She was the second wife of Elkanah. She had bore him many children, but still felt the need to harass Hannah, Elkanah’s other wife. Maybe she knew deep inside that Elkanah loved Hannah in spite of her barren womb. Some would say that Peninnah had everything. Why then was she Hannah’s “adversary”?
Sometimes we are like Peninnah. Though we are richly blessed, our insecurities keep us from enjoying it. We see someone who is not “suffering” from our own particular “flaw” and that fact incites jealousy. In order to mask our faults, we demean others. By making someone else feel small, we feel superior.
If this is a trait you possess, ask God to show you the truth behind your actions. Allow Him to teach you to accept who you are in Christ. Instead of envying another, build a relationship with them. Maybe they could help you cultivate the quality you seen to lack. That may have been God’s plan for you all along! If we have Jesus in our lives, we won’t need to feel insecure. God will see to it that we become all we can be.
Are you feeling jealous of someone else?
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