Fretting Over 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)

Elijah has been asking to lead prayers with the family, and lately every prayer has included three requests: (1) that our nation will repent, (2) that our government will make good decisions, and (3) that daddy will not lose his job. His concern about these issues is so great that he has reminded us when we “forgot” to pray for our nation. Elijah put together his three-point prayer almost entirely from observing adult conversations between his mom and dad and brethren in the church. We have talked to our kids about current events and the potential implications for Christians and churches—though we have not discussed it with the boys in the same detail as with their older sisters—but very little time has been spent conversing about it, and we have not had the kind of “serious conversation” that might make them fearful or worried about the future. Nevertheless, Elijah has picked up enough of the larger conversation to be concerned, and so he is praying earnestly about it every day.

This morning I opened my Bible and came upon Psalm 37 once again. The Hebrew word translated fret in the ESV might better be translated be angry (cf. Gen. 4:5; 30:2; 31:6; 34:7). There is a proper, even necessary, anger the righteous should feel toward evil and evildoers. Jesus was angry when he saw religious hypocrisy and the abuse of the Temple (Mark. 3:1-5; 11:15-17). John the Baptist was stirred up by Herod’s immorality (Luke 3:19) as Paul was by Athens’ idolatry (Acts 17:16). The Bible commands us to hate evil (Psa. 97:10; Prov. 8:13; Amos 5:15); we cannot be passive towards it. But, as Psalm 37 affirms, our indignation toward evil should not unsettle our souls. We know evil will not ultimately triumph because Christ already won the victory (Col. 2:15).

We must balance righteous anger against sin and human sinfulness with the joy and peace that comes in trusting the Savior, Jesus Christ. We grieve because of the ungodliness around us, but to adapt Paul’s language concerning the dead, we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. We know the victory is already won; we simply await the arrival of the conquering King. Each day we watch and pray, waiting and hoping with great anticipation for the coming of our Lord in glory.

At the same time, we must be faithful while we live in this fallen world. Our dreams of heaven and hope of the parousia must not take us from the responsibilities of discipleship and stewardship here and now. Paul addressed this kind of error in his letters to the Thessalonians, and he exhorted them “to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1Thess. 4:11-12). We must be faithful to Christ today, even as we live in anticipation of that day when we see Him coming again to claim His own. –JME