Spitting In God’s Face

Read Proverbs 17

Featured Verse: Proverbs 17:5

“He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.”(Proverbs 17:5)

Contempt for the Creator—really?

Yep!  That’s what the Creator says in the Operator’s Manual for Planet Earth—the Bible. It says that when we look without compassion at those who are trapped in a cycle of economic despair or who have suddenly fallen into financial ruin, or act as if they deserve what they are getting due to their own poor financial management, we come dangerously close to spitting in the face of God.

In fact, there are an astounding number of places in the Bible warning us that those kinds of attitudes have no place in the community of Christ.  Rather, we have been called to lift up the downtrodden, we are to bear one another’s burdens, and we are to strengthen the weak and love the unlovely.  Not only that, but Jesus himself said that the defining mark of his followers would be that they have a full-throttled love, one, for God, two, for one another, and three, for a hurting world.  And guess what?  Two out of three don’t cut it here!

It’s not that we have ignored the hurting, the fallen, or the poor entirely. We do a pretty good job of giving to disaster relief, sending our unused clothing to thrift stores and donating canned goods to shelters.  That’s not the problem; it’s the attitude with which we do it.  You see, we engage the hurting but we don’t empathize with them very well.  We open our wallets, just not our hearts. Yet the Bible tells us that God is on the side of the poor and the downcast.  And, in fact, to ignore their needs or to judge them is to show contempt for God himself:

“You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.” ~Proverbs 14:31

“It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!” ~Proverbs 14:21

“Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.” ~Proverbs 19:17

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

So the bottom line is this:  We had better guard our hearts and watch our attitudes very carefully when it comes to the poor and hurting.  We, as individual believers and corporately as churches, need to develop a sensitive heart and a willing response. Compassion is the rightful domain of Christ’s community and we need to seriously up our game when it comes to care and involvement with the less fortunate.

Why is this such a big deal to God?  Five reasons.

One, God is on the side of the poor.

Two, not to take their side too is inviting the judgment of God.

Three, taking care of what God cares about invites God to take care of what you care about.

Four, care and involvement with the poor will nourish your spirit and transform your own character

And five, expressing God’s heart for those trapped in misfortune will exert the awesome, life-changing power to lift a person out of their despair—something that may never occur without your helping hand.

“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” ~Mother Teresa

Winning At Life:

In the Incarnation, Christ left his glory to enter into our poverty. We have been called to the same kind of incarnational living.  So here’s the $64,000 question:  What about your attitude, your schedule and your spending patterns needs to change to fully, personally and practically exude the Incarnation in your world?

The Test of Love

Read: Proverbs 17:9 & 17

He who covers an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends…A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

“A friend loves at all times!” There is a very complex and profound meaning in the Hebrew language for the word “all” in that sentence. Are you ready for this? It means…well…all. As in, all the time…always…morning, noon and night…24/7. Not sometimes, but all the time! That is when true love is active. It never takes a day off, never goes on a break, never needs a time out, doesn’t take naps. It is always on!

That is especially true when the object of one’s love is not so lovable. For sure, we would agree that love sticks with people through thick and thin, but thin has to include those times when the people we love have done things that cause the relationship to otherwise be on thin ice. Yeah, through thick, and especially in thin. That is the real test of love.

And the truest test of real love comes when the loved one offends. That is when true love chooses to cover the offense. Not ignore it–that is what we call avoidance or denial, which is never healthy for any relationship. Covering the offense doesn’t negate the appropriateness of confrontation or setting boundaries or expecting corrective action. No, love that covers an offense fully recognizes the pain, disrespect, selfishness and betrayal of the offender and chooses to pay the cost of the offense by absorbing it, forgiving it, and moving ahead without diminishing the love for the guilty one at all. It’s kind of like Jesus did for us on the cross, wouldn’t you say? By the way, that is exactly what Ephesians 4:32 calls us to do,

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
as God in Christ forgave you.”

How did God forgive you? Rather than ignoring or avoiding your sin, he looked your repugnant sinfulness right in the eye and said, “my Son will take care of that! He’ll pay the penalty price in full. It’s on him!” He forgave you freely, fully, and forever removed the transgression from your account and wiped it from his memory bank. That is what it is to cover an offense–and that is the truest test of love there is.

If you want your love to be a real love, then it is to that kind of loving you are called. It won’t be easy; in fact it will be the hardest thing you will be called to do. But being the kind of Christ-follower you are, you are up to it! And that’s a good thing since you’re likely going to be called upon to exercise that kind of covering love sooner than you think.

Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It:

Since your love is likely to be tested soon, take a moment to proactively pray for the Holy Spirit’s help to offer an immediate response of covering love to your loved one when the offense comes your way.

Suffer Fools

Read: Proverbs 17:7

Don’t expect eloquence from fools. (The Message)

Solomon’s words remind me of a fool I ran into sometime back. I had known him for several years and had only interacted with him perhaps four or five times—each time very briefly. And on each occasion, I walked away from our exchange thinking, “that guy’s a fool.” He was always obnoxious, ill-mannered, misinformed, and insulting.

Instead of providing any juicy additional details about this “fool”, I have to confess something: Whenever I interacted with this guy, he was usually staring back into the eyes of a fellow fool. You see, I typically didn’t handle him very well. The guy really annoyed me—and usually I showed it. So what would Solomon say to a guy like me:

“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” (Proverbs 12:16)

Ouch! This guy’s words should have rolled off like water on a duck’s back, but I absorbed them and responded poorly. I felt I had to respond, to correct his messed-up thinking and counteract his insults. I should have been wise enough to know that trying to straighten out that guy is usually a waste of energy.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 12:16, “Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly; the prudent quietly shrug off insults.” (The Message) As king over Israel, Solomon most likely interacted with fools day in and day out. And he knew the temptation to fly off the handle when angered by the fool. But he also understood that the way we respond to the fool indicates something about our character as well. If we react immediately with anger, counter-insults or some form of retaliation, we might as well hang a sign around our neck that reads, “I’m a fool.”

