Proverbs 24:12 "If you say 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?"
What is "this" that we "knew nothing about?" According to the previous verse, it is people being led away to death- people in danger.
Ignorance is bliss, or so we are told. What we don't know can't hurt us, goes the famous proverb. But this Proverb tells a somewhat different story. Verse 12 tells us that ignorance is not bliss, it is destruction. What we don't know can hurt us and others in the process. It is easy sometimes to turn a blind eye to some of the tragedy in the world. It's also really easy to indulge in the tragedy of the world by picking up a paper (or surfing a news website). Both are harmful. When we ignore the tragedy of the world, we give our silent consent to it. When we fill ourselves up on the media-soaked tragedy of the world, it numbs and de-sensitizes us to it. Again, both are scary prospects. What God calls us to is to have open ears to the cries of the world. Not just the cries of our friends, but also those who live on the margins of our society. God gives the gift of compassion to His people so that we have the capacity to listen to these cries and then to respond. My prayer is that when my heart is weighed, it is found to be one that has listened to the cries of the hurting and responded with a compassion only found in Christ.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Proverbs 23
Proverbs 23:23 "Buy wisdom and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding."
Buy wisdom and do not sell it. I'm not sure that I do best with viewing wisdom as a commodity that I can purchase and control, but this brief phrase I get. We are instructed to work towards the gain of wisdom (and by extension discipline and understanding). That's no surprise, as wisdom does not come easily, nor is understanding "natural" to the human condition. And discipline just means work. That's the way it is, discipline is not the punishing of someone to correct bad behavior, it is the constant process of training up toward a goal of some kind. And as we work to pay the bills, we work to buy stuff, so we work to obtain wisdom.
And we never give it up for anything, we can't decide when wisdom is useful and when it just gets in the way. In a powerful movie (Kingdom of Heaven), the king of Jerusalem confronts a young knight as to his duties to be righteous in the face of corrupting influence, "But remember that, even when those who move you be kings or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say 'but I was told by others to do thus' or that 'virtue was not convenient at the time.' This will not suffice. Remember that." It does not suffice for us to sell away the fruit of the Spirit for any price. I pray we remember that as we go into Holy Week.
Buy wisdom and do not sell it. I'm not sure that I do best with viewing wisdom as a commodity that I can purchase and control, but this brief phrase I get. We are instructed to work towards the gain of wisdom (and by extension discipline and understanding). That's no surprise, as wisdom does not come easily, nor is understanding "natural" to the human condition. And discipline just means work. That's the way it is, discipline is not the punishing of someone to correct bad behavior, it is the constant process of training up toward a goal of some kind. And as we work to pay the bills, we work to buy stuff, so we work to obtain wisdom.
And we never give it up for anything, we can't decide when wisdom is useful and when it just gets in the way. In a powerful movie (Kingdom of Heaven), the king of Jerusalem confronts a young knight as to his duties to be righteous in the face of corrupting influence, "But remember that, even when those who move you be kings or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say 'but I was told by others to do thus' or that 'virtue was not convenient at the time.' This will not suffice. Remember that." It does not suffice for us to sell away the fruit of the Spirit for any price. I pray we remember that as we go into Holy Week.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Proverbs 22
Proverbs 22:28 "Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers."
Contentment in 21st century America is a tough task. One joke around our house is that I am waiting for a new plasma TV, and the joke is that the size of the TV grows every time I talk about it. First, it was a 40 inch TV, now it's up to around 60 inches. Which means I want a TV with a diagonal measurement almost my own height! Now, do I actually want this TV? Yes... but do I need the TV? No. But then again, we are bombarded by up to 3000 marketing messages in a day- and some of those are 60 inch plasma TV's.
Contentment is God's answer to coveting. In this proverb, people are warned against moving "boundary stones." Owning property was equal to wealth in the day of Ancient Israelites, and discontent property owners would occasionally wish they had a little more land, or wish they had a neighbor's better land for crops. So they would move the stones that marked the property lines just a little each day. The neighbor wouldn't notice until it was too late, and there would be no proof of the crime. How is it that we can be content with what we have? The answer comes in God, who is the same whether or not we have all the stuff or whether we have nothing (Proverbs 22:2).
