The above scripture comes from (Song of Solomon 2: 15), and should be a word of warning for all of us, not then to find ourselves committing the type of “little” sins that impugn our own character, by, for instance, being envious of others, by being prideful, and by all the other little things that we so do day by day, that are of no good and are harmful. That is to say, most everyone, acknowledges that exceedingly bad acts, such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and murder are the types of crimes, that deserve severe punishment of some sort, as an appropriate form of justice. Yet, how few, especially when it pertains to their own being, are willing to face the music, when it comes to their “little crimes,” of being hateful to others, of undercutting others, of backbiting, and of purposely being a thorn in another’s side.
We are meant to do good to one another, and further to the point, we are meant to be willing the good of the other – and especially to those that we love and respect. Unfortunately, we live in a world, that seems to be, more times than not, competitive rather than collaborative, of which, there is many a person that believes that there is only so much material goods to go around; or for that matter, only so much love to be had. Those then, that feel that they are not getting what they so desire, but do not wish to recognize that perhaps what is so happening to them is in the scheme of things, actually fair, are going to be susceptible to taking then those actions that will enable them to steal undeserved credit from another, or to damage another, unjustifiably, in order to take what is not rightfully theirs, away from the other.
When we look at somebody else’s vineyard, and see that theirs is clearly superior to our own, those that cannot control their emotions, will allow envy to override their good judgment, leading them to take from the other’s vineyard, what is not rightfully theirs. So too, those that believe that the best judge of who and what they really are, is in the comparison of their own achievements against those that have the same sort of general background, are going to be dismayed whenever that they so find that they are coming up well short, in that comparison, for that hurts their pride, which can lead then to some form of retribution, directly or indirectly, so as to retake the status that they believe they should rightfully have.
The thing about the character of a fox, is that a fox knows that in order to accomplish its particular mission, it will need to be sneaky, to be stealthy, and to be strategic, for it wants what it so wants, and in order to do such, understands the value of the cover of darkness, of deception, and of misdirection. Indeed, those little foxes that are most successful, can take prideful solace in having accomplished their objective, but it must also be acknowledged, that having plundered the other, that when it comes for their day of reckoning, it will come, for those little foxes, like a thief in the night.