Proverbs 19 SENSIBLE LIVING To live a blameless life that is open and above board before the world is of greater value than to be wealthy. What we really value in life is not able to be hid from the eyes of people for very long, and is never hid from God. One who places value on wealth will do whatever he thinks is necessary to get it and keep it. There are quite a number of subjects addressed in Proverbs 19 that will help us to live life sensibly in the light of truth and holiness, even if one is poor. There are also warnings given regarding the dangers and consequent actions taken when we don’t lift our sights above and beyond the momentary circumstances of life in which we are found.
Poverty in life is of far greater value than to be wealthy and morally corrupt. The poor person can be trusted. His integrity is intact even if he has little to show for his life work as far as material things. One who sacrifices his integrity to increase his wealth, is a fool who cannot be trusted. His walk and talk expose who he really is. To rush ahead impulsively without taking time to consider a decision can easily lead to sin. People will sometimes make “snap” decisions regarding a business venture, a personal relationship or a move to another location without considering the possible outcome of that choice. Know what you are getting into before going into something, and be sure God is in the decision. Enthusiasm and zeal must be controlled by the Holy Spirit, the word of God and divinely imparted wisdom and knowledge. One has said, “Act in haste, repent at leisure.”
People often act in haste but will have lots of time to regret a hasty, self-centered, God-forgetting choice. Careless actions are our own fault. To blame God for not getting us out of trouble we have made, is the action and attitude of a fool. People who win the lottery will suddenly find they have a lot of “friends.” But they are not real friends. Rather they are like bees around a honey-pot, or parasites looking for some money from you. Sadly, the poor people are forgotten, ignored and avoided. When a person is under oath to tell the truth, and lies instead, there will be punishment when the truth comes out into the open and the effects of justice will fall on them.
There are some people who flatter and try to “get in on” those who are influential in society, government or even a church. There are honest needs some people have, and to give freely to help them is not wrong, but don’t be surprised when they get all they can from you, and/or you stop or slack back on giving to them, they will not show up again. They may even “bad mouth” you for not giving them more and will say, “That’s your Christian for you. I wouldn’t darken the door of that Gospel Hall if that is where they go.” Relatives and friends may abandon those in their family or circle of friends who are poor. Even if the poor person has to call on them for some help, he is cut off because there is no reciprocal benefit they can get from the poor person. Not only are the poor shunned, but those who could have helped, hide from them. There are dangers to both the poor and prosperous. The poor will have to struggle alone to get through this present danger. The prosperous who are morally and spiritually poor will have to face a more serious danger in the future.
When wisdom comes after learning the truth from God and His word, and wisdom is acted upon and is the guide for living and dying, that person “loves” their soul. They know what is important. What he learns, he keeps, and applies the principles of living through his whole life. Paul said in a particularly insightful statement, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” The statement in verse five is repeated with the exception of the last words. That indicates the first verse with the same words has to do with the present sphere of life and the other looks into eternity. People have become used to living way beyond their means, and this is really out of place for a person who has common sense. Not only is extravagant living out of his depth financially, but it is not suitable for a role of authority to be taken without the wisdom needed to fill that position. For a slave or servant to have the position of rule over the leader is like giving a novice, a new believer, leadership in an assembly.
A wise person keeps his composure even when those around him act foolishly. He will not retaliate against those who wrong him, but in a godly way will forgive or overlook wrong done against him without getting angry. By contrast, an angry king will not hesitate to attack those who oppose him, nor will he withhold showing favor to those who please him. Fear or favor; threats or devotion are tools some who are leaders will use to get their way. The dysfunctional home described was an awful place to live. A foolish child can ruin the father’s reputation, disrupt the whole household and make life miserable for the whole family. A dissatisfied wife who is contentious and lets it be known that she is unhappy by continually “harping” on every little thing, is a constant irritation in a home.
