Psalm 37:1 On Fire

Do not fret because of those who are evil . . . 
Psalm 37:1 

The Hebrew word translated here as fret is charah (חָרָה) kaw-raw.

The word literally means to burn with anger. That’s what happens when we let ourselves fret over evil people and the evil things they do. Our annoyance catches fire and ignites frustration, which flares into anger and soon becomes a wildfire of wrath. The energy burning in the heart needs to go somewhere, so it expresses itself in bitter speech, boiling over toward violence.

Charaw is most often used to describe God's anger toward evil people. It’s never used to encourage us to allow our anger to burn out of control. In fact we're specifically told in Psalm 37:1 to NOT burn with anger against evil people.

American culture in the 21st century demands the opposite, doesn't it?

Not only are we encouraged to be angry about actual evil actions, we're also supposed to burn with outrage when people say or do something that simply "offends" us. If you think I'm exaggerating, you haven't been paying attention to talk radio, 24-hour news networks, and social media.

Twitter gets fired up easily over a choice of words that would have been acceptable a decade ago, but now is completely unacceptable. Comment threads on Facebook expand like wildfire over a perceived politically correct or politically incorrect meme or viral video. Talk shows are intentionally designed to pour gasoline and a match on every word or action that offends.

The very word, offended, has been stripped of its real meaning and turned into a flammable substance.  To be offended is a personal thing, an emotional response to something that often isn't even personally directed at the person who takes offense.

That phrase, "take offense", exposes itself for what it really is. To take something is a choice. He said or did something I don't like, so I intentionally reach out and grab hold of it and stab myself in the heart with it, as through I've been attacked. The reason I do that is to strike a match to my anger, to get myself worked up about it so I can let the "offender" and everyone else know that his action or words were all about me. When I take offense, I'm robbing the other person of their right to an opinion and their right to free speech, and turning it into something I own.

People of every political, philosophical, or spiritual stripe are guilt of taking away others' freedom of thought for the sake of their own freedom to be offended. Sadly, many Christians wear it as a badge of personal faithfulness.

Many Christians will argue that we ought to be offended by the actual evil words and evil actions of evil people, that we are called to call it out loudly and vehemently. But actually, that's not our calling.

But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.

Romans 2:8-12

Who is the judge? No, it's not you. It's God.

And he's not judging people for offending, but for sinning.