How do you find contentment in God? What are the "boundary stones" in your life that you are tempted to move?
Contentment in 21st century America is a tough task. One joke around our house is that I am waiting for a new plasma TV, and the joke is that the size of the TV grows every time I talk about it. First, it was a 40 inch TV, now it's up to around 60 inches. Which means I want a TV with a diagonal measurement almost my own height! Now, do I actually want this TV? Yes... but do I need the TV? No. But then again, we are bombarded by up to 3000 marketing messages in a day- and some of those are 60 inch plasma TV's.
Contentment is God's answer to coveting. In this proverb, people are warned against moving "boundary stones." Owning property was equal to wealth in the day of Ancient Israelites, and discontent property owners would occasionally wish they had a little more land, or wish they had a neighbor's better land for crops. So they would move the stones that marked the property lines just a little each day. The neighbor wouldn't notice until it was too late, and there would be no proof of the crime. How is it that we can be content with what we have? The answer comes in God, who is the same whether or not we have all the stuff or whether we have nothing (Proverbs 22:2).
How do you find contentment in God? What are the "boundary stones" in your life that you are tempted to move?
Friday, March 26, 2010
Proverbs 21
Proverbs 21:13 "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."
One of the realities of our world is the cry of the poor. Sometimes that cry is literal, as one walks the streets of any city and hears the cry of people asking for money or see the signs of people who are looking for work. Other times, that cry is from a distance, like the needs we see coming from Alale. Sometimes, that cry is silenced. We don't hear the cries of many of the world's poor. Sometimes we don't want to hear, because it can mean a change in our lifestyles.
But following Christ involves hearing the cries of the poor. Following Christ has an impact on all aspects of life. It is my prayer that my ears might be opened to the cries of the poor, the marginalized and the ignored in our community and in our world. Let that be our prayer as well.
One of the realities of our world is the cry of the poor. Sometimes that cry is literal, as one walks the streets of any city and hears the cry of people asking for money or see the signs of people who are looking for work. Other times, that cry is from a distance, like the needs we see coming from Alale. Sometimes, that cry is silenced. We don't hear the cries of many of the world's poor. Sometimes we don't want to hear, because it can mean a change in our lifestyles.
But following Christ involves hearing the cries of the poor. Following Christ has an impact on all aspects of life. It is my prayer that my ears might be opened to the cries of the poor, the marginalized and the ignored in our community and in our world. Let that be our prayer as well.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Proverbs 20
Proverbs 20:9 "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"
Who can say more?
Come, Lord Jesus, wash away the dirty stains on our hearts. Let us be whole again.
Who can say more?
Come, Lord Jesus, wash away the dirty stains on our hearts. Let us be whole again.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Proverbs 19
Proverbs 19:2 "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way."
Zeal without knowledge is indeed not good. As I reflect on this proverb, one of the first things I think about is how much zeal without knowledge exists in our world. We get flooded with so much information in the information age that we live soundbyte to soundbyte, collecting just a big enough quote to get ourselves angry. And then we move on to the next soundbyte. But is that true knowledge? What if listening is more than just waiting for your turn to talk?
I hope that I can grow in patience so that I can become a better listener. I pray that I can seek knowledge before zeal. Certainly, zeal is important and the zeal of the Lord is an important trait. But zeal is fanaticism if not tempered with patience, a listening spirit and a desire to seek the Truth rather than whatever seems easy at the time. May we seek the Truth together.
What proverb from chapter 19 rings true to you?
Zeal without knowledge is indeed not good. As I reflect on this proverb, one of the first things I think about is how much zeal without knowledge exists in our world. We get flooded with so much information in the information age that we live soundbyte to soundbyte, collecting just a big enough quote to get ourselves angry. And then we move on to the next soundbyte. But is that true knowledge? What if listening is more than just waiting for your turn to talk?
I hope that I can grow in patience so that I can become a better listener. I pray that I can seek knowledge before zeal. Certainly, zeal is important and the zeal of the Lord is an important trait. But zeal is fanaticism if not tempered with patience, a listening spirit and a desire to seek the Truth rather than whatever seems easy at the time. May we seek the Truth together.
