As you can see in this picture, my wife and I have a puppy – his name is Teddy and he’s almost 6 months old.
For the past couple of days, we have been babysitting Christina’s parent’s two dogs and it’s been fascinating to see the interaction between the three of them.
The most significant thing that my wife and I keep on noticing is the interplay between love and jealousy.
- When we come home, the dogs love us. But when we begin to pet one of them, the other two become jealous.
- If we are going to give them all treats, they love us. But when we give the first one out, the other two are jealous.
- If we hold one of the dogs, that dog loves us. But the other two walk towards us and either whine or look at us with eyes of jealousy.
How often, as human beings, are we also like that?
- When we receive a gift from a loved one, we love that person. But when our loved one gives a gift to someone else and forgets us, we become jealous.
- When we complete a project or a task and people positively acknowledge our work, we love them. But when the only work being acknowledged is someone else’s, we become jealous.
What exactly is the relationship between love and jealousy?
I believe it’s a battle between our human/sinful nature and a life that is fully devoted to God.
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: …jealousy…But the fruit of the Spirit is love…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:19-25)
Which side is winning in your life?