Godly Jealousy

2 Cor 11:2-3  "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.  I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.   But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."

God is jealous for us.   Jealousy is usually seen in a negative light.  We are jealous OF someone else.  We are jealous OF their looks, their car, their house, their popularity, etc.  The list can go on and on.  When we are jealous OF someone, its not usually in a positive manner. 

So, when we read God is jealous, we need to realize he is jealous FOR us.  He wants our hearts.  He wants our devotion.  He wants the best for us.  

In Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below."  Why?  Because God wants our focus.  He wants us to worhsip Him and Him alone.  

What idols do you have in your life that take your eyes off of Jesus?  Your body perhaps?  Having the next new game system?  Spending hours playing those games instead of spending time reading Gods word, or doing His work?  What about a person?  Is there someone in your life that you hold higher than God?  There are so many things in our lives that can be idols.  God is jealous FOR us. He wants to set us free from the bondage that keeps us from freely worshiping Him.  He isn't jealous of us.  He isn't jealous because we have a lot of stuff.  He's jealous because that stuff takes our time and our eyes off of Him.  I tell my kids in youth group and also my own sons that God deserves just a fraction of the time they spend texting their friends.  A fraction of the time they spend playing video games or whatever it is they waste their time on.  He would LOVE to hear from them.  He is the most important relationship in our life. 

This is a lesson for all of us.  God is jealous FOR us, He wants to spend time with us and hear from us.  He wants to bless us and give us the good life.  But, if we tune him out, if we put other things and other people ahead of Him, we aren't open to his blessings.  Sometimes God will do something drastic in your life to get your attention.  Those are the moments when you say "Why God? Why did this happen?"  and he responds "Because I want your attention.  Its my turn". In the good times and the bad, God should be your #1!

He is jealous FOR ME!  Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.  Oh how he loves us, Oh, how he loves us, how he loves us all!!!!