Men not only develop reputations among other men, but they also develop a reputation with the Lord. A wise individual seeks “favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” Fortunately, the path to favour in the sight of God follows the same course as that of finding favour in the sight of the right kind of men. According to Proverbs 3:1-3, these elements include remembrance of God’s law, keeping the commandments, and forsaking not mercy and truth. Before dismissing the importance of this dual favour amongst both God and man, consider that the scriptures inform us that the Lord Jesus increased in wisdom leading to an increase in “favour with God and man.”
Envy is a heart problem that if caught early should never outwardly manifest itself to others. However, failure to recognize the existence of envy in one’s life and repent swiftly will yield to much greater future problems. Solomon’s first admonition to his son was that he not envy the oppressor. This warning was followed by a second admonition against choosing the oppressor’s ways. If a man envies the wicked, he will eventually be convinced to travel the direction that he once only envied. Long before an individual outwardly turns from righteousness to worldliness, he does so within his unrestrained thoughts. Failure to repent of these thoughts eventually yields to the unholy actions once deemed unacceptable.
