What is Jealousy?

Our jealousy is wrong, but God’s jealousy is holy and just.
by Leah Pittsinger

PREPARATION:

Cut each piece of paper in half. Write the headings “Good” and “Bad” on the whiteboard. Give each student a pencil and a half sheet of paper.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Explain that being jealous means wanting what someone else has. Give students a piece of paper and pencil or markers and ask them to draw a picture of a time when they were jealous. When they are finished, ask them to identify their jealous feelings as being mostly good or mostly bad and then tape their picture on the board under the correct heading.

Help the children understand that human jealousy is a result of sin, but God’s jealousy is not. God is jealous for us when we focus our love, attention, and time on other things. Because God created us, He is holy and expects our affections to focus completely on Him.

Discussion Questions:
1. What things do we give more love and attention to than God? (Relationships to others, favorite toys or possessions, activities that consume our time, etc)
2. What are some physical signs of human jealousy? (Bad attitude, mean words, doing whatever it takes to obtain the object of our jealousy, etc)
3. What can be some physical signs of God’s jealousy? (Personal loss of possessions or status, altered relationship with others, lack of provision or blessings, etc.)

Finish the activity by encouraging the students to choose contentment with what God has given them (Philippians 4:11-12 & 19) and to focus their love on Him when they feel jealous.