Flesh vs Spirit (part 5)

Today we are going to look at 3 more acts of the flesh that coincide. Jealousy, envy, and selfish ambition are desires that can take over human emotions and thoughts. How do we counter these desires that are inevitable? 

The word jealousy can mean an excitement of the mind or zeal. These in and of themselves are not evil but they carry evil connotations. They can envision a rivalry between parties and a passion for someone or something that leads down a bad path. Selfish ambition is an interesting phrase in the original Greek. It was associated with those who were seeking some sort of office by election. It is one that wants to put ourselves forward as the best and most deserving at whatever is it we are seeking. Envy has to do with being spiteful towards another and desiring something someone else has. In Jesus’ day, the religious leaders who wanted to kill him were accused of being envious of Jesus (Mark 15:10). 

So how do we counter this? Showing kindness and peace to one another is a result of having the Spirit that counters these evil thoughts. Enjoying what God has given us instead of desiring what he has not is one way to counter. When we are jealous and envious, we want something or someone. We believe we deserve whatever it is and therefore we become jealous. We are not worthy of anything (Rom 3:23), so if we keep this in mind it will keep us humble. We have received grace and mercy from Jesus and that is all we need. We have received his Spirit from Him and this results in joy and peace instead of desiring and deceiving.