Archive for January 2008
Hard, Honest Work
The Book of Proverbs is a practical book. It gives concrete advice about how to live wisely, which in the end means to live well. And one of the areas where we most need advice about living wisely and well is work.
We might begin our study of work by asking a simple question: Why work? Proverbs 16:26 provides an answer:
The laborer’s appetite works for him;
his hunger drives him on.
We work to acquire food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities of life. This is the most basic reason why we work, although there are others, of course. In addition to meeting life’s necessities, we work as an outlet for our creativity, gifts, and talents; for the feelings of self-respect and self-reliance work engenders in us; to provide for our family and friends; and of course to glorify God through the abilities he has given us. But at the bottom of it all, we work to eat.
Of course, one can work hard or hardly, ethically or unethically. Sometimes, the people who hardly work, but unethically when they do, seem to get ahead in life. Proverbs makes it quite clear, however, that in the long run, hard, honest work is best.
Consider the following proverbs:
Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death (10:2).
The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward (11:18).
Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow (13:11).
All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty (14:23).
A greedy man brings trouble to his family,
but he who hates bribes will live (15:27).
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty (21:5).
He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who looks after his master will be honored (27:18).
A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment,
but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life (28:16).
According to these verses, the rewards of hard, honest work are life, profit, financial independence, and honor. By contrast, hardly working and working unethically result in death, poverty, and trouble. No doubt we could provide specific examples of hard workers who are poor or dishonest workers who are rich. But these are exceptions to the rule. The rule is that hard, honest work pays, but lazy dishonesty doesn’t.
If hard, honest work pays, then obviously an employer should hire only hard, honest workers.
Like an archer who wounds at random
is he who hires a fool or any passer-by (26:10).
But all this talk of hard, honest work leading to wealth might make us forget that there are more important things in life than money. Proverbs 16:8 makes sure we keep our priorities straight.
Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice
Do you want to be wealthy? Then work hard and honestly. But always remember that integrity is the real bottom line.
To Give, but Not to Bribe
Proverbs displays what seems to be a contradictory attitude toward bribery. On the one hand, Proverbs 17:23 says:
A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret
to pervert the course of justice.
On the other hand, Proverbs 17:8 says:
A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.
In the first instance, bribery is bad because it perverts justice. In the second instance, however, bribery is a key to success. The morally curious person is left wondering, “To bribe or not to bribe?” Now perhaps that question sounds a bit dodgy. Surely the Bible isn’t suggesting that bribery is ever acceptable!
Take a closer look at 17:23. Notice the character of the person who accepts a bribe to pervert justice. He is “wicked.” It should go without saying that the person who offers a bribe to pervert justice is equally wicked.
Proverbs 28:21 offers a moral evaluation of the act bribery itself when it says:
To show partiality is not good —
yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
Why is bribery wrong? Not merely because it perverts justice, as in 17:23, but also because it exploits the needy. Bribery takes advantage of the financial problems of the person to whom you’re offering the bribe.
In the end, Proverbs 15:27 points out the negative consequences of receiving bribes:
A greedy man brings trouble to his family,
but he who hates bribes will live.
But what about the connection between bribery and success in Proverbs 17:8? Or what about Proverbs 21:14?
A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
This verse points out the positive consequences of bribery, describing it as a gift. Indeed, two other proverbs speak about the positive benefits of gift-giving.
A gift opens the way for the giver
and ushers him into the presence of the great (Prov. 18:16).
Many curry favor with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts (Prov. 19:6).
One proverb even warns against promising a gift, but not delivering it:
Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give (Prov. 25:14).
What, then, is the relevant moral difference between bribery and gift-giving? Is one wrong and the other right? Remember what Tremper Longman has written about proverbs as a literary genre: “Proverbs are not universally true laws but circumstantially relevant principles.” What is the circumstantially relevant principle that distinguishes bribery and gift-giving?
Two words: desired outcome. When you bribe someone, your desired outcome is to gain an unfair advantage over another person. This is, as Proverbs clearly teaches us, a perversion of justice. But when you give a gift, your desired outcome is a harmonious relationship. Both bribes and gifts grease the skids, in other words. But a bribe greases them to derail a train, while a gift greases them to get the train back on track.
So, give; but don’t bribe!
Arguing with Fools
Every now and then, the Bible makes you scratch your head and say, “Huh?”
