Is being jealous sinful?

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holly_potter

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I’m rather jealous/sad right now… here’s the full story.

At my univ., they offered honors classes, that if you registered for them, you could go on this european trip (london, paris, germany, venice, rome–including the vatican!). So, needless to say, I registered and did my best work. But as the semester went on, I found I didn’t have enough money and couldn’t go on the trip.

Now, the group that DID go on the trip just came back, with awesome pictures…they even got to go to the catacombs!

What makes this hard for me is that everybody in the class were athiests (one or two may be Christians, but not Catholics, and a majority were fallen Catholics), while I felt stronger in my faith than ever before because I was constantly causing others to think during these honors classes.

Why could they be able to go, and not me?
I’m sorry if this sounds petty, but I just feel stuck because I was really hoping I could go, and now it just doesn’t seem like I’ll ever get to go overseas 😦

So, back to my original question. Is it all right to cry it out, or should I fight against the disappointment and envy?
Thanks…
 
I think that your feelings are warranted. If you let them get to the point where it either consumes you or you wish evil on those who went then there might be a problem. I know that I would have been upset at a once in a lifetime opportunity. Or is it?? Perhaps God has something bigger and better for you and this time one of those atheists needed to go. With God no one gets to see the big picture. He does. Cry and let it go. It’s called massive dissapointment, not jealousy and anyone might feel that. It’ll pass…God Bless…teachccd:)
 
thank you …🙂
it was a one time only opportunity for me, but I will keep in mind your kind comments! I’d love to see whether God has a bigger trip in mind, but I guess I’ll have to wait and see 🙂
I do sincerely hope that this trip softens the heart of my former classmates 🙂 :gopray:
 
I have wrestled with why do atheists seem to get ahead…and many Christians struggle? The thing is…atheists miss the biggest and best picture…that of a loving God. Trips will come and go…they really will…but your faith…wow, that’s forever. I will keep you in my prayers…

God will provide you what you need…it didn’t happen this time, but it will…I have a feeling about this.:o Jealousy…hmmm…maybe you were feeling more envy…which is natural. Give it over to God…start over…and always remember…

you are on the best trip every day of your life…a trip towards Heaven. No one can take that trip away from you.❤️
 
Of course you feel disappointed/jealous/envious–you are a human being!! Just don’t forget that God has a plan for your life, and if it had been right for you to go, a way would have opened up for you. I know you wouldn’t have wanted to go outside of God’s will (not to mention what might have happened if you had tried it :eek: ).

Just go on with your life as others have suggested–who knows what God may have planned for you in the future…:extrahappy:
 
whatevergirl said:
I have wrestled with why do atheists seem to get ahead…and many Christians struggle? The thing is…atheists miss the biggest and best picture…that of a loving God. Trips will come and go…they really will…but your faith…wow, that’s forever. I will keep you in my prayers…

God will provide you what you need…it didn’t happen this time, but it will…I have a feeling about this.:o Jealousy…hmmm…maybe you were feeling more envy…which is natural. Give it over to God…start over…and always remember…

you are on the best trip every day of your life…a trip towards Heaven. No one can take that trip away from you.❤️
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Holly,

I am going to have to second what WG has said. I would not trade the ride that I am on, as a Catholic, for any trip in the world. I think one way that you can look at this is that maybe for them they “needed” this trip. Who knows if they found God while they were there? Stranger things have happened.

Is it okay to be jealous? I would say to an extent since it was something that interested you, but, personally, I would not dwell on it if I were you. There are better things in your future. There will be other trips. Maybe not in school. Maybe a honeymoon to Italy? You never know what the future holds. But you will not know if you continue to look over your shoulder at the past. Hold tight to the promise of Jesus and know that He will give you many other “trips” in your life that will make this trip that you did not go on seem like a trip to Wal-Mart.
 
holly_potter said:
What makes this hard for me is that everybody in the class were athiests (one or two may be Christians, but not Catholics, and a majority were fallen Catholics), while I felt stronger in my faith than ever before because I was constantly causing others to think during these honors classes.
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It sounds like the classes helped you strengthen your faith and that by causing others to think and, perhaps, redefine their religious beliefs, you may have helped to develop the faith of some of your classmates. You made good use of an awesome opportunity.
 
Yes, it would be catagorized as envy… which is one of the seven deadly sins…

It also breaks the commandment of coveting(wishing you had what another person has)

be happy with yourself 🙂
 
Jealousy is sinful in the sense we are angry because someone else gets or has something which we ourselves desire; the attitude of charity on the other hand, would mean we would feel joy when another person gets something which makes them happy or joyful.
 
holly_potter said:
I’m rather jealous/sad right now… here’s the full story.

At my univ., they offered honors classes, that if you registered for them, you could go on this european trip (london, paris, germany, venice, rome–including the vatican!). So, needless to say, I registered and did my best work. But as the semester went on, I found I didn’t have enough money and couldn’t go on the trip.

Now, the group that DID go on the trip just came back, with awesome pictures…they even got to go to the catacombs!

What makes this hard for me is that everybody in the class were athiests (one or two may be Christians, but not Catholics, and a majority were fallen Catholics), while I felt stronger in my faith than ever before because I was constantly causing others to think during these honors classes.

Why could they be able to go, and not me?
I’m sorry if this sounds petty, but I just feel stuck because I was really hoping I could go, and now it just doesn’t seem like I’ll ever get to go overseas 😦

So, back to my original question. Is it all right to cry it out, or should I fight against the disappointment and envy?
Thanks…
Click to expand...
Good for you, for your longing, and your witness. If you were meant to go, you would have gone. It is not the right time. When you read the book of Acts and the pastoral letters of Paul, you can see many places where he yearns to go on visits. One occasion, he knows he was prevented. Rom 1:13
" I want you to know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented)"

Where God guides, HE provides. If it had been your time, the resources would have been there. The same thing on a much smaller scale recently happened to me. I desired to make a retreat for Pentecost, but could not afford it.

Yes, I would say it is a sin to be jealous, because it is not responding in love. We are commanded to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thess 5:17-18

So, instead of focusing on your loss, give thanks and praise to God for His constant and divine guidance. Give thanks for the desire He gave you to journey, and the desire to witness. Trust in Him that, in the fullness of time, His fulfillment of the desires of your heart will be even better than this trip ever could have been for you. He is holding you in the palm of His hand, and He has all your steps marked out.

However, I do think it is healthy for you to cry it out. Grief is cleansing, and your tears can be turned into prayers that you may walk in the way of the Lord. Today’s reading says “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20

A person on the way to crucifixtion had no hopes, no dreams, no future. It was a one way trip. So, in Christ, are we to pick up our cross daily, dying to ourselves, and placing our trust in Him. You need to offer your loss on the cross, and give up to Him even the very desire you have to do what is good in your own eyes. Allow all of your yearnings and jealousy to be nailed to that cross, so that there is nothing left but Christ.

This is what we are all called to do every day. With each of the disappointments and grief, to unite ourselves to His suffering. Instead of focusing on disappoinment, take the words of the crucified, and say “into your hands do I commit my spirit”. In this way you will die to self.
 
Very little in the world is “once in a lifetime.” You were prevented by circumstances from going on a trip. Once. Plan better next time the opportunity arises. Set up your own trip. Don’t think that having missed this opportunity that you won’t ever go to see the sights.
Yes, jealousy and envy are sins. You will have to learn to get over it.

Matthew
 
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