King David of Israel wrote of three governing principles for a life that is blessed of the Lord. He wrote:

Let’s examine these three principles for living:

First, “Keep your tongue from evil.” Don’t repeat gossip about a friend or neighbor to make them look less than their personal best; as it is written: “You shall not go up and down as a talebearer among your people, nor shall you stand against the life of your neighbor, I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart: you shall surely rebuke your brother and not bear sin because of him.” (Leviticus 19:16-17 NKJV)

 
In other words, don’t become complicit with evil, but approach others with humility, encouraging them to break from destructive choices without broadcasting their sins. Treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated – with grace, love, sincerity, and truth. Above all, avoid the mistake of pointing out perceived faults while being argumentative and self-righteous. Instead, use your tongue to bless people while protecting them in the fear of the Lord.

 
Next, “Depart from evil, and do good.” This is a simple command – yet how hard to keep it perfectly! Look around your circumstances and ask yourselves, “How can I do good today? What would that look like?” By doing good, we’ll naturally depart from evil. We cannot be doing evil when we’re pursuing good from a heart purified by Christ.

 
Such are three fantastic principles to live by.