Take, for example, Proverbs 26:4-5:
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you will be like him yourself.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
Verse 4 tells us not to do precisely what verse 5 tells us to do. So, put your hand on your head, scratch the same, and say, “Huh?”
If you’re one of those village atheists looking for evidence of contradictions in the Bible, you will no doubt cite these verses as Exhibit A and rest the prosecution’s case. But there’s a thin line between village atheist and village idiot, and interpreting Proverbs 26:4-5 so literally crosses it.
Tremper Longman reminds us that proverbs constitute a unique literary genre and must be interpreted accordingly. “Proverbs are not universally true laws but circumstantially relevant principles.” What are the circumstantially relevant principles of verses 4-5? Longman answers: “the wise person must assess whether this is a fool who will simply drain one’s energy with no positive results or whether an answer will prove fruitful to the fool or perhaps to those who overhear it.”[*]
Do not answer a fool according to his folly…
I once engaged in a months-long argument with a guy about whether the King James Version was the only reliable English translation of the Bible. Correct answer: No. His answer: Yes. I cited the number of Hebrew and Greek manuscripts now available, the lexical resources modern scholars have that were unknown to King James’s translators, and the improved understanding of the ancient world brought about by modern archaeology and other social sciences. He argued, somewhat incoherently, that the New International Version was both a liberal plot to steer the faithful toward heresy and a Roman Catholic plot to get us to worship Mary. I kid you not. Arguing with him was like getting stuck in quick sand. The more I argued, the deeper I sank. I finally gave up. Some people are mired in stupidity, and trying to unstupidify[†] them is pointless.
Answer a fool according to his folly…
On the other hand, several years ago, I was on staff at a church and engaged in a months-long argument with my boss about church-growth methodologies. I was twenty-four and in graduate school (a dangerous combination). I knew that my older, more experienced senior pastor was wrong—dead wrong—about how to grow the church. When he refused to see things my way, I quit. Six years later, I went back to work for him because I learned that he had been right the entire time. Indeed, the church had doubled or tripled in my absence.
So, should we argue with fools or not? The right answer depends on the fool.
Copyright © 2008 by George P. Wood
A Self-Controlled Mouth
A wise person is a self-controlled person. He keeps a tight reign on his emotions, actions, and words lest they foolishly go and gallop off a cliff with him on their backs. Just as an expert cowboy knows how to make his horse do what he wants it to do, so a wise person turns his emotions, actions, and words to his own advantage.
My Uncle Larry, who was raised in Texas and looks like a cowboy should, is a great example of a man with a self-controlled mouth. He rarely talks, and he never speaks loudly. But when he does open his mouth, something wise and interesting always comes out. He looks a lot like the “man of knowledge” described in Proverbs 17:27-28:
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Notice the intimate connection between verbal self-control and emotional self-control. And then consider the irony whereby silence makes even fool appear wise.
Unfortunately, like a mirage in a desert, the silent fool’s wisdom disappears on close inspection. When you open your mouth, the truth abut you eventually comes out. How we speak shows who we really are. Words reveal character.
Every prudent man acts out of knowledge,
but a fool exposes his folly (13:16).
Words also have consequences. Several proverbs contrast the results of the speech patterns of sages and fools.
The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil (15:28).
Wise men store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin (10:14).
Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing (12:18).
He who guards his lips guards his life,
but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin (13:3).
“Evil,” in this case, seems to be the harm recklessly uttered words do to others. “Ruin,” by contrast, seems to the harm the harm they do to the one who uttered them. “Loose lips sink ships,” warned the Allies in World War II. Sometimes, unfortunately, those ships include the one you’re sailing on.
What kind of “evil” can reckless words do?
Slander:
A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor,
but a man of understanding holds his tongue (11:12).
Gossip:
A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy man keeps a secret (11:13).
Rash promises you can’t keep:
It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider his vows (20:25).
But of course a self-controlled mouth can do a lot of good too, like giving insightful advice:
Make plans by seeking advice;
if you wage war, obtain guidance (20:18).
In light of these consequences, a self-controlled mouth is more valuable than money or success:
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse (19:1).
So, a word to the wise: Keep your mouth shut!
