CHAPTER 19
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING FRIENDS “Don’t envy wicked men and don’t desire their company for their heart plots violence and their lips talk of making trouble.” Proverbs 24:1
L
ook closely at why Solomon says that you should not desire the company of wicked men. He didn’t say it was because of the evil things they are doing. This scripture says it is because of what they think, and what they say. In addition to addressing their thoughts, when he tells us to not envy he is telling us to watch what we think. Envy is a thought process. Envy involves you seeing someone else’s life or possessions and thinking intently about how much you wish that life or those things were yours. It is a form of meditation. Eastern religions talk a lot about meditation but that is actually a very different kind of meditation than Biblical meditation. In most eastern religions the goal of meditation is to empty your mind of thoughts. They will attempt to repeat a meaningless mantra until they can stop thinking about anything at all. They believe that brings them closer to the peaceful nothingness they call heaven or Nirvana. 114