Yep, God continues to amaze me. I received an e-mail by Nancy Leigh DeMoss called "Jealousy and Singleness", her devotion for yesterday. It's been sitting in my inbox for about 24 hours, and I knew I wanted to read it, but didn't have time at the moment.

I just got done reading it, and I am stunned by a statement she writes in there. It says, "“If I imagine that I love my neighbor, let me test my love by asking how glad I am that he has managed to acquire what I have long wished to acquire."

Now here's the deal. This devotion deals with singleness, but I encourage you, no, I challenge you, to substitute the highlighted words, and ask God to fill in those blanks. If a person comes to mind as you read this or an instance pops into your memory, then let God "tweak" you and deal with it, so that you can put this behind you. Be honest with yourself, so that you can move forward without this baggage dragging you down.

Jealousy and Singleness

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: The apostle Paul says, “Love does not envy.” Elisabeth Elliot has helped us think through what that means. She writes, “If I imagine that I love my neighbor, let me test my love by asking how glad I am that he has managed to acquire what I have long wished to acquire. That he is loved by someone in some way that has never been granted to me.”

This can be especially challenging for singles. Do you ever find yourself jealous of your friends who are getting married? Maybe you’re married, but you’ve never been able to have children. Are you jealous of those who are able to have children?

These are some of the most painful situations a woman can go through. Avoiding envy might seem impossible, but love is from God. The way to avoid jealousy is to be filled up with godly love.

Ask Him to give you His love. The kind that doesn’t envy.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.