What proverb from chapter 19 rings true to you?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Proverbs 18
Proverbs 18:24 "A man with many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
The past couple years have seen many people come to ruin, like this proverb suggests, and some of those were people with plenty of friends and business partners. They were rich and powerful in their communities, pillars of some communities. But when economic crisis hit, these same pillars began to crumble. Even with friends and family who stuck by them, their sense of self-identity disintegrated as the bank accounts ticked down to zero and debt began to rise uncontrollably. Friends and family lend money, but they're strapped too. Who can be turned to? Who is closer than a brother?
The promise of Christ is this- that we do not exist independently. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ lives through us. Closer than a brother, indeed! In the ruins of self-identity and self-worth, Christ sticks closer. Where does our value come from? It comes from the reality that each one of us is created in the Image of God. Even though sin has left a murky stain on each of us, the power of sin is nowhere near the creative (and re-creative) power of God. Christ sticks near, and restores us closer and closer to that original Image. Today, that is good news.
What proverb stuck out to you from Proverbs 18?
The past couple years have seen many people come to ruin, like this proverb suggests, and some of those were people with plenty of friends and business partners. They were rich and powerful in their communities, pillars of some communities. But when economic crisis hit, these same pillars began to crumble. Even with friends and family who stuck by them, their sense of self-identity disintegrated as the bank accounts ticked down to zero and debt began to rise uncontrollably. Friends and family lend money, but they're strapped too. Who can be turned to? Who is closer than a brother?
The promise of Christ is this- that we do not exist independently. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ lives through us. Closer than a brother, indeed! In the ruins of self-identity and self-worth, Christ sticks closer. Where does our value come from? It comes from the reality that each one of us is created in the Image of God. Even though sin has left a murky stain on each of us, the power of sin is nowhere near the creative (and re-creative) power of God. Christ sticks near, and restores us closer and closer to that original Image. Today, that is good news.
What proverb stuck out to you from Proverbs 18?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Proverbs 17
There are so many good proverbs that inspire and challenge, that it's hard to pick just one (although I have been known to pick two in the same chapter).
Proverbs 17:24 "A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth."
This proverb is a wonderful remidner of the distractions that exist in our world and our ability to keep searching after wisdom (or Wisdom). And as we have explored in other parables, to search for Wisdom is really to be searching for God. It's the search for Jesus. And it is hard to keep that search in view, given all of the distractions we have. The parable of the sower talks about soil with weeds that choke out the seed of God's Word. Those weeds are the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things (Mark 4:18-19). Those are the "ends of the earth" in this proverb. And as long as we are distracted by these things, our formation in Christ is stunted.
Instead, let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. This doesn't mean that we don't participate in the world and stay locked away in our houses.
So, my question for you, is how do we live out lives in the world while we keep Wisdom (and the pursuit of Christ) in view?
Proverbs 17:24 "A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth."
This proverb is a wonderful remidner of the distractions that exist in our world and our ability to keep searching after wisdom (or Wisdom). And as we have explored in other parables, to search for Wisdom is really to be searching for God. It's the search for Jesus. And it is hard to keep that search in view, given all of the distractions we have. The parable of the sower talks about soil with weeds that choke out the seed of God's Word. Those weeds are the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things (Mark 4:18-19). Those are the "ends of the earth" in this proverb. And as long as we are distracted by these things, our formation in Christ is stunted.
Instead, let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. This doesn't mean that we don't participate in the world and stay locked away in our houses.
So, my question for you, is how do we live out lives in the world while we keep Wisdom (and the pursuit of Christ) in view?
Friday, March 19, 2010
Proverbs 16
Proverbs 16:2: "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord."
This passage may be one of the best reasons to have mentors/accountability partners out there. It is easy for us to justify our own actions, it is easy for us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are acting justly even when we are not. This is not for our shame, it is simply an acknowledgment that we are human and limited about the stain of sinfulness. Even when we do good, we can be tainted by impure motives. What can a person do?
