Thirty Sterling Principles, Part 10

Today’s passage of Scripture brings up the question, “How do we know if someone is a bad person?” The passage, Proverbs 24:1-2, Principle #19 tells us:

“Don’t envy bad people;

            don’t even want to be around them.

All they think about is causing a disturbance;

            All they talk about is making trouble.”

I guess one way of telling if someone is a bad person or not is to evaluate their actions and words. Do they try to cause a disturbance or are they always talking about making trouble for others and themselves?

I know some people like that. This passage tells me not to envy them or want to be around them. Sometimes that’s harder to do than it seems like it would be. No matter how hard I try to avoid people who try to cause disturbances or make trouble, sometimes those people end up being a part of my life anyway.

Elsewhere in Proverbs it talks about fools and avoiding them. Are fools bad people? I think that sometimes they are, but other times they are just misguided and confused people who need direction. Unfortunately, sometimes a fool doesn’t take the advice given to them and, as a result, makes a poor decision. That poor decision might have an effect on me or on those I love. Their actions and/or words might cause a disturbance or trouble for others. So sometimes it’s hard to determine if a person is just a fool (who should be dealt with carefully) or a bad person (who should be avoided).

Sometimes it’s hard not to envy bad people. For instance, sometimes they seem to have all the comforts of life while I struggle to get through each day. However, I have a walk with God that can’t be taken away from me and that’s worth everything that a bad person might have. Most of the time, I’m content with what God has given me, so envying others, whether good or bad people, doesn’t come into play.

Today I want to focus on God and trusting Him to show me those “bad people” that should be avoided and the fools that should be handled with care. I can’t always tell the difference between them, but through the Holy Spirit’s working in my heart I may know how to deal with each person as the need arises.