Stop Scheming

I have been an attorney for nearly 35 years. I am familiar with scheming. However, I learned about it long before I passed the bar. Some of the worst scheming I’ve witnessed didn’t occur in court, but in church.  There was scheming for the 11 years I was in the Navy.  Spend some time on Facebook. There’s lots of scheming going on. I have seen scheming in all aspects of life. Scheming is everywhere and lately seems to be epidemic.

It doesn’t take talent to be a schemer. There’s nothing complicated about it. Proverbs 24:8 says, He who plots evil will be known as a schemer. If you have ever plotted evil, you’re a schemer. Notice even if you don’t carry out your evil plots, you are still condemned as a schemer.

Scheming is a bad thing for a number of reasons. It’s a rejection of the will of God. When we scheme we try to bring about what we want instead of being satisfied with what God wants. Can’t be anything good about that.

Scheming is a conspiracy. We involve others in our rebellion. A plot requires more than one person. Solo sinning is bad enough; involving others multiplies our guilt.

Scheming causes others to sin, not just those with whom we scheme, but also the victims of our plots. Nothing angers like being the victim of a scheme. When targeted by schemers, we worry and are anxious. We tend to lose both faith and courage.

Scripture tells us how to respond to the temptation to scheme and to the scheming of others:  Psalm 37:7-8 says, Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not worry or be anxious about evil people who seem to succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes. Stop your anger and turn from your rage, it only leads to harm.

Scheming is, in essence, a failure to rest in the Lord, to trust Him for your life, and to be patient with His timing. In the Lord, is peace and security. Outside of Him, there is impatience,  fear, suspicion, anger and rage.

When things don’t seem to be going your way, resist the urge to manipulate, carry tales, twist truth, in short to scheme. Trust in the Lord. When it becomes clear that others are scheming and that your good is in danger, trust in the Lord. The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Psalm 118:6

Stop scheming. It’s the worse kind of evil and a source of misery for yourself and others.