But there is another proverb in this passage that gives us hope. Proverbs 16:6- "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for." That's the hope of Easter, that God's love and Christ's faithfulness atones and removes the burden of sin and one day will remove that stain forever. We can enjoy life forever with God. It will be a great and beautiful day!
What jumped out at you in Proverbs 16?
This passage may be one of the best reasons to have mentors/accountability partners out there. It is easy for us to justify our own actions, it is easy for us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are acting justly even when we are not. This is not for our shame, it is simply an acknowledgment that we are human and limited about the stain of sinfulness. Even when we do good, we can be tainted by impure motives. What can a person do?
But there is another proverb in this passage that gives us hope. Proverbs 16:6- "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for." That's the hope of Easter, that God's love and Christ's faithfulness atones and removes the burden of sin and one day will remove that stain forever. We can enjoy life forever with God. It will be a great and beautiful day!
What jumped out at you in Proverbs 16?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Proverbs 15
Proverbs 15:32: "He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding."
I love a good clash of the wills. Pride has become such an acceptable part of society that arguments are judged based on winning and losing, not holiness or righteousness. I remember an argument with a friend in which we had both said our piece about a passage of the Bible, and I considered it done. We had agreed to disagree. Then, at the end of the conversation, the friend said "Since you have no response to me, I guess I won." Really? That's what Scripture reading has come to? Winning and losing? Who has the right interpretation? Let's flock to that author/preacher/church! I have actually heard conversations where Christians delight in the decline of some churches because they're the "liberal" or "conservative" churches and they "deserve" to fail. That's all pride. When we rejoice in correcting others but see no reason to train ourselves in the ways of God (including the rhythm of confession of sin and receiving God's grace), we despise ourselves.
Paul writes a long time after the proverbs that we are one body. When we rejoice in the calamity of other Christians/churches, it is like we rejoice when our left arm is broken because "we're right-handed anyway." It's ludicrous. Today, let our challenge from Proverbs be to spend more time examining our own walk than examining the walks of other people. Let's spend more time delighting in the disciplines of God (prayer, Scripture, fasting, serving, sharing our testimony, etc.) and gaining wisdom than critiquing the same disciplines of people around us. And may we all encounter God this day in an unexpected place.
What proverb jumped out at you from Proverbs 15?
I love a good clash of the wills. Pride has become such an acceptable part of society that arguments are judged based on winning and losing, not holiness or righteousness. I remember an argument with a friend in which we had both said our piece about a passage of the Bible, and I considered it done. We had agreed to disagree. Then, at the end of the conversation, the friend said "Since you have no response to me, I guess I won." Really? That's what Scripture reading has come to? Winning and losing? Who has the right interpretation? Let's flock to that author/preacher/church! I have actually heard conversations where Christians delight in the decline of some churches because they're the "liberal" or "conservative" churches and they "deserve" to fail. That's all pride. When we rejoice in correcting others but see no reason to train ourselves in the ways of God (including the rhythm of confession of sin and receiving God's grace), we despise ourselves.
Paul writes a long time after the proverbs that we are one body. When we rejoice in the calamity of other Christians/churches, it is like we rejoice when our left arm is broken because "we're right-handed anyway." It's ludicrous. Today, let our challenge from Proverbs be to spend more time examining our own walk than examining the walks of other people. Let's spend more time delighting in the disciplines of God (prayer, Scripture, fasting, serving, sharing our testimony, etc.) and gaining wisdom than critiquing the same disciplines of people around us. And may we all encounter God this day in an unexpected place.
What proverb jumped out at you from Proverbs 15?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Proverbs 14
Proverbs 14:30: "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."
Proverbs 14:31: "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."
Two proverbs, one message? Really? At first read, these proverbs are just two good thoughts laid back to back. But as we look deeper, we find a chilling connection that impacts every last one of us.
The first passage is one against envy, revealing the bone-rotting power of envy. And for anyone who has felt real envy, we know that proverb to be true. It poisons our conversations with the person we envy, it poisons our thoughts and leads us to make poor decisions. Contentment, though, leads us to a true place of peace and life, and the endless desire to keep up with the Jones' is replaced by the peace and joy of acknowledging God's blessings in the here and now.