Emotional Self-Control
One Easter, when I was a young child, my mother was trying to take a picture of my sister and me in our holiday finery. I was anxious for the picture to be taken so I could get down to the serious business of hunting for candy-filled eggs, but my sister—as she is wont to do—was not cooperating. She was laughing, twirling, and otherwise having a fine time. In exasperation, I frowned, harrumphed, and finally stomped my foot.
Unfortunately, my father caught all this on the family’s Super-8 movie camera. The sight of a five-year-old in a three piece suit stomping his patent-leather-shod foot is a source of endless embarrassment to me now, but of great hilarity to my family and friends. And it’s also a lesson to us about the necessity of emotional self-control: Keep your emotions in check, or you’ll look like (and in fact be) a fool.
Consider the following relevant proverbs:
A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult (Prov. 12:16).
A patient man has great understanding,
but a quick-tempered man displays folly (14:29).
A man’s wisdom gives him patience;
it is to his glory to overlook an offense (19:11).
A fool gives full vent to his anger,
but a wise man keeps himself under control (29:11).
The difference between emotional wisdom and emotional folly is a matter of timing and volume. A fool is annoyed “at once” and is “quick tempered.” By contrast, a wise person is “patient” and capable of overlooking the triggering offense. And a fool gives “full vent” to anger. He doesn’t hold back. A wise person does hold back. He or she may feel more strongly about an issue than they let on.
The wise person’s emotional response to an issue is measured, but so are his or her words:
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered (17:27).
We express our negative emotions nonverbally, of course: through grimaces and clenched fists and fighting stances. But it is with our words that our lack of emotional self-control finds its most damaging expression. I can laugh off your frowning at me, but if you insult me and call me mean names, that hurts. No doubt I said some nasty things in that video I told you about. Thankfully, the Super-8 movie camera didn’t record sound.
Unfortunately, we sometimes like our emotional war of words. We want to do damage to others. But Proverbs 16:32 says,
Better a patient man than a warrior,
a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
Sometimes, peace is more important than winning.
A lack of emotional self-control damages relationships, but it also hurts the self.
A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones (14:30).
So keep your emotions in check. Doing so will protect you and others.
Like a city whose walls are broken down
is a man who lacks self-control (25:28).
A final word to the wise, from me, not Proverbs: Make sure dad doesn’t have a Super-8!
Copyright © 2008 by George P. Wood
What Anger Does. What We Should Do.
The Book of Proverbs teaches us that if we want to live the good life, we must control our anger.
Anger destroys relationships by introducing conflict into otherwise healthy relationships. This is true in marriage:
Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife (21:19).
It goes without saying that a quarrelsome and ill-tempered husband is also hard to live with.
More generally, anger poisons all personal relationships:
A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension,
but a patient man calms a quarrel (15:18).
As a north wind brings rain,
so a sly tongue brings angry looks (25:23).
Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.
Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy? (27:3-4)
An angry man stirs up dissension,
and a hot-tempered one commits many sins (29:22).
Notice in 29:22 that anger leads not merely to “dissension” but to “many sins.” Several years ago, my father pointed out to me that many of the televangelists who had been caught with their pants down were also very angry men. I’ve been wary of angry preachers ever since.
Anger damages personal relationships, but it also damages society and politics. This is equally true of angry politicians and of angry citizens:
A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will appease it (16:14).
A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass (19:12)
Mockers stir up a city,
but wise men turn away anger (29:8).
Given the harm that anger does to relationships, what should we do?
Proverbs 19:19 advises us to let the angry person experiences the full consequences of his or her action.
A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty;
if you rescue him, you will have to do it again (19:19).
Presumably, the “hot-tempered man” in this proverb has committed a crime or a social offense requiring reparation. If that person pays a high cost for anger, he or she will be unlikely to be angry in that way again. On the other hand, if you let the person off scot-free, you’ll have to deal with his or her anger again in the future. Sometimes, it turns out, the only way to truly “rescue” a person is to do nothing.
Proverbs also gives us a positive way to deal with anger, one based on wisdom:
A man’s wisdom gives him patience;
it is to his glory to overlook an offense (19:11).
There are two elements of this positive way: First, you must be patient. An angry person tends to evoke anger in us. A wise person has a long fuse. Second, you must forgive. Look again at the Proverbs quoted above. The wise “calm” the angry. They “appease” the angry. They “turn away” anger. They “overlook an offense.” There is, of course, such a thing as “righteous angry,” in which you are within your moral rights to be mad at someone. But a wise person never chooses righteous anger over reconciliation.
