Ouch

Again and again I am amazed at how words that were written thousands of years ago in another culture can apply so easily to our lives today. Proverbs 6 contains several bits of wisdom that may inflict a bit of painful conviction when read.

One of the main concerns of a typical American is money. Money is a necessary evil, I like to say. We need it to pay for our housing, clothing, food, and other things that are basic needs. Unfortunately, many of us spend money as if we will never run out of it. There are 2,350 verses about money in the Bible (Crown Financial Ministries, 2003). Clearly, God thinks it is important how we view and deal with money. Solomon addresses the danger of laziness, but I think we can read the following passage in the context of being lazy about managing our finances. "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest...A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man" (Prov. 6:6-8, 10-11). Nothing is certain, so God wants us to be prepared financially. We must also be realistic and honest with ourselves about preparing for retirement. Solomon uses the example of the ant to show that even this little creature knows that winter is coming, so it prepares for it. Proverbs offers more advice on money management in later chapters, so I'll save those for later.

Verses 16 through 19 list seven things that are "detestable" to God. They are "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." It would be easy to read this passage and think, "That's right! That person at work did that to me. That neighbor of mine is that way!" As Joyce Meyer would say, "Come on now!" Jesus said, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Luke 6:41). And it is undeniable that Jesus does not care for hypocrisy. Have you ever thought yourself better than someone else? Those are haughty eyes. Have you ever told a lie of any sort? (I hope none of your noses are growing in length when you answer that question!) You may not have ever killed anyone (I sure hope not), but have you ever allowed someone to take the blame for something you did? Have you ever manipulated a situation for your own benefit without considering others' desires or needs? Have you ever impulsively taken the easy way out of a difficult situation even though it was wrong? Have you ever presented things in a way that was not accurate? And as for stirring up dissension, you may not always instigate disagreements (and I know we even do that sometimes), but how much do you actively do to create peace? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons (and daughters!) of God" (Matthew 5:9). There is more to creating peace than just keeping your mouth shut. It is speaking about yourself and others with grace. None of us is perfect. None. Therefore, watch your mouth and be aware of the messages that come out of it.

Before you run off with your tail between your legs to lick your wounds (I know I feel that way), remember what Solomon's desire is in dispensing wisdom. He says, "[T]hese commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life..." (Prov. 6:23). Wisdom is to bring you life, abundant life. And God knew that we were imperfect, and He loved us so much, He made a way to redeem us. Wow. Okay, I just used BibleGateway.com to look for a verse about how Christ is our righteousness. Here's what came up: "It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30). I didn't even know about the bit about Christ's becoming our wisdom. God uses our weaknesses to His glory. The verses before verse 30 even talk about that. Pretty neat-o! I love it when God drops things like that in my lap! It's only 8:10 in the morning, and I've been given a super gift from heaven.

My prayer is that you keep your eyes peeled, ready for God's gift (okay, there are many, so it shouldn't be too hard) for you today.