He is Jealous for Me

The thought occurred to me today that God is not in competition. How could He be? While it may be true that we can be distracted from time to time, I honestly believe the Lord understands. Over the last few years, I have come to realize that God is not jealous of my family, my relationships, my work, or my play. He may be jealous for me, but He's not jealous of me. Instead, He patiently waits for me to discover Him in the midst of all these things.

God's jealousy is so different from ours. Our jealousy tends to be rooted in selfishness, insecurity, and fear. When the Bible says that "God is a jealous God", we need to realize that He is not operating out of these things. His jealousy is rooted in all consuming love. He desperately wants for us to know Him, to feel Him, and to walk in everything He has provided. For us to live in anything less provokes this jealousy. And this jealousy turns into a relentless pursuit of us.

I wonder how many people have ever considered God's jealousy in this way? If your view of God is wrapped up in many of the Old Testament descriptions, then you have probably never seen the Father in this light. Much of the imagery of God in those days is one of anger, hostility, and even destruction. While I believe that these men were inspired, I don't believe every depiction of God is accurate considering that Jesus changed so much of it. Instead, the God we see revealed in the life of Jesus is One of outrageous love, incredible mercy, and amazing grace. A loving Father who would cross all worlds to come to us. A Father who would stop at nothing to ensure that we know who we were always designed to be. A Father who is so jealous for us that He would endure humiliation, shame, and even death to reach us in the midst of our darkness. We are not dealing with the god of our vain imaginations anymore. We are seeing the Abba of Jesus. The One in whom we live, and move, and have our being.

This God is not separated from us. He is not on the outside waiting for an invitation. He's on the inside waiting to be acknowledged. All the while He is drawing us, pursuing us, and awakening us to this reality. Discovering Him in the midst of life is one of our greatest joys. Seeing Him in family, in relationships, in work, and in play brings everything to a whole new level. The more I affirm this reality in my own life, the greater my awareness of Him. He is not far from anyone of us. It's His grace that makes this life possible. It's His steadfast love that allows Him to trust us for the discovery.

The Father pursues us - not out of anger but out of love.
He reaches out to us - not out of displeasure but out of compassion.
He speaks to us - not out of condemnation but out of assurance.
The jealousy of God is pure. There is no self-seeking in it whatsoever. He's just madly in love with His creation. He wants us to experience the best of life and He knows it is all wrapped up in Him.

This is eternal life according to Jesus. That we may know Him - the One true God. And that we may know Jesus Christ whom He sent. Enjoy the journey!!!