March 21st, 2025: Proverbs 23.17

Proverbs 23:17
Do not let your heart be jealous of sinners, but be zealous in the fear of Yahweh always.

Have you ever found yourself taking pleasure in watching someone engage in actions that are morally wrong? Whether it’s in real life, a movie, or a game, where an individual takes action driven by “justice,” “vengeance,” or similar motives, we can find ourselves rooting for them despite their disregard for God’s principles. We can easily trap ourselves focusing on the acts of sin rather than being zealous for what God stands for. How do we fix this common practice in our lives? By understanding the fear of Yahweh and being zealous for the works He asks us to do. The fear is respect due to our Creator along with the knowledge that those who practice sin will be destroyed. That fear of destruction coupled with the love for our God will lead us to be bold as to not letting our minds become jealous of works of evil. By transforming our minds to be after God’s will, not our own, we can instead be displeased by the life of sinners rather than jealous of them. This will help us sympathize with those in these lifestyles, motivating us to help them learn about God so they can escape destruction.