Do Not Envy!

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

I ask myself the question, "Who or what am I envious of?" Am I envious of pastors who lead large churches, or am I envious of churches with many members? I also ask myself, "Am I comparing myself to a certain pastor or his church?" The reason I ask this is because one of the causes of envy is comparison. So, who or what are you envious of? We people can envy financial prosperity, we can envy the rich who enjoy that prosperity, and we can also envy those who have what we lack and their circumstances. This is not only true for adults but also for children. When children see that their friends have something they don’t, they can easily feel envious.

However, one of the situations that is difficult 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, we, as believers in Jesus, might question: "If God is alive, why does He not judge these wicked people and allow them to prosper?" This question can arise in our hearts, full of sorrow.

The Bible gives a clear answer to this question. The command is: "Do not envy the prosperity of sinners."

Why does the Bible command us not to envy the prosperity of sinners? The reason is that the future of sinners and wrongdoers is without hope, and their light will be extinguished (Proverbs 24:20). Therefore, the Psalmist commands us not to envy the success of the wicked nor harbor resentment against them (Psalm 37:19). The end of sinners and wrongdoers is destruction (Psalm 73:17-20), so we do not need to envy the prosperity of the wicked. Rather, the Bible commands us to "fear the Lord" (Proverbs 23:17). The reason is that those who fear the Lord have a future, and their hope will not be cut off.

We must listen to these words. We must hear them and gain wisdom, and let that wisdom guide our hearts along the straight path (Proverbs 23:19). Therefore, we should not turn to the right or to the left but walk the straight path that the Lord has set before us. Let us not envy the prosperity of the wicked.