Leadership and Self-Leadership (Proverbs 31:1-9)
The Book of Proverbs typically presents itself as a father giving advice to his son about how to live the truly good life.[*] But in Proverbs 31:1-9, it is a mother who speaks to her son. She is no ordinary woman, however; and he is no ordinary man. She is the queen mother, and he is the king. Let’s take a close look at what she says, for she teaches him (and us) several important lessons about leadership and self-leadership.
The sayings of King Lemuel — an oracle his mother taught him:
“O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel —
not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;
let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Notice the way the queen mother addresses her son. He is “my son,” “son of my womb,” and “son of my vows.” With these words, the queen mother reminds King Lemuel of her authority to advise him. She is his mother; she herself gave him birth; he is the legitimate offspring of a royal marriage. The mother-child bond not only gives her authority to advise him, but it also reminds him that leaders are not self-made. They are brought into the world through the choices of others. Leaders must remember their interdependence with, not independence from, others.
Second, the queen mother advises her son to avoid the temptations of adultery, alcohol, and abuse of power. “Do not spend your strength on women,” she says. “It is not for kings to drink wine,” she advises. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” she counsels. Leaders have tremendous authority and power within their respective communities. The temptation is to use that power to advance their personal interests, rather than the interests of those under their care. Resisting that temptation requires enormous self-control. When self-control is not exercised, when prudence gives way to passion and parties and power hunger, leaders slowly lose their ability to influence others in a positive direction.
Third, leaders should use their influence to advance the interests of the last, the lost, and the least of society. As leaders rise through the ranks, the tendency is to become accustomed to power and privilege and to forget the people whose interests they’re supposed to serve. Self-controlled leaders are focused on their purpose. They serve the voiceless, the destitute, the poor, and the needy.
Copyright © 2008 by George P. Wood
Addiction: The Dark Side of Alcohol (Proverbs 23:29-35)
Surf the channels on your television these days, and you’re likely to catch a wave of reality shows. Most of the shows are brainless, some of them are entertaining, but one of them makes for the most heart-wrenching hour of television you’ll watch each week. It’s called Intervention, it airs on the A&E channel, and it tells the stories of addicts who—at the urgent pleading of family and friends—make moves toward clean and sober living. Unfortunately, after a stint in rehab, many of these addicts return to drinking and using, along with all the attendant ills that prompted their loved ones to intervene in the first place.
As I said, it’s the most heart-wrenching hour of television you’ll watch each week. But it’s also the most instructive one. We learn by example, both good and bad, and the addict’s example shows us how not to live.
Like Intervention, Proverbs 23:29-35 shines a bright light on the reality of alcoholism. Commercials promote drinking alcohol—always responsibly, of course—but few show us a picture of the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Advertisers promote drinking as glamorous, fulfilling, and sexy, but not Proverbs.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Those six rhetorical questions hammer home the dark side of alcohol: woe, sorrow, strife, complaints, needless bruises, bloodshot eyes.
The Bible does not prohibit drinking alcohol per se, but it does warn us about becoming too enamored of strong drink.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
Becoming too attached to alcohol has physical consequences.
In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
Talk to someone whose liver has been poisoned by drinking too much, and you’ll understand what Proverbs means.
Addiction to alcohol will affect your intellectual capacities.
Your eyes will see strange sights
and your mind imagine confusing things.
Male college students routinely joke about “beer goggles,” the alcohol-induced misperception of ugly women as supermodels. But “beer goggles” are no laughing matter. Drunks aren’t reliable interpreters of reality, whether at a bar, at work, or on the road.
And alcoholism, which loosens lips and exacerbates emotional extremes, often results in violence.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
Several years ago, a drunk teenage driver in Orange County took a turn too fast, wrecked his car, killed a couple of his passengers, and permanently injured others. But he walked away from the accident. He didn’t feel the pain he caused others.
Unfortunately, in spite of all these harms, alcoholics still crave the bottle.
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”
As I said, the Bible doesn’t prohibit drinking per se. But the dangers of drunkenness—especially its alcoholic extreme—urge caution. The most important question regarding alcohol consumption may not be, “Is it prohibited?” but, “Is it wise?”
