Beastly Green Eyed Monster

Brad and I were watching a recent episode of Project Runway and saw a classic Bible story being reenacted, though I doubt the two participants knew it. It's a classic case of jealously. One contestant - Amanda - in this fashion design show has repeatedly been successful with her creations and has been rewarded as such. And another - Korina - has repeatedly be unsuccessful and thus oftentimes found at the bottom of the scoring. So one morning the unsuccessful contestant decided to tell the successful one that she found her to be phony. The criticism did the trick. The successful contestant could think of nothing else except the cruel comment made by her competitor. I paused the show and turned to talk to Brad.

"This is a classic case of Cain vs. Able, " I told him. "Able's offering is good. Cain's was not, so Cain decided to take out the competition."

When Cain's face was downcast after his offering was not acceptable to the Lord, God said to him in Gen. 4:7, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 

In other words, "Keep at it! Focus on what you can do well and do it! Don't be worried about what others do. Just do your best for Me."

Instead Cain opened the door to that sin and killed his younger brother.

I have seen this story unfold in many different ways of late. Friends and relatives have shared stories recently where they were verbally attacked by someone for no apparent reason, by people they loved and trusted. I, myself, have had the same experience a couple times. And it's the same story over and over again. The root of the cause is jealously. 

Jealousy is a beast. Shakespeare called it a "green-ey'd monster" in Othello. It causes people to do a lot of weird things. When those people are Christians, the behavior is puzzling and frustrating. When they are not Christians, while it is easier to understand, it is not easy to dismiss.

So what is our recourse to such behavior? Stand up for and do what is right. Love as Christ commanded. Forgive 70x7. Press on in the fullness God has given us. And know that the Lord will fight for us.

To those feeling the jealousy, before you say or do something hurtful, ask why you are feeling as you do. Did this person truly hurt you? Did they do something wrong? Or are they doing something well that you feel you can't compete with? Here's the point ... you aren't competing. God created all in His image with amazing gifts and talents. Some are better at some things than others. But those same folks are not good at things others are better at. It makes us a really great symbiotic world of folks working together for good. Instead of focusing on what someone is doing better or more efficiently than you, ask what you're doing wholeheartedly for the Lord to the tune of "well done good and faithful servant."

In this episode of Project Runway, these two contestants were thrown together for a team challenge. Working together they did as expected - dead center of the scoring. The successful contestant made her competitor a better challenger. She even helped her finish her project. It was class-act behavior at its best. It is my hope a lesson has been learned.

It is also my hope that instead of cutting our brother or sister in Christ down, that we will instead rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15), edify each other, correct each other in love and continue to serve to the fullest and best of our abilities. My goodness, we could accomplish so much more for His glory. And isn't that what it's all about?