If our response is one of control, however, Solomon calls us prudent. A prudent person is one who shows discretion, whose words are measured, who has tremendous foresight, and uses careful judgment. The one who is prudent and patient, and who has learned to suffer fools is truly wise.

Proverbs 29:11 reminds us, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”

Proverbs 20:3 points out, “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”

So if you run into a fool today, don’t you become one! Don’t get annoyed. And remember, even fools are God’s tools to help you grow in wisdom.

“A man without Christ has his roots only in his own times,
and his fruits as well.”
~Jim Elliot

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it:

God’s Word is like the weather forecast: What you’re reading at the moment is likely what you will experience at some point today. So get ready—you’re probably going to be called on to suffer fools today. Your assignment: Don’t become one yourself.

Contempt For The Creator

Read: Proverbs 17:5

He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

Contempt for the Creator—really?

Yep!  That’s what the Creator says in the Operator’s Manual he’s provided for us—the Bible. It says that when we look at those who are trapped in a cycle of economic despair or who have suddenly fallen into financial ruin without compassion or act as if they deserve what they are getting due to their own poor financial management, we come dangerously close to spitting in the face of God.

In fact, there are an astounding number of places in the Bible warning us that those kinds of attitudes have no place in the community of Christ.  Rather, we have been called to lift up the downtrodden, we are to bear one another’s burdens, and we are to strengthen the weak and love the unlovely.  Not only that, but Jesus himself said that the defining mark of his followers would be that they have a full-throttled love, one, for God, two, for one another, and three, for a hurting world.  And guess what?  Two out of three don’t cut it here!

It’s not that we have ignored the hurting, the fallen, or the poor entirely. We do a pretty good job of giving to disaster relief, sending our unused clothing to thrift stores and donating canned goods to shelters.  That’s not the problem; it’s the attitude with which we do it.  You see, we engage the hurting but we don’t empathize with them very well.  We open our wallets, just not our hearts.

Yet the Bible tells us that God is on the side of the poor and the downcast.  And in fact, to ignore their needs or to judge them is to show contempt for God himself:

“You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless; when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.” ~Proverbs 14:31

“It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!” ~Proverbs 14:21

“Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.” ~Proverbs 19:17

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Gojjo, by Scott Mitchell

So the bottom line is this:  We had better guard our hearts and watch our attitudes very carefully when it comes to the poor and hurting.  We, as individual believers and corporately as churches, need to develop a sensitive heart and a willing response. Compassion is the rightful domain of Christ’s community and we need to seriously up our game when it comes to care and involvement with the less fortunate.

Why is this such a big deal to God?  Five reasons.

One, God is on the side of the poor. (Psalm 140:12)

Two, not to join God on the side of the poor is to invite his judgment.

Three, taking care of what God cares about invites God to take care of what you care about.

Four, care and involvement with the poor will nourish your own spirit and transform your own character

And five, expressing God’s heart for those trapped in misfortune will exert the awesome, life-changing power to lift a person out of their despair—something that may never occur without your helping hand.

Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted
according to the graces we have received and let us not
be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.

~Mother Teresa

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it:

In the Incarnation, Christ left his glory to enter into our poverty. We have been called to the same kind of incarnational living.  So here’s the $64,000 question:  What about your attitude, your schedule and your activities need to change to fully, personally and practically exude the Incarnation in your world?

Doing Life Well

Proverbs, Chapter 1:

“You ignorant outfit!” If I heard that scathing remark from my red-faced-vein-in-the-forehead-about-to-explode father once when I was growing up, I heard it a couple dozen times.  Obviously my childhood home wasn’t one of those touchy-feely places where mom and dad gave a whole lot of thought to my self-esteem.  They were determined not to produce an offspring who turned out to be a fool—someone who is, as the Bible defines it, morally deficient.

The older I get, the more I appreciate their old-school approach.  As columnist George Will writes, Modern parents want to nurture so skillfully that Mother Nature will gasp in admiration at the marvels their parenting produces from the soft clay of children.” Not my parents; they were more concerned that one day I would stand before God, at which point all three of us—dad, mom and child—would hear, “well done, good and faithful servants.”

Whether you are doing life as a parent, or you are simply doing life as a child of God, remember that holiness is a far better attribute than happiness and fear of God outshines feeling good every time.  So learn to lean into the Lord’s discipline, and help your children to embrace it, too.  Put wisdom at the top of your wish list—for you and them.  And if you desire for you and yours to do life well, make “the fear of the Lord” the center and the circumference of your home. Solomon said it this way in Proverbs 1:7,

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

My friend, the fear of the Lord is what enables us to do life courageously, confidently and flourishingly well—and by the way, it’s the only way that produces the kind of esteem worth having: Not self-esteem but God’s esteem!

Where there is fear of God to keep the house, the enemy can find no way to enter. ~Francis of Assisi

Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It:

Read George Will’s article, “Self-Esteem, Self-Destruction”, http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/03/self-esteem_self-destruction.html. Also, find an opportunity as soon as possible to talk with your children about 1) what the fear of the Lord really is, and 2) the important distinction between eternal holiness and temporal happiness.