Jealousy in personal relationships can be both a positive and negative phenomenon. It is positive in situations where one is protective of that which one holds dear (-loved ones -children, husbands, wives etc). God is Himself described as jealous over His own in several scriptures in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, IICorinthians 11:1-3 and the likes. It is negative (and ultimately destructive) in such circumstances where one party in a relationship feels inadequate and therefore insecure -often seeking constant reassurance of the other party's love, faithfulness etc. This puts the relationship under intense strain and unbearable pressure. In this state of affairs, anything(evil) can happen if help is not sought early. Remember the film "Fatal Attraction"? Thanks, Dave/Kathy. I call you blessed!

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It helps to see these words in context of behavior to understand them clearly. "He is a jealous God." "Thou shalt not worship false idols before him." "He smites his enemies mightily." Therefore he wants to be the only idol. So then jealousy is when someone sees another as a greater idol than oneself. "It was not so much that he loved another that made her jealous, but that she was no longer his idol, his vison of perfection. Her jealousy at the other woman was that the other had stolen his idolitry from her, her follower, her pedestal." Steve Chichester Empowering Pro*Active People

Hi KAthy, intresting post. Emotions are caused by kind of specific things. Anger and depression and all are results of the underlying emotion, I think. I think jealousy is a source or anger, but it isn't anger, or depression, or anxiety. Those are just results. But I think jealousy comes from too much dependency on another for ones sense of self; self worth, self existence, which are threatened if the object of ones affection should go away, transfer loyalty. It's about possession and the loss of possession, nothing whatever to do with love. Envy, however, is wanting what the other has...money, a relationship, the car, the house... combined with an emotion of resentment, oneself being somehow "short changed." "Joan envied the way Marcia walked down the street with confidence, smiling at strangers, full of assurance, casually stopping to talk to people, as if somehow that were her birthright, to be so easy and friendly."

Hi Kathy, Hope you are doing well. Jealousy has broken up many a marriage, relationship and friendships. It is a powerful emotion and very destructive indeed. Take care! Have a blessed weekend! Marion