Jealousy And Quarreling
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as
people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants
in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for
you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there
is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting
like mere humans? For
when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”
are you not mere human beings?
What, after all, is Apollos?
And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to
believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I
planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has
been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is
anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who
waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own
labor. For we are
co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as
a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build
with care.
1
Corinthians 3:1-10
The
self-destructive emotion of jealousy had the potential of tearing apart the
Corinthian church. The believers had received the gospel but had not allowed
the Holy Spirit to change their hearts. As a result, they became jealous of one
another, which led to a divided community.
One of the
clearest indicators that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives is our
contentment and our thankfulness for what we have. Then instead of experiencing
jealousy, we are able to genuine celebrate the gifts and blessings of others.
The
remedy for jealousy is thankfulness to God.
Our Daily Bread
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