Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwells securely by thee (Proverbs 3:29)
The Word commands you, to devise not evil against your neighbor, when your neighbor trusts you. What does this mean? When do you devise evil against your neighbour? And who’s your neighbor? Let’s have a look at a view examples of everyday life:
- Your neighbor can be: your parents or parents in law:
When you talk to your parents (in law) on the phone, or when you get together during a birthday or during the holiday’s, you can act friendly. You can say kind words to them, and let them think, that you love them and have a good relationship with them. They trust you, because of the way you act, when you are around them. But as soon as you hang up the phone, or when you drive back home in your car, you talk negative about them. In this case, you devise evil against your parents or your parents in law.
- Your neighbor can be, your friend or acquaintance:
Your friend(s) or acquaintance(s) may think, that you are a good friend (or acquaintance), because when you get together you act friendly. But when they are not around you gossip and talk negative about them. With your tongue, you devise evil against your friend(s) or acquaintance(s).
- Your neighbor can be: your colleague(s) or your boss:
You are friendly to them when you need something, or when you are working together, or having lunch together, but as soon as one of your colleagues, or boss leaves the room, you gossip and talk negative about him/her. When you do that, you devise evil against your colleague(s) or boss.
- Your neighbor can be: your spouse:
Your spouse trusts you, and thinks that (s)he is save with you. (S)he assumes that what you have, experience, and share together, stays between the two of you. But as soon as your spouse don’t act the way you want them to act, or when your spouse doesn’t satisfy your ‘requirements’ anymore. You go to your friend(s) or acquaintance(s), and talk about all the negative things of your spouse. Maybe you will also share private things, that should have remained between you and your spouse. Or maybe you are not loyal to your partner, and cheat on him/her and commit fornication. In both cases you devise evil against your spouse.
Your tongue is a weapon, and your words are fiery darts, that can hurt a person. Every time you talk negative about someone, you kill that person with your words. Yes, you curse that person.
You don’t see it in the natural world (the visible world), but in the spiritual world, that’s what takes place, when you talk negative about someone.
Therefore devise not evil with your words, don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t be an actor or actress in life and don’t cheat on people. But be sincere, honest and walk in integrity.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
