Week 175: Marriages and Jealousy
Please join us this week in praying for marriages
dealing with the issue of jealousy.
Jealousy can arise in a marriage in a number of
ways. The cause can be internal to the marriage, as when a spouse shows
excessive or inappropriate attention to a person other than his/her spouse. In
fact, jealousy can arise if the same excessive attention is given to something
other than a person, such as work or even a hobby. Another cause of jealousy is
low self-esteem or extreme possessiveness which causes one spouse to see every
relationship the other spouse has as a threat or competition.
Jealousy can also arise externally to the marriage
when a third party shows inappropriate attention to one's marriage partner even
though that partner may be above reproach or even actively shuns the attention.
Another form of jealousy that can attack a marriage
is that which arises because of differences in life situations. Jealousy can
crop up if one spouse has good relationships with parents and siblings and the
other spouse does not. Also, jealousy can attack a marriage if one spouse
experiences seemingly effortless career advancement and the other struggles
just the stay employed.
Jealousy is particular damaging to marriages since
it can easily lead to deeper problems such as excessive control, emotional
coldness, distrust, fear, physical illness and even domestic violence.
Please pray with us that spouses dealing with the
issue of jealousy will
- first evaluate their own hearts and minds, making sure they are not turning innocence events into violations of trust
- be open and honest with each other concerning limits with which they are comfortable and situations with which they are uncomfortable
- let each other know in a loving but straight-forward way when and why feelings of jealousy arise
- be willing to refrain from activities or relationships that could engender jealousy
- be knowledgeable and understanding of each other's areas of vulnerability
- frequently show each other, by words and deeds, that they are wholly committed to each other
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