Genesis 29-30

Day 23

Genesis 29-30

Genesis 30:1-2

¹ When Rachel realized that she wasn't having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She told Jacob, "Give me sons or I'll die!"

 ² Jacob got angry with Rachel and said, "Am I God? Am I the one who refused you babies?"

This is a story about a “let’s see whose is longer” match between Jacob’s two wives Rachel and Leah…

I’m going to give you the basic definition of jealously in regards to marriages.  It derives itself from fear.  It is the fear of abandonment! 
Have you ever been jealous in a relationship?  Ultimately the feelings of jealousy you were having stemmed from the fear of losing your partner…  The feeling you need to check behind them.  Maybe go through their phone to look for text messages or missed calls.  You are worried about being abandoned. 

Is jealousy is a sin?  Absolutely not…  Our God is incapable of sin and He calls Himself a jealous God when it comes to the love of His people. 

(Exodus 20:4-5)
⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me

However, our actions when we are jealous can most definitely be sin.  Unfaithfulness or infidelity in a marriage can bring on an onslaught of jealous feelings…  How can we overcome jealousy in a marriage relationship?
First of all, I don’t suggest you follow in the footsteps of Leah and Rachel…  Oh you know I was going to say it!
To beat jealousy in a marriage you must give up the 3 P’s to regain the trust…

·        Passwords – In a marriage there is nothing in your email that your spouse should not be able to read….

·        Phone – Your text messages and call history should be open for her anytime your spouse wants to see it, and not after you deleted the history…

·        Postponing – Your next move should be towards restoring confidence, so putting the first 2 p’s on hold only makes you look worse buddy…  Your marriage is worth way more than your privacy.

 

Always talk with other married couples who have overcome this issue – that is always a big help!  They can help you avoid the mistakes they have made!