What starts as an envious heart, though, has blossomed into a worldwide system of oppression. People, all people, become so interested in getting what everyone else has that we put our blinders to the reality of what that endless desire for stuff creates. When I began to find out how much of my clothes were produced by children in sweatshops, how many of my coffee beans were picked at gunpoint, how many of my electronics could only be manufactured by buying elements from warlords, it made me sick. It still does. What do we do when envy becomes a way of life? How do we apologize for what envy has done to our world? And how do we handle the fact that we are the benefactors of this system? I still shudder at the thought. How do we move forward? Your thoughts?
Proverbs 14:31: "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."
Two proverbs, one message? Really? At first read, these proverbs are just two good thoughts laid back to back. But as we look deeper, we find a chilling connection that impacts every last one of us.
The first passage is one against envy, revealing the bone-rotting power of envy. And for anyone who has felt real envy, we know that proverb to be true. It poisons our conversations with the person we envy, it poisons our thoughts and leads us to make poor decisions. Contentment, though, leads us to a true place of peace and life, and the endless desire to keep up with the Jones' is replaced by the peace and joy of acknowledging God's blessings in the here and now.
What starts as an envious heart, though, has blossomed into a worldwide system of oppression. People, all people, become so interested in getting what everyone else has that we put our blinders to the reality of what that endless desire for stuff creates. When I began to find out how much of my clothes were produced by children in sweatshops, how many of my coffee beans were picked at gunpoint, how many of my electronics could only be manufactured by buying elements from warlords, it made me sick. It still does. What do we do when envy becomes a way of life? How do we apologize for what envy has done to our world? And how do we handle the fact that we are the benefactors of this system? I still shudder at the thought. How do we move forward? Your thoughts?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Proverbs 13
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Proverbs 13:19 "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil."
I love images of the Garden of Eden popping up throughout Scripture. And so when one appears in the middle of Proverbs, one cannot help but take a second look. And what we have here is a reference to the tree of life. Now, in Genesis 3, human beings are kept from the tree of life pretty directly (flaming swords and angels and the like). But in Proverbs 13, we get a small taste of the tree of life. We see it in realized hope. When we hope for something, and it finally comes, we have some sense of what eternal life is. Then again, isn't the death and resurrection of Jesus realized hope? By going to the tree of Calvary, Jesus opens the way to the tree of life. Whenever we hope for something, it is a God-reminder of the realized hope we have in Jesus.
There is another side to this longing, though. We find it in the second Proverb quoted, verse 19. Longing fulfilled is set up against a refusal to turn from evil. Realized hope is designed to draw us closer to God, it is designed for us to reject the things the sicken our hearts and instead turn toward the One who can make us whole. That hope of wholeness propels us closer to Jesus this Lent, and gives us hope that one day will be realized- the day when we will truly eat from the tree of life (see Revelation 22:1-6).
What proverb jumped out at you from Proverbs 13?
Proverbs 13:19 "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil."
I love images of the Garden of Eden popping up throughout Scripture. And so when one appears in the middle of Proverbs, one cannot help but take a second look. And what we have here is a reference to the tree of life. Now, in Genesis 3, human beings are kept from the tree of life pretty directly (flaming swords and angels and the like). But in Proverbs 13, we get a small taste of the tree of life. We see it in realized hope. When we hope for something, and it finally comes, we have some sense of what eternal life is. Then again, isn't the death and resurrection of Jesus realized hope? By going to the tree of Calvary, Jesus opens the way to the tree of life. Whenever we hope for something, it is a God-reminder of the realized hope we have in Jesus.
There is another side to this longing, though. We find it in the second Proverb quoted, verse 19. Longing fulfilled is set up against a refusal to turn from evil. Realized hope is designed to draw us closer to God, it is designed for us to reject the things the sicken our hearts and instead turn toward the One who can make us whole. That hope of wholeness propels us closer to Jesus this Lent, and gives us hope that one day will be realized- the day when we will truly eat from the tree of life (see Revelation 22:1-6).
