Jealousy

Saul Devotional

Read the biblical text

• 1 Samuel 18:5-9

Practical

Jealousy is a natural human emotion. So there is no way to completely protect your children. Instead, teach children not to compare their weaknesses with the strengths of others. Understand and reassure your children as needed, but check your own habits to make sure you give a positive example. By showing your gratitude for your own talents, your family and your life, you are teaching your children that it is not what you have, but what you do with it. Instead of seeing what others have and what we don’t have, we can decide to be grateful for everything we have and for who we are.

With your children, make a list of all their possessions and talents.

Reflexion

Envy and jealousy are similar. Jealousy is: I don’t want to lose that. The envy is: I want to have this. After Saul sent David to fight the Philistines, David went home. People took to the streets and the women sang and danced saying, “Saul killed his thousand, but David, ten thousand.” King Saul heard this and jealousy and envy invaded him. What was he afraid of losing? His kingdom. Why was he envious of David? He wanted to be as good as David. From that day on, Saul was angry and jealousy and envy took place in his heart. He then planned to kill David, so that David would spend part of his life running and fleeing into the desert so that Saul would not kill him. When envy and jealousy invade our hearts, we think of actions and words of destruction.

Questions

• Have you ever been jealous (or envious) of another person? What are the feelings you feel when you are jealous?
• What are you jealous of (material possessions, skills, talents, social success, popularity, jealousy between brothers and sisters)?
• Has it ever happened to you that someone is jealous of you? And how did you react?
• What can you do when a feeling of jealousy, hatred and anger rises in you?
• What can you do when you are the object of someone’s jealousy or hatred?

Prayer

God, I thank you for all that I have and for who I am. I put at your feet any feeling of jealousy, envy or anger towards my friends or siblings.