Evildoers

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” Psalm 37:1,2

I don’t know. I think I’m too much of a pacifist for this passage.  I don’t like calling out people as evildoers; even thinking of someone as a wrongdoer seems judgmental. I’m too much of a conflict avoidant person.

Still, one of the many things the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat is the existence of evildoers and wrongdoers.  Sometimes… they are even me.  After all there is that phrase that says something about all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (visit Romans 3:23).

Actually the passage is not about us judging evildoers and wrongdoers; we have no business doing so.  But what is made clear is that there will be a judgment for those who persist.  And… “they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”  OK, maybe that won’t be soon enough for some of us.  I get it.

As for those of us who do not want to be evildoers and wrongdoers, I would guess that we are then called to work out our “salvation with fear and trembling.” (Visit Philippians 2:12).  And quit worrying about those who mean evil.  We’re not responsible for them; never have been.  But we are responsible for ourselves.  To not be evildoers and wrongdoers; instead let us “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (visit Galatians 6:9)

We’re only responsible for ourselves. Let us approach that responsibility with fear and trembling.