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Day 257 Proverbs 24:1 Proverbs 24:1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart studies destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. There are many reasons why people envy others. One thing most people are not envious about are trouble makers, people who go out of their way to make other people miserable. You will also find bullies in that group. Bullying has gone to whole new levels with social media. Not only do you get the face to face bullies, but now you have cyber bullies as well. The suicide rate among people bullied in social media is on the climb. It would seem from Solomon’s statement that bullying was around even in that day. Not only did people devise wicked schemes against others, their lips talked mischief. When I was growing up the common phrase was ‘Talk is cheap’. Not when it causes so much trouble and death. What a person says to another can destroy them from the inside out. As Christians, you are taught to speak to one another with love, building them up, not tearing them down. Paul also admonishes that envy is a sin, any kind of envy, because it leads to wanting what someone else has. He said you are to be content with what you have. Philippians 4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Though Paul was speaking about himself, it is also for you to be content with what you have and not envy anyone who looks like they have more than you do and better than you do, because you don’t know the trouble they have with what they have. Let’s pray: Father, keep me away from envy and those who would tear me down instead of building me up in you and your Word. Help me be instrumental in building up the body of Christ and being content with what you have given me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 24 May 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay