"I'VE GOT ISSUES!" Part Four

I think that churches traditionally fall into a stereotype - whether it's true or not - that they are all about pointing out the issues in everyone else's life. Unfortunately, churches become known for what they are AGAINST rather than being known for what they are FOR!

I think one of the healthiest things people who are a part of a church could say is, "I've got issues! So let's stop trying to impress each other with how awesome we are and let's just be honest about our OWN issues so that we can move forward together!"

When you are busy working on your own issues, you don't really have the time or motivation to point your finger at others! So during this little series of blog posts, I wanted to take a few minutes and OWN some of my issues, and offer some practical wisdom from the Bible. Here are a few of my issues and how they have affected my life:

GUILT says, "I owe you!" It causes me to be miserable because if I feel guilty, then I want to leverage guilt in all of my relationships. The solution to the issue of guilt is CONFESSION.

ANGER says, "You owe me!" It causes me to resent others for what I feel they stole from me by their actions. The problem is, they usually couldn't pay it back if they wanted to, and I am the one suffering. The solution to the issue of anger is FORGIVENESS!

Another issues I have - and it's a biggie - is JEALOUSY! Let me just be as honest as I can be... I struggle with this a lot. There are just certain people that I don't like, and if you asked me why I don't like them, I wouldn't be able to tell you. I just don't like them. The truth is, they have what I know I will never have, and I'm jealous!

The sneaky and subtle thing about jealousy is that our problem is not really with that person. At the end of the day, our problem is with God. Jealousy says, "God owes me!" God could have given me more talent, more abilities, a different personality, more popularity, more opportunity, more money, more hair, and on and on it goes! 

So we ask ourselves what THEY did to get so much in life when we feel that we are just as deserving! Like I said, pretty subtle! You see, our real issue is with God, and when we don't recongize jealousy for what it is, it causes 2 things to happen in our life:

1.) We begin to RESENT the good things that happen in the lives of others!

2.) We begin to IGNORE the good things that happen in our own lives!

That is a miserable way to live life! If you want to set yourself free from the subtle trap of jealousy, then you have to learn to CELEBRATE the success, size, and stuff of those that you tend to envy! Here are a couple of great verses from the Bible that put this in perspective:

Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless - like chasing the wind.  (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.  (Proverbs 14:30)

I hope that you will take a minute to examine your own life, and discover if this sneaky issue of jealousy has worked its way into your heart! If it has, begin to celebrate with others, and watch it melt away!

If you would like to hear more about this topic, click here.

-jeremiah

Lead Pastor
Westbridge Church