Is it evil or just bad?

King Solomon has some wisdom for me. It is about “evil” or bad people.

God is love (1 John 4:8); the absence of love in a person is un-God-like and therefore evil. And an absence of love manifests itself in unloving behavior. I like to think I am a “good person”. I like to believe the best about others.

Don’t envy evil people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble.

~King Solomon Source: Proverbs 24:1-2

I must consider God’s mercy, justice, patience, etc. The lack of these godly qualities in anyone constitutes evil. That evil then manifests itself in behavior that is unmerciful, unjust, impatient, etc., bringing more harm into the good world that God has made.

As it turns out, we lack a lot: “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one’” (Romans 3:10).

• How does it start? It starts with envy. It is that simple. Maybe it is their wealth or maybe it is their popularity. It is very subtle.
• What is Gods’ goal for me? God wants me to hang out with good people, his chosen people. Jesus is clear in his mission.
• Why is God’s goal important? If I hang out with bad people, their influence will rub off on me. They are nothing but trouble.
• How could things be worse? There are bad people and there are evil people. Evil people are destined for God’s justice. Elsewhere in Proverbs we read that “Good people celebrate when justice triumphs, but for the workers of evil it’s a bad day.” (Proverbs 21:15)