 Spiritual Jealously Crusified this man! |
Jealously
By: Francis Xavier Hastings Sr.
Like Drinking and Driving.
Christian Spirituality and Jealously
Just doesn't mix!
Let Us Encourage Lay Evangelization!
Encourage Religious Vocations!
Nurture Restoration and Renewal!
DON'T DISCOURAGE...
PRAY and ENCOURAGE!
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Spiritual Warfare Most people like to think that spiritual warfare is going into battle against the evil forces in this world and in doing so they are glorifying God. This is the best tool we have for Spiritual Warfare. However, there is another form of not so Christian Spiritual Warfare. That warfare is when Christians while practicing their humanity instead of practicing their faith allow their pride and jealously to influence their actions toward their fellow Christian brothers and sisters! This is a serious sin and an infraction on ones ability to share in spreading the gospel. As followers of Christ we must attempt to be more Christ like. To be more Christ like our primary effort in living out our Christianity should be to do as Christ instructed us in Mark 12, vs 30 & 31 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all of your soul, with all your mind, and with all of your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these." Following and obeying Jesus with this, the greatest of the commandments we as Christians cannot allow us to be eaten up with pride and jealously. If we love our neighbor as ourselves, we will encourage our neighbor to be more for God and not attempt to suppress them. In doing a self examination of ourselves in this area of jealously and pride I offer a few examples: Many church choirs have experienced a jealously that has ended up in a battle for the position of choir leader, lead singer or perhaps who is better qualified to play the organ. Or it could happen in a Christian organization, perhaps one like the Knights of Columbus, Marriage Encounter or the Charismatic renewal. One often finds up and coming member vying for a position of power and leadership in organizations such as these and when that happens there is inevitably one or more people that want to continue to control the organization. Clergy and Religious are not exempt from this very human trait either. It affects all of us! It's human nature and it is a sin (a very serious sin) and we as Christians must control our personal wants and desires and give way to what Jesus Christ would want us to do. We must ask ourselves. What most glorifies God? What is in the best interest for spreading the gospel? We must keep control of ourselves allowing the Holy Spirit to ordain many new Christians to evangelize and spread the Gospel. We as Christians should be about encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ to rise up and do what is necessary to glorify God. We must shed our Pride and avoid the desires of the world. 2 Corinthians, chapter 12 vs:20 "For I fear that when I come I may find you not such as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; that there may be rivalry, JEALOUSY, fury, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit and disorder." All these things are disturbing to Christ. Look to the humbleness that Christ himself made as an example for us to follow: 1 John chapter 13, vs 13 through 16: "You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him." We all have a job to do, that job is assigned by God our Father. Pray for those who dare attempt to stop what God has commanded. If there is a false teaching or teachings that are not in harmony with the doctrine of the Catholic church, then use loving discernment. Don't play God! Luke, chapter 9, vs: 49 and 50 Then John said in reply, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company." Jesus said to him, "Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you." If you still feel that the teachings are false then confront and question the messenger, ask them to explain their teachings. This should be done in company with two to three other Christians. Pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit before assuming such a task.We as Christians, we as leaders in the church, both religious and lay people should be about encouraging our brothers and sisters to let their light shine. We should encourage them to display the only good pride there is, that being the pride of being a child of God, a Christian, a believer, a lover of Christ. Praise God. I am proud to be a Catholic and to be a witness to Gods great goodness! I know there are many other followers of Christ out there that love God as much as I do and I would never be a stumbling block to them. I would encourage them to be more for our God. This is the key to evangelization of our church, evangelization of the world. This is what it will take to win more souls for Christ. Let us together go out and encourage all believers to get involved, to share in spreading the gospel. When we do these things we will again fill our Catholic churches and in filling our Catholic churches we will make more believers that will attain salvation through growth in their faith. Let us together bring more Catholics back to our church and more souls to heaven. This is what being Catholic and living our baptism should be all about!
Luke, chapter 11, vs: 17 through 20 Acts, chapter 5, vs: 17 through 20 Acts, chapter 13, vs: 44 through 47 Romans, chapter 13, vs:13 and 14 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, vs:3 Galatians, chapter 5, vs; 19 through 26 Galatians, chapter 6, vs; 6 through 10 Ephesians, chapter 4, vs: 25 through 32 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, vs: 9 through 22
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