“Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts” (Jeremiah 12:1-2). I’ll bet, like the prophet, at one time or another you have had the same question. Job did. “Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful? They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren” (Job 21:7-8).
It doesn’t seem fair but who ever said life was fair? I know that’s an answer no one wants to hear but nowhere in Scripture does it say life was going to be fair. It’s just not in there. In fact, this is a fallen world, full of fallen people (like you and me), who do fallen things. So, when someone who is fallen succeeds, it really shouldn’t be a surprise. A fallen world isn’t fair, or it wouldn’t be a fallen. Think about it. If good things only happened to good people, then it’s not a fallen world. Jesus told us, “For he [God] gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike” (Matthew 5:45). Yup. Good people. Bad people. We both get wet.
Perhaps a better question may be why are we tempted to envy the wicked? We are God’s children. What is at the heart of our question? Are we upset when an evil or just unfaithful person does well because they have something we do not? Commandment #10 says, “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17). That’s what “covet” means – “to lust after or to long for with great desire.” Today, coveting may look something like this: “Why does he get all the breaks? I work just as hard as he does, but I get nowhere. If I just had what she has, I could do better, too.” Sound familiar? I played drums in a rock band for fifteen-plus years. I can’t tell you how many other bands became more successful who were really not as good. I never understood it. I still don’t to some degree, apparently. Obviously, a career as a musician was not what God had planned for me. He had His reasons, and I have come to accept them. I have tried to follow His path for my life, and it led to the pastoral ministry. Believe me, I did not see that coming. Not at all. Not in a million years would I have guessed this would be my journey. I had other plans but as the Bible says, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
God had a plan for me. He has one for you too. It’s not always what you expect it to be, but He is God and He knows what He’s doing. Try to listen to Him and follow His way. It may not make sense to you, but “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Besides, Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is “‘…you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:30-31). We cannot love and our neighbors if we are jealous of them. Envious of their lot in life. Actually, coveting someone else’s situation can result in believing that God is not doing a good enough job caring for us, right? Are we not accusing Him of being unfair because He has blessed someone else? Justice is getting what you deserve, and the evil will get justice. “Don’t fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked. For evil people have no future; the light of
the wicked will be snuffed out…the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.” (Psalm 37:1-2, 13). We need to focus on other things. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable” (Philippians 4:8). Leave the rest to God. He knows what He’s doing.
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