My Love Dare: Day 8

Love is as strong as death, its jealously unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire. ~ Song of Solomon 8:6

Day 8: Love is not jealous

Jealousy comes from the root word for “zeal”: to burn with intense fire. It is one of the strongest drives known to humans.

There are two types of jealousy:

Legitimate Jealousy: this jealousy is based on love. It’s jealousy that longs to have back what is yours. This is the kind of jealousy God has for His people.

Illegitimate Jealousy: this is rooted in selfishness. It is moved with envy. This is the jealousy we feel when someone is more successful than us. When we want what someone else has. This type of jealousy is also seen in the Bible. It’s the jealousy Cain had toward Abel. The jealousy Sarah had toward Hagar. The jealousy Joseph’s brothers felt when they threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave. The jealousy the Pharisees felt toward Jesus, leading them to have him arrested and crucified.

There is no place for illegitimate jealousy in a marriage. Love is not selfish. It refuses to let wrongful jealousy in. As spouses, we should be cheerleaders for each other in all things. Not competing with each other. We should celebrate our spouse’s successes, not resent them.


TODAY’S DARE: DETERMINE TO BECOME YOUR SPOUSE’S BIGGEST FAN AND TO REJECT ANY THOUGHTS OF JEALOUSY. TO HELP; YOU SET YOUR HEART ON YOUR SPOUSE AND FOCUS ON THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS, TAKE YESTERDAY’S LIST OF NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES AND DISCREETLY BURN IT. THEN SHARE WITH YOUR SPOUSE HOW GLAD YOU ARE ABOUT A SUCCESS HE OR SHE RECENTLY ENJOYED.

I am pleased to say with great certainty that of all the faults I have discovered about myself as a wife in this Love Dare journey so far – this is not one of them. I can’t think of a time when I have been jealous of any accomplishment or success The Man of the House has experienced. I celebrate his successes and am extremely proud of him. I pray I have done a good job expressing this to him and that he knows that.