealously longs for the spirit HE CAUSED TO DWELL IN US.” What? Well, if HE caused it to dwell in us, why is he jealous of it? It’s interesting isn’t it? Let’s read on.

“6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[c]
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”

God is jealous for us. (Not just a lyric from David Crowder Band) But do you realize that He doesn’t need us—really. Do not get all puffed-up thinking that the God of this universe; the Alpha and Omega NEEDS us but rather he WANTS us. We make friendship with the world in the way we live our lives; in the way we allow our minds to think and how quickly we give our heart away to unfulfilling pleasures. That’s when God grows jealous: when He sees our actions, our thoughts and our hearts devoted to something or even someone else. Think of a husband who is madly in love with his wife and yet she finds another man interesting; she finds more joy in recognition for her work or she is consumed with the vanity in adorning herself. James could not have used a more perfect term in describing us, the Bride of Christ: “You adulterous people.” Don’t you realize that you cannot even claim the spirit that God has placed inside of you to be your doing? Who we are, our innermost being---our soul, is not even meant for us---do you get that?
He gives grace. Ha, I feel like the sun should come over the horizon when I say that phrase. He gives grace knowing that we are quick to fall into a state of being haughty and proud—even after we have come into a relationship with him. That’s why the passage goes on to remind us that “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble.” It’s hard to be humble! How do we do it? Is it putting ourselves down? NO! Oh man, if I have learned anything about humility is that the biggest lie of it is thinking less of ourselves in the effort of appearing to be humble. I believe I heard it first from Reverand Jack Graham my sophomore year of college. It was super early in the morning and I was getting ready; doing my usual ‘Man, you got a lot of areas to work on in your life speech” when Mr. Graham’s voice popped the conversation-cloud above my head with the words “ Do you not realize that humility is not in the act of thinking less of yourself but rather, true humility is when you think of yourself less.” Humility comes when we think of God and others before we think of ourselves. The passage says that we are to submit ourselves to God. Resist the devil. Don’t give me that “ But it’s so hard!” Do you think that I do not know how difficult it can be when a stupid voice or thought is planted in your mind and quickly takes root; choking the pleasant fruits of the Spirit and joyful freedom in Christ we are suppose to experience? He has no power! Resist him and go on with your day! (I am somewhat frustrated. Ok, down-right angry at the amount of life I have wasted worrying and being anxious—about nothing so please understand I am preaching to myself more than anyone!).
Draw near to God. My good friend and beautiful sister in Christ, Ashley is so quick to remind me of just how good God is and why He is worthy of praise. How does one draw near to God? Draw near to God by recognizing Him for who He is. Read Psalms—David wrote countless Psalms about the Glory of God and why He is worthy of ALL praise and HONOR and GLORY. That in itself will humble you because you’ll be seeing yourself in the light of who God is. The next two verses are depressing are they not? Ha. “Go over there and roll around in ashes, mourn, wail. Man when was the last time you wailed? When you were like three after falling off of your tricycle right? James is asking us to take the lowest position possible and for us to recognize the hostility of sin; the loneliness of sin; the devastation of sin; the disgusting nature of sin; the scratching your finger nails on the chalkboard of sin—you get what I’m saying? It’s nasty. It’s putrid. It should make us vomit and the minute we sin, it should tear us up inside so much that the wailing we did as a three year old is nothing in comparison to a heart’s cry discovering it’s disobedience to Our Loving Father. You guys. It’s not about us. Do you get it? Get over the jealousy junk: the pride junk in your life ok? Quit swimming around in it and flee from it; you have legs; you have the Word of God and you have the Holy Spirit ( the same one who raised Christ from the dead.) You really CAN do all things through Christ who gives you strength…..really!
Why make God jealous of what He already has? Yes, HE gives grace. But why not just submit yourself to Him and allow Him to show favor to you and to lift you up? Who cares about being lifted up here on earth. One of my all-time most favorite songs is by the band Mercy Me called “Crazy.” I think it fits in well with the concept of choosing the world over God. I encourage you to read the passage and allow the Spirit to just move in you and then listen to the song.
Youtube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3muAwZQCW4
Why I would I spend my life longing for the day that it would end..
Why would I spend my time pointing to another man..
Isn't that crazy

How can I find hope in dying, with promises unseen..
How can I learn your way is better
In everything I'm taught to be..
Isn't that crazy

I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who's calling out to me..
And even though the world may think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity

And if I boast let me boast
Of filthy rags made clean
And if I glory let me glory
In my Savior's suffering
Isn't that crazy

And as I live this daily life
I trust you for everything
And I will only take a step
When I feel You leading me
Isn't that crazy

I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who is calling out to me..
And even though the world my think
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity

Call me crazy
You can call me crazy
Call me crazy

I have not been called to the wisdom of this world..
But to a God who is calling out to me..
And even though the world may think that
I'm losing touch with reality
It would be crazy, It would be crazy, It would be crazy
To choose this world over eternity

Isn't That crazy..
Call me crazy
You can call me crazy
Call me crazy
Lyrics from: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mercyme/crazy.html