Okay, we've all felt this at one time or another. (Yes, even you. Don't lie. Ooh, I'll cover about lying later, too.)
If you really can't think of an instance when you were jealous or you are mixed up with so many emotions that you're not sure if it's jealousy, here are some symptoms.
1. You actually feel bad when that someone succeeds or gets a compliment
2. You have a difficult time complimenting or encouraging this person
3. You feel responsible to keep their feet on the floor. Someone has to remind her that she/he's not all that.
4. You criticize this person 100% (let's just say, a lot) of the time but you find yourself adapting to this person's style, habits, and behavior.
5. You get this icky feeling in your stomach when you think of this person and honestly, she/he didn't do anything wrong to you.
6. You find yourself comparing yourself to this person a lot.
7. If someone speaks well of this person, you feel that you need to give them a taste of reality by talking about the not-so-good side.
8. You find yourself blaming this person for things that really wasn't her/his fault. (Okay, this one, you have to really be able to admit this.)
9. All you care is if you are better than this person.
10. You feel better (about yourself) when this person is spoken ill of or mistreated. For some reason, that's when you feel compassion.
Some of these things, I have to admit that I actually experienced, some were directed towards me, but most of all, when I think of Jesus and other great leaders, I was able to realize how bad jealousy is. One of the reasons why they are persecuted so passionately is because of jealousy in one form or another. That is truly sad and this is why it is a Cain's personality. It is a personality that can block God's will and the way to Heaven.
I'm sure we have a little or lot of this. And as the saying goes, "a bird may fly over our head but don't let it nest." I hope that as soon as we catch ourselves with these "symptoms", we'll be able to repent and change.
*I use "symptoms" because I think that these personalities are a disorder and an illness.
