Listen/Download Audio of Conquering Jealousy
Remember that jealousy is a soul disease that causes its victim to suffer mental torture and also adversely affects the functions of his body and his harmonious association with other persons.
Jealousy works on a person’s mind in such a subtle way that its unhappy victim often blames other persons for his plight instead of himself, the real culprit. It is almost unbelievable that there are so many good and well-meaning persons who are suffering from this mental malady not knowing what ails them.
Jealousy is often so deeply hidden in a person’s subconscious mind that he does not realize that he is jealous. Sometimes others are aware of his condition while he is ignorant of it. He realizes that something is wrong and that he is not happy, and so concludes that outer circumstances are to blame. The question of how or when jealousy entered his consciousness does not matter so much as how he can be rid of it.
He may have acquired it in childhood. Perhaps he became jealous when he thought his parents were showing greater affection and attention to his brothers or sisters than to him, and he told himself that they were getting something that he wanted and he must find a way to get even with the favored ones. Seed thoughts of hate were thus sown among the thoughts of love in his consciousness. These may have grown unnoticed in his subconscious mind, influencing his thoughts and acts without his consent. This does not explain the cause of every person’s jealousy, but the point is that no matter how a person acquired it he should not allow it to spoil his career. God’s plan for every man and woman is that they are to be happy in serving God and man unselfishly.
If you are unhappy and you have any reason to believe that possibly your unhappiness is being caused by a hidden feeling of jealousy, you should face the problem and analyze your motives carefully. If you find that you are jealous, admit it and cast out the feeling by forgiving yourself and asking God to forgive you also. Then begin forgiving those who have aroused jealousy in you. Forgiveness is the most effective method of removing this kind of trouble. By forgiving all the mistakes of the past, be they your own or those made by other persons, you free yourself from unhealthy weeds that may be growing in your subconscious mind.
I ask you, “Is it reasonable that you should be unhappy when something good comes to another person instead of to you?” When you are sure that God is your unfailing source of supply you feel so rich as you abide in His love that you rejoice when you see someone receiving something good whether you think he deserves it or not.
We should form the habit of giving thanks when we hear that good has come to someone. This habit brings us closer to the source of all blessings, which makes it possible for us to enter into the Spirit of blessing so that blessings greet us on every hand. No matter if another person has attained something good that we desired but failed to attain we should rejoice anyway, because it shows us that good is possible of attainment, and if he attained it so can we.
If someone who works with you seems to have more favor in the eyes of the boss than you do, do not worry about it. Worry and hurt feelings only make it more difficult for you to succeed in doing what is pleasing to God and man. The way to success is made easier for you when you think thoughts of success and praise rather than thoughts of resentment and discouragement. Make friends with success by giving thanks for it wherever you see it.
Do not be afraid that somebody will take your good away from you. When you are afraid, worried, and resentful you cut down your own power to receive good. Do not surround yourself with a thought aura of negative, vengeful, hurt feelings, for this will make all your associates shun you.
Even a boss may at times suffer from jealousy, which may cause him to fear that his helpers will receive credit for their good suggestions and thus discredit his ability. When he trusts God instead of nursing a jealous heart he knows that every good work that comes out of his department is a credit to him, and he should thank God for it. A department head’s greatest value is his ability to encourage and advance his subordinates. When we would render our best possible services we must not allow jealousy to becloud our vision.
If our success is so insecure that it cannot stand up when other persons succeed it is not true success.
We must practice putting all our affairs into the hands of God while we rejoice in the success of every person, even our competitors. It cannot help us to grieve when others succeed. But it does help a lot when we rejoice in their good fortune, for this puts us in friendly relationship with success.
By being forgiving and thankful always you will become a magnet to attract good to you. Therefore you do not need to worry about anyone else’s good fortune. Back of material good fortune is spiritual good fortune. Build up your spiritual reserve of good fortune, and then go forward in the faith that God will supply all your needs bountifully and that there is nothing to fear from competition.
Realize that when you are loving, forgiving, and happy you are keeping close to the divine source, God, from whom all your good comes. No one in all the world can take away your good when you keep close to God in spirit. Hate, self-pity, resentment, and suspicion never helped anyone to attain real success and happiness.
Truth students should never allow hidden jealousy to cause them unhappiness, because they know the law of the creative power of thought. Good thoughts bring good results. Jealous thoughts are not good thoughts. Therefore jealousy is unprofitable and unnecessary, and it can be cast out by the power of God.
SUGGESTIONS FOR DAILY MEDITATION
SUNDAY: God is no respecter of persons. Therefore I have no cause to be jealous of other persons when I depend upon God for my supply.
MONDAY: No desire for personal gain shall divert me from my course of adhering to and using the logical principles of Jesus Christ.
TUESDAY: I freely forgive myself if in the past I have made the mistake of considering personal glory more important than glorifying God.
WEDNESDAY: I now freely forgive every person against whom I have held a grudge because he got something that I wanted.
THURSDAY: I release myself from the memory of all discords of the past that were caused by jealousy by forgiving every person I have condemned. I now let the memory of these inharmonious moments go out of my consciousness, and I am free to think happy, pleasant thoughts.
FRIDAY: My feelings cannot be hurt by any person when I have let Christ lift them up out of human reach.
SATURDAY: My success is measured by standards of Truth rather than by the comparison of myself with other persons.
