“Do not let your heart envy sinners”

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD”(Proverbs 23:17).

                I try to ask myself the question, “Who or what am I really envious of?”  Am I envious of the pastors who are pastors in large churches or am I envious of churches with a large number of members?  I also ask the question, 'Am I not comparing with a pastor and his church?'  The reason is because some of the causes we envy are comparing.  Who or what do you really envy?  I think we can envy financial riches, the rich who enjoy it, and those who have what we don't have and their circumstances.  This will be true for children as well as for adults.  You don’t have yourself, but if your friends have something, you can be envious them.  However, the situation that is difficult for us to understand and accept is that the righteous who believe in Jesus suffer while the wicked prosper.  When we see the prosperity of the wicked in this way, we who believe in Jesus will have enough questions.  If God lives, we will be able to ask questions about how come God doesn’t judge the wicked and allow them to prosper.  The Bible has a clear answer to this question.  It is a command to “Do not let your heart envy sinners” (Prov. 23:17).

Why does the Bible command us not to let our hearts envy sinners and their prosperity?  The reason is because there is no future hope for sinners and evildoers, and their lamps will be snuffed out (24:20).  Therefore, the Bible commanded us not to fret and be envious of the wicked (v. 19).  We don’t need to envy the prosperity of the wicked because their end is destruction (Ps. 73:17-20).  Rather, the Bible commands us to fear God (Prov. 23:17).  The reason is because those who fear God have a future and their hopes will not be cut off.  We must hear this.  We should listen to this and gain wisdom.  So we must let that wisdom lead our hearts to the right path (v. 19).  Therefore, we should not turn to the right or to the left, but walk the path of the right path that the Lord walked.  Let's not be envious of the prosperity of the wicked.