1 John 4:18 reads, “Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear.”
Solomon writes, “Jealousy is cruel as the grave” (Song of Solomon 8:6). There are many practical applications for this verse and one of them is that jealousy can cause the death of a marriage. When you’re jealous of your partner, you distrust them and try to control their every move. And that’s doubly true when someone in your past has betrayed you.
Your fear of it happening again can make your spouse feel like his or her feet are always being held to the fire. And if you keep doing it long enough you’ll create the very thing you fear; you’ll end up driving them away.
Even if they do stay, they may live in emotional isolation without ever fully giving themselves to you. With that in mind, here’s what the Bible has to say: “We know how much God loves us and we have put our trust in His love. God is love and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them… as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:16-18).
When you know that God loves you in spite of your imperfections, your sense of self-worth grows and you start believing you are worthy of love. And when that happens, it’s easier to accept that your spouse loves you too and will be faithful. That’s like getting out of prison – a prison of your own making called “jealousy”. Today God wants to set you free from jealousy and give you the relationship you’ve always longed for. Talk to Him about it.
© 2017 CE