Jealousy

Even though Saul was the king, David led Israel’s armies to victory and became the champion of the people. David received the attention, the credit, and the praise instead of the king.

Suddenly Saul found himself ignored and taken for granted. Saul forgot his own history of how he owed everything to God. Instead of appreciating David’s contributions to the nation, Saul became jealous and began thinking of David as a rival. Giving vent to his emotions, Saul eventually even tried to hunt David down and have him killed.

Saul’s actions were not justified. Yet if we look more closely, we might find that his actions are similar to things we see in our culture every day – even among believers.

How natural it is to think primarily about ourselves and be concerned about our personal success. We tend to look at others as rivals and fight to get the credit.

But the Bible warns, “where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing” (James 3:16). Instead, we need to seek the wisdom that comes from God. We need to have an attitude that is pure and peaceable. We should be gentle and reasonable, full of mercy, and without any hint of hypocrisy.

Focus on God. In everything you do, seek to cultivate the attitude of a servant. Give credit where credit is due. Seek first His Kingdom. Look to Him for your rewards.