Wine, Wisdom, and Wealth (Proverbs 20:1, 21:17, 23:19-21)
The Book of Proverbs presents a serious difficulty for me. On the one hand, it offers an inspired analysis of the human condition. On the other hand, from an organizational point of view, it’s a mess. Rather than grouping similarly themed proverbs together, it scatters them like seed throughout its thirty-one chapters.
So, in order to highlight the inspired analysis, I have to organize my devotions by topic rather than verse by verse. In his commentary on Proverbs, Tremper Longman outlines twenty-eight topics the book addresses.[*] Over the next few weeks, I’ll use Longman’s outline to organize my remarks.
The first topic on the list, in alphabetical order, is, of all things, alcohol.
In the days preceding New Year’s, the road signs along California’s freeways flashed an insistent message: Report Drunk Drivers. Writing in the Reading Eagle, Jason Brudereck explains why messages such as that one were important: “Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, travelers share the roads with more than 2.8 million drunken drivers with three or more drunken-driving convictions and, of those, more than half a million have five or more convictions, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.” For perspective, 2.8 million drunk drivers is almost one percent of the entire American population. That’s a lot of drunk drivers to worry about!
The Book of Proverbs does not offer a general prohibition of drinking alcoholic beverages. Indeed, according to Proverbs 3:9-10 “vats” overflowing with “new wine” is the result of honoring God with “your wealth.” And in Proverbs 9:2, 5, Woman Wisdom is portrayed as serving “mixed wine” at her feast.
But Proverbs does counsel prudence when it comes to drinking alcohol. Consider three specific proverbs that draw a connection between wine, wisdom, and wealth:
Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray by them is not wise (Prov. 20:1).
He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich (Prov. 21:17).
Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags (Prov. 23:19-21).
What is at issue in each of these proverbs is the abuse of alcohol, not its use. While drinking is not prohibited per se, it can be imprudent if one is “led astray” by alcohol, or “loves” it, or “drink[s] too much” of it. Of course, immoderation applies to more than just alcohol. Notice that Proverbs 23:20 warns us about joining people who “gorge themselves on meat.” Drinking is no more prohibited than eating, but drunkenness and gluttony are prohibited and imprudent alike.
I grew up in a spiritual tradition that prohibits the consumption of alcohol. In my opinion, this prohibition goes beyond what the Bible demands. But just because the Bible doesn’t prohibit it doesn’t make it a good idea.
Discipling a “Christian Nation”
On December 6-9, the Gallup organization conducted a poll of 1,027 adult Americans regarding their religious beliefs and practices. It summarizes the major findings of that poll here. Among the conclusions:
About 82% of Americans in 2007 told Gallup interviewers that they identified with a Christian religion. That includes 51% who said they were Protestant, 5% who were "other Christian," 23% Roman Catholic, and 3% who named another Christian faith, including 2% Mormon.
Sixty-two percent of Americans in Gallup’s latest poll, conducted in December, say they are members of a "church or synagogue," a question Gallup has been asking since 1937.
Based on the responses to this question, about a third say they attend once a week, with another 12% saying they attend almost every week. This means that about 44% of Americans report what can be called frequent church attendance — almost every week or every week.
This year, 56% of Americans have said religion is very important. Only 17% say religion is not very important.This year, 56% of Americans have said religion is very important. Only 17% say religion is not very important.
To summarize, more than 8 in 10 Americans identify with a religion and 8 out of 10 say that religion is at least fairly important in their daily lives; more than 8 out of 10 say they attend church at least "seldom"; and again more than 8 out of 10 identify with a Christian religion.
Theologians and other intellectuals often tell us that we are living in a post-Christian nation. But these statistics indicate otherwise. Read the final paragraph above once again. Roughly eighty percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, attend church occasionally, and consider religion important.
As a pastor, I know that there is a vast gulf between people’s beliefs and behaviors. If eighty percent of Santa Barbara (where I live) is Christian, how come I don’t see those people in church more often? And why do so many Santa Barbarans engage in behaviors that are manifestly unChristlike? You can ask the same questions in your city too, I’m sure.
In my opinion, statistics such as these illustrate the point made in the most recent issueof Enrichment that we are experiencing a crisis of discipleship, not only in the Assemblies of God, but also in the nation as a whole.
- How do we distinguish authentic Christianity from cultural Christianity?
- How do we evangelize people who are already nominally Christian?
- How do we disciple people who consider themselves Christian but don’t attend church or practice the ethical standards of the faith?
What do you think?