Parents may pass on what they have to their children to the extent the offspring become wealthy people. But of far more value than a financial heritage a man receives, is the wife that God brings to him. A prudent wife knows how to live righteously, how to guide the family in a compassionate way with a firm hand, and uses family finances with a consciousness that wealth is a stewardship. In order to create something of benefit, or produce something of value to sustain one’s life and the life of his family, a person must work. Laziness will keep a person in bed too long in the morning, and even than he thinks he needs more rest. A major problem with that attitude is a person will soon be hungry. He will not be able to provide for his own needs, let alone for his family and those for whom he is responsible. If a believer in Christ doesn’t read the Bible, doesn’t take time needed to understand divine truth, but only depends on what others tell him, that person will be “barren and unfruitful” in the things of God.
The commands of God and the instructions for living for God are in the Bible. When we obey what the scriptures teach us, we will be preserved by the Lord and for the Lord. If we do not respond to revealed truth, but treat holy things carelessly, we will shrivel up and die spiritually. God takes time to teach us. We must give our time and intelligence to learning what He teaches, or there will be consequences to pay. God is no respecter of persons, and places equal value on every person. He identifies with the needs of the poor in a special way. We honor Him when we do not forget the poor, and we respond to their legitimate needs in the same way we respond to the Lord. To be able to lend to the Lord that which He gave us all we have in the first place, is an honor and a privilege. That is how He intends us to look on the needs of the poor.
There is a time to discipline children so their good behavior becomes habitual and normal to them. Parents need to do this with a kind, firm hand of control and guidance when the children are young. By doing this early in life, they will be preserved from serious mistakes that lead to an ungodly life and a destructive life, for themselves and those who follow them. A man with an out-of-control teenager, will suffer for it either personally or socially when others are negatively affected by his child. A person with a hot temper is very hard to help. Some people we will have to leave alone to learn the hard lessons of life themselves. How good it is to see what God’s grace can do when a person is humbled in repentance, and becomes a “new creation” in Christ Jesus. If a person is willing to listen to those who care enough to give him advice and honest correction, he will become wise and the counsel he passes on which he learned from others will be a benefit to many after him. One prayed, “O Lord, don’t let me die a wicked old man!”
When making plans for anything, consider what the Lord’s plans are first. Take counsel from Him through His word. He knows what is right for you and He is willing to guide each one of us. Christian parents need to counsel their children under the counsel of God. That counsel will always be good and of lasting value. Loyalty, faithfulness and kindness are what God desires from us, and what most of us want from others to be toward us. It is better to be with a poor man who has these characteristics, then to have anything at all to do with a liar. The good habits and choices of one who fears the Lord, are good for a person in many different ways. It is good for our health. It is good for maintaining a moral lifestyle. It will keep a person out of trouble and maybe even out of jail. That person will not only be saved, but will be satisfied. He or she will be able to sleep at night with the rest of a contented person. Some people can have all they need right in front of them, but they are too lazy to reach out and take it because it takes effort on their part. That kind of person only wants a downward road in life because going uphill takes too much effort and energy.
A thinking person hearing a rebuke or seeing one who mocks what is right being punished for his mockery, will learn by observation not to do those things himself. Some people are naïve and others are simple, but they can learn quick when they see there are severe consequences for sin. Intelligent people learn when they are rebuked and are not likely to do the same thing again. To waste what your father has, and refuse to care for your mother when she needs help, is to disgrace both of them, yourself and your family name. Those who do show honest care for, and interest in, their parents, are respected by those who observe. Particularly, care-givers are impressed by the earnest caring attitude of a family who honors their father and mother.
Peer pressure is a problem in teen years for many people. The instructions given by many professors at universities or places of higher learning, are often very different or even contrary to what parents taught their children at home. Some instructors will deliberately contradict what you have been taught by godly, Bible-believing parents and teachers in your church-home. It is up to the child to remember what he or she learned at home, and what the kind of people those who raised them are, and the way they live. When challenged by others to abandon what has been tried and proven by those you have trusted all your life up until now, you may have to stand up against those who challenge you. Ask them what kind of home life they have, what their personal relationships are like, and have they found rest in their spirit, and satisfaction from what they are teaching you. Some people just love to make a mockery of justice. They want, and seem to enjoy, what is sinful and that will produce wickedness. There are serious consequences that can be expected for those who make jokes about God and righteousness, and who mock the lives of those who live godly. But there will come a time when those very people who mocked, will suffer the punishment of justice being carried out.