What proverb jumped out at you from Proverbs 13?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Proverbs 12
Proverbs 12:18: "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
How many of us know the truth of this proverb from experience? When I was a high school student, I was definitely one of "reckless words" and I trained myself to be able to return anyone's insult with a greater insult. It became my reputation. And I also gained the reputation of being willing to do anything for a cheap laugh. More than once, this landed me in hot water with teachers and peers. One day, though, I took it one step too far. I decided to get a cheap laugh at the expense of one of our high school teams (who did not have a very promising record), completely forgetting that the team captain was sitting just a couple rows behind me. Everyone laughed, and then realized what had just happened. Everyone (including me) turned back in horror to see the reaction of the team captain. He was clearly mad, but said nothing. After the class, I went and apologized, expecting to get hit. But he shrugged off the comment and kept walking. Later, I found out from a friend that he was fuming about the comment for hours afterwards, even leading up to the game that night. I learned the hard way that reckless words are like a sword.
As we go through Lent, we are going to be looking at a disciple with a reckless sword who hacks off a man's ear. And the words of Jesus to this disciples (Luke 22:51) ring true: "No more of this!" Violence, whether verbal or physical, is reckless and disregards the character of Christ and the image of God that we are assaulting. We live in a society of words which fill the air in headline news broadcasts and internet sites (like this one). And we gorge ourselves on words, many of which do violence to other people. Let us choose our words carefully, acknowledging that our words have the power to hurt and heal (see James 3 for a powerful passage on the power of words).
Which proverb jumped out to you this chapter?
How many of us know the truth of this proverb from experience? When I was a high school student, I was definitely one of "reckless words" and I trained myself to be able to return anyone's insult with a greater insult. It became my reputation. And I also gained the reputation of being willing to do anything for a cheap laugh. More than once, this landed me in hot water with teachers and peers. One day, though, I took it one step too far. I decided to get a cheap laugh at the expense of one of our high school teams (who did not have a very promising record), completely forgetting that the team captain was sitting just a couple rows behind me. Everyone laughed, and then realized what had just happened. Everyone (including me) turned back in horror to see the reaction of the team captain. He was clearly mad, but said nothing. After the class, I went and apologized, expecting to get hit. But he shrugged off the comment and kept walking. Later, I found out from a friend that he was fuming about the comment for hours afterwards, even leading up to the game that night. I learned the hard way that reckless words are like a sword.
As we go through Lent, we are going to be looking at a disciple with a reckless sword who hacks off a man's ear. And the words of Jesus to this disciples (Luke 22:51) ring true: "No more of this!" Violence, whether verbal or physical, is reckless and disregards the character of Christ and the image of God that we are assaulting. We live in a society of words which fill the air in headline news broadcasts and internet sites (like this one). And we gorge ourselves on words, many of which do violence to other people. Let us choose our words carefully, acknowledging that our words have the power to hurt and heal (see James 3 for a powerful passage on the power of words).
Which proverb jumped out to you this chapter?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Proverbs 11
Proverbs 11:28 - "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."
What a lesson we have learned in the past couple years about the place of wealth and the trust we place in it. It has been a tough lesson to learn, and the economy has certainly taught me some things about how much I trust in money. Scarily, I am not sure we have entirely shaken our trust in wealth, because it is unfortunately ingrained in our human nature. We want to find self-worth and value, and our modern society likes something quantifiable. We trust in the bottom line, how much stuff we have, the current generation (including mine) quantifies friendship into a "friend count" on facebook, twitter and other social networking sites. We quantify our goodness into number of hours spent doing community service or other ministry, and anything we do can be made into a number.
But how do you quantify righteousness? Do I have a righteousness quotient? Who decides how that works? It certainly isn't me, because I would emphasize the things I want to emphasize and leave out the stuff I'm not so good at. No one can write a righteousness quotient, because we are not meant to break ourselves down into a group of numbers. Instead, we are to view ourselves in terms of relationship. Righteousness is about a person's standing before someone else. Relationships are not quantifiable sciences, they go deeper than numbers and game theory. And when we base ourselves in our relationship with God and neighbor, we see how we are really functioning in God's plan and world.
