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Fret Not

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

It’s easy to find reasons to fret, to fly into a passion, over many things.

Once I was in a restaurant and bit into a hot pepper that burned into my nose and sinuses. In public, I waited for the intense pain to pass. I knew it would pass, but it would take a minute. A glass of water sat at the edge of my place ready to dowse the coals in my throat. Some rice on the plate smothered the flames that seemingly engulfed my tongue and palate.

I had a habit of slamming my hand on the dinner table any time I bit my tongue or lip while chewing. Our kids were small, at the age where they were easily scared by such a slap of the table. My lovely wife even started and then looked at me with concern. “What?! What’s wrong?” Pausing to regain my composure I told her that I bit my lip. She replied, “Did you need to slam the table to let us know?”

In a moment, in an instant, it is easy to fret. Have you bitten into one of life’s hot peppers lately? Has the sting of injustice burned in your nose? Have you felt a sharp stabbing pain in your back from a friend? Words were exchanged. A lie was caught. At your expense another person made a selfish gain. What was your response?

Here the Psalmist says, “Do not fret.” It seems cheap advice while the pain burns in your nose, and when your eyes fill with tears.

It would be cheap advice if there was no resurrection. The resurrection of Christ points forward to the end of time when Christ will judge the world with justice. Someone will pay for the wrongdoing done - whether wrongs committed against you, or wrongs you have committed. Either it will be paid for by Christ in his death on the cross, or it will be paid by the perpetrator in the eternal punishment of hell.

Knowing this we do not fret. Our nose burns at injustice. We cry at the pain of selfish gain at another’s expense.

But we don’t lash out. We don’t imitate the injustice of others in order to take restitution for ourselves.

Instead we wait. The moment will pass. Like the burning that fades from our sinuses, time will run out for the evildoer. So I won’t slam my hand on the table looking to make my own justice. I will wait on the justice of God in Christ.

But what do we do while we wait? The rest of psalm tells us. Have you read it yet?

In Him,

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