Heart Attack, III

Proverbs 4:²³ “Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.” (ERV).

We will kick off today by answering the question what is the difference between envy and jealousy? Envy is when you want what someone else has. You see the guy with a brand-new car, and you want what he has, so it leads to envy. Then you say, ‘Who does he think he is? He thinks he is so cool’. Did anybody ask you? You see a girl looking beautiful and her skin is glowing. And because you want what she has, envy creeps in. Then you say, ‘Why does she think she is all that?’ No, she does not. The problem is you think you are not all that. That is envy.

Jealousy on the other hand is when you have something, and you think someone else wants to take what you have or will be more positioned to take what you have. For instance, after you have taken a selfie with your husband, another lady asks if she can take a selfie with your husband. You allow her to take the selfie with your husband and then she puts it up on social media. Then you say, ‘Why is my husband smiling so much in this picture? He did not smile in our picture’, and you start to feel threatened.

As simple as that sounds, when jealousy slips in, it creates a lot of problems for people. While envy requires two parties, jealousy requires three parties. You can feel envy about something you want but you do not have. But you feel jealous about something you already have but are afraid of losing. Every time you have envy and jealousy attacking your heart, it is a heart attack. God is saying to guard your heart with all diligence and fight it with everything that you have.

The fifth form of heart attack is Bitterness. Bitterness is when you have been offended. You are in the right, but you were wronged. But guess what? The fact that you are in the right does not give you the right to be bitter. The truth is most times we justify our bitterness with our rightness. What I am saying is, because you are in the right does not give you a right to be bitter. Bitterness flows in your heart. See it for what it is, a heart attack! And in the Name of Jesus, it will fail. God will flood your heart with His light and with His love. God will heal your heart of every hurt and every form of bitterness, in the Name of Jesus. When people apologize for what they have done wrong, it actually helps us to heal. But some people will never say sorry. Guess what? You do not even need anyone’s apology to forgive them. It is not written anywhere, forgive after apology, nowhere! You can forgive without people saying sorry.

Prayer: Father, please heal my heart. Reveal the bitterness, envy, and jealousy in my heart and help me deal conclusively with it, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!