But that doesn't mean we rest on our own personal righteousness. Indeed, any righteousness (relationship) we have is really a gift from God. Because Christ died and rose again, we are seen through a Christ-shaped lens in God's eye. So today, I give thanks that my riches are not trustworthy, but my position with God is. Amen.
What proverb stuck out to you today?
What a lesson we have learned in the past couple years about the place of wealth and the trust we place in it. It has been a tough lesson to learn, and the economy has certainly taught me some things about how much I trust in money. Scarily, I am not sure we have entirely shaken our trust in wealth, because it is unfortunately ingrained in our human nature. We want to find self-worth and value, and our modern society likes something quantifiable. We trust in the bottom line, how much stuff we have, the current generation (including mine) quantifies friendship into a "friend count" on facebook, twitter and other social networking sites. We quantify our goodness into number of hours spent doing community service or other ministry, and anything we do can be made into a number.
But how do you quantify righteousness? Do I have a righteousness quotient? Who decides how that works? It certainly isn't me, because I would emphasize the things I want to emphasize and leave out the stuff I'm not so good at. No one can write a righteousness quotient, because we are not meant to break ourselves down into a group of numbers. Instead, we are to view ourselves in terms of relationship. Righteousness is about a person's standing before someone else. Relationships are not quantifiable sciences, they go deeper than numbers and game theory. And when we base ourselves in our relationship with God and neighbor, we see how we are really functioning in God's plan and world.
But that doesn't mean we rest on our own personal righteousness. Indeed, any righteousness (relationship) we have is really a gift from God. Because Christ died and rose again, we are seen through a Christ-shaped lens in God's eye. So today, I give thanks that my riches are not trustworthy, but my position with God is. Amen.
What proverb stuck out to you today?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Proverbs 10
Proverbs 10 begins a sort of chain listing of proverbs. Although they are tied together by some common threads, the idea behind these proverbs is to come up with short phrases that are easy to remember. Memory is a powerful thing. By filling up on memorizing these proverbs, we are filling up on wisdom and ultimately are led toward holiness. Because we are going to be covering so many proverbs, my hope is to learn one proverb per chapter. I hope you are willing to join me on this endeavor.
Proverbs 10:23: "A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom."
You become what you enjoy. The more you enjoy something, the more you begin to take on its characteristics. An easy example is that a person who enjoys weightlifting will gradually become stronger (one would hope!). In the same way, the one who enjoys wisdom will gradually become wiser. That challenges me this morning to become a person who enjoys (or delights in) wisdom. I am reminded of the "Piano Stairs" video from Sunday, which showed us that people are more likely to do things that involve some kind of fun (if you were unable to view "Piano Stairs," click here). How is wisdom fun? How is wisdom playful? Give me some ideas here, or let me know which proverb stuck out to you as you read chapter 10.
Blessings always,
Andy
Proverbs 10:23: "A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom."
You become what you enjoy. The more you enjoy something, the more you begin to take on its characteristics. An easy example is that a person who enjoys weightlifting will gradually become stronger (one would hope!). In the same way, the one who enjoys wisdom will gradually become wiser. That challenges me this morning to become a person who enjoys (or delights in) wisdom. I am reminded of the "Piano Stairs" video from Sunday, which showed us that people are more likely to do things that involve some kind of fun (if you were unable to view "Piano Stairs," click here). How is wisdom fun? How is wisdom playful? Give me some ideas here, or let me know which proverb stuck out to you as you read chapter 10.
Blessings always,
Andy
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Proverbs 9
It's a tale of two invitations that we have before us. And they both begin the same way: "Let all who are simple come in here."
The first house is strong and stable. The food there is healthy and good home cooking. The hostess is kind and hard-working. You walk into the home, drawn in by the smell of good food. The party inside is nothing fancy, there is a big table with plenty of chairs. You sit down at the table, and good food is put before you. As you eat, the hostess (Wisdom) gets up and gives a toast. The toast is to the way of understanding, the way of God. As you listen, you find that you are hungrier for her words than you are for the food. And each sentence feels like a bite of prime rib filling the stomach.
