When unbelievers prosper

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7
Have you ever been annoyed because a non-Christian got ahead of you in life? Perhaps you got passed over for a promotion at work; you were next in line when all the tickets for a big game got sold out; they got upgraded to business class on a flight and you didn’t – the list goes on. It may be something trivial, or it may be something more critical and prestigious. But the Bible tells us on several occasions not to worry or be envious if we see wicked people prospering. Habakkuk complained to God: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do You tolerate the treacherous? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (Hab. 1: 13). The psalmist said, “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me – until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understodd their final destiny” (Ps. 73:16-17).
This is the key: look at things from God’s perspective, from eternity. Unbelievers may prosper now, but their prosperity will not last. On the other hand, we are looking forward to spending eternity with God. There’s no need to envy them. Just be still, and wait patiently for God. We read “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). And again, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6).