Considered a Biblical sin, jealousy is an emotion that will destroy an individual, a relationship, a home and family, a career, and most definitely a life. Out of the many untamed emotions that dwell within the human soul, this emotion is one of the hardest to bring under control. It is almost a natural given that jealousy will possess a being regardless of how emotionally strong that person may be.

The Bible says that "For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts" (prov 7:34,35). Which means it is a hard emotion to control and overcome when it is provoked to its fullest power. No matter how much someone else tries to soothe the pain or correct the situation, that binding spirit will possess the hurt soul for days maybe years to come.

Jealousy is not actually an emotion that some people can turn on and off, in other words, if a spouse seems to act jealous because a past friend shows up, it is not because he or she has decided to be jealous, it is because jealousy has taken hold of them. This is why it is so easy to make other people jealous, because it is not a controlled emotion. In fact, there are not many controlled emotions in the human soul though there are some that are easier to control than others.

For instance, it is easier to control anger than it is jealousy. A person can apply strategies to anger and even bottle that anger up (not to say that it will not resurface) but it can be controlled better. Jealousy is different. A person may be able to refrain from showing jealousy but it is a feeling that no amount of strategy or training can maintain. It too, will surface. The difference between anger and jealousy is that it is easier to forgive from anger than it is from jealousy. Jealousy brings mistrust, and also causes a deeper pain that last longer.

Another reason jealousy is so much stronger than many other emotions is because it stems from the most powerful of emotions, which is love, and if someone loves another deep enough that jealousy can become even more powerful. Love for a child is a powerful love and many parents are extremely jealous when their child has chosen something over them. This hurts deeply and only the depths of love can cover the pain.

Once a person has been possessed by extreme jealousy one time, they adopt a type of paranoia overshadowed by jealousy. Jealousy seems to influence much of their views about life and the situations around them. They become jealous over loved ones, and maybe possessive, they could become jealous at work, around friends and about friends, and they could show signs of jealousy at the most trivial things. Once it has come to this point it is obvious to many people and that person has become a possession of the spirit of jealousy.

After a person is taken over to this point, they are blind to many things. They are unconsciously miserable because they have not overcome the first pain and this leads to them experiencing this pain over and over if they see someone else in a state of happiness or contentment. On a daily basis, someone possessed with this amount of vindictive jealousy will begin to think things and situations around them are unfair and they start assuming and the paranoia becomes stronger. Next, they believe everything is a conspiracy against them.

When it seems (to them) that others are getting special treatment or are just lucky, they go into a state of spitefulness and attempt to sabotage pieces of that other person's life. Unconsciously, remember, these people are only reacting to the pain that is resurfacing from the past. Getting over that much jealousy takes an equal if not more amount of love.

Not all people suffer from extreme jealousy - as stated earlier - on purpose, many have had loved ones taken from them unexpectedly, or lost something of value to them to someone they may have felt did not deserve it. They may have been overlooked as a child while their sibling was treated better than they were or maybe they were treated better than their sibling and were spoiled all their lives, and when there is something they cannot have, jealousy becomes a factor.

Overcoming jealousy is difficult if you have not the key to its destruction, but there is one way to totally purge this wicked and possessive spirit from the soul. Though it may hurt to let go of a loved one and see them go to another, and though it may pain you to see your child choose a road not traveled by you, and even though it could cost you a friend, a promotion, or some form of material satisfaction, the only way to overcome the spirit of jealousy is to want the best for everyone.

© 2003 by Cartel Q