The second house is not so sturdy. In fact, it looks rundown like no one has cared for it in years. But it's the perfect place for a party. When you step inside, the party is already well under way. At this party, the food tastes amazing. Whatever you want, you can have, if only you eat all of it. Pound after pound and gulp after gulp of amazing food and drink fill your stomach. Folly, the hostess at this party, makes no speech. She is too busy partying with the rest of the guests. Time ticks by as everyone fills up on stolen food and delicacies. But after a while, you realize that you have eaten too much. You ache, but Folly keeps bringing the food out. Suddenly, the world where you can have whatever you want in whatever quantity you want doesn't seem so good.
Praise be to God that, although we have all spent time in Folly's world of self-seeking desire, that God does not lock the door to this house. Indeed, through Jesus Christ, we are granted the grace to find healing from Folly's stolen meals and guidance to Wisdom's door. May we hang on the words of Wisdom like a choice meal.
The first house is strong and stable. The food there is healthy and good home cooking. The hostess is kind and hard-working. You walk into the home, drawn in by the smell of good food. The party inside is nothing fancy, there is a big table with plenty of chairs. You sit down at the table, and good food is put before you. As you eat, the hostess (Wisdom) gets up and gives a toast. The toast is to the way of understanding, the way of God. As you listen, you find that you are hungrier for her words than you are for the food. And each sentence feels like a bite of prime rib filling the stomach.
The second house is not so sturdy. In fact, it looks rundown like no one has cared for it in years. But it's the perfect place for a party. When you step inside, the party is already well under way. At this party, the food tastes amazing. Whatever you want, you can have, if only you eat all of it. Pound after pound and gulp after gulp of amazing food and drink fill your stomach. Folly, the hostess at this party, makes no speech. She is too busy partying with the rest of the guests. Time ticks by as everyone fills up on stolen food and delicacies. But after a while, you realize that you have eaten too much. You ache, but Folly keeps bringing the food out. Suddenly, the world where you can have whatever you want in whatever quantity you want doesn't seem so good.
Praise be to God that, although we have all spent time in Folly's world of self-seeking desire, that God does not lock the door to this house. Indeed, through Jesus Christ, we are granted the grace to find healing from Folly's stolen meals and guidance to Wisdom's door. May we hang on the words of Wisdom like a choice meal.
Friday, March 5, 2010
What surgery has taught me about God
Pain focuses the mind, but not usually in a good way. Pain has the unique ability to focus our minds... on the pain. Having struggled with bouts of pain for the past five years, I can still remember what it was like to be only thinking about what hurts and what I can do to alleviate the pain. In fact, my memory doesn't need to go back far- only a few days ago my mind was consumed by the post-surgery soreness. But that's the power that pain can have.
A lot of us live this way, even though the pain may not be physical. A lot of us hold onto deep and powerful pain that is physical, emotional, and spiritual. And we live our entire lives to alleviate that pain. People turn to all sorts of sources looking to flee pain. But is flight from pain any way to live?
God offers us a new life. Jesus came to live the human experience in order to invite us into His life, new and abundant life as our Bible tells us. This life is not about running away, but running to. We run to God and toward life. Healing from our pain will take time, it always does. And the healing process is one we cannot rush, it is one we have to go through. So as I eventually build up back to my level of physical activity pre-surgery, I hope to remember these lessons about God and the life God offers. See you soon!
Blessings always,
Andy
A lot of us live this way, even though the pain may not be physical. A lot of us hold onto deep and powerful pain that is physical, emotional, and spiritual. And we live our entire lives to alleviate that pain. People turn to all sorts of sources looking to flee pain. But is flight from pain any way to live?
God offers us a new life. Jesus came to live the human experience in order to invite us into His life, new and abundant life as our Bible tells us. This life is not about running away, but running to. We run to God and toward life. Healing from our pain will take time, it always does. And the healing process is one we cannot rush, it is one we have to go through. So as I eventually build up back to my level of physical activity pre-surgery, I hope to remember these lessons about God and the life God offers. See you soon!
Blessings always,
Andy
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