The Proverbs :: A Guidebook for MenSample

“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life.”

-Captain Jean-Luc Picard

It is one of the great strengths of men and one of our most painful follies that we believe that good things come to those who work for them. Many of us were raised with a defiant attitude that promised that through hard work and a little luck, we could achieve any goal we put our minds to, and when we grow up, we could be whatever we want.

And yet, Solomon still needs to remind us NOT to envy the wicked…

Why?

Why does Solomon feel he must double, triple, and quadruple down on the idea that our hope is in something other than the success we see people achieve through evil means?

Because he knows there will be times in life when it looks as if the best way forward is not the way of God.

You may get passed over because someone else lied, your success may take longer to achieve than that of devious men, and your reward may look pale in comparison to the riches of the sluggard. You may do nothing wrong and still “lose” in the world’s sense. These things may happen.

And still, Solomon reminds us, do not envy those who “win” based on sinful methods.

“Eat honey, my son, for it is good;

honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:

If you find it, there is a future hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off.”

Brother, your hope and heart are secure so long as you gauge success against the proper scale.

As we talked about in Proverbs 16, there is something God-honoring in being skilled in your work, but look again at the purpose. The point is to honor God and to work for His glory alone. When we remember this, we are freed from the temptation to look around at what people have given over their integrity to obtain and envy it.

There is nothing worth paying that price to accomplish.

Longing to succeed, earn accolades, and accomplish these are natural desires of the Human Heart that can be harnessed for the good of people around you. Still, if they become so strong that your motive behind them is no longer to honor God, they can cause chaos. Test your motives today; check on them like a gardener inspects his plants. Have you given in to envious thoughts? Have they caused you to admit sin into the process? How do you fare when someone achieves something you covet? Are you outraged? What about when someone you don’t like fails? Do you find comfort in their fall? These are signs that you have placed your hope in something other than God’s plan, and it is time to bring that to Him.

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,

but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”

Build your life on the principle that God has your best in mind. Construct walls full of the faith that He will provide for you in the proper time. Let a roof made of the memories of His faithfulness protect you from the enemy's attacks, luring you towards jealousy and scheming. Live in His goodness and mercy, and then you will live an honest life that outlasts all others.

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God, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for establishing what is good for me. Thank You that it is my plumb line, my true north and that I can compare everything I see, feel, and desire against it to find if it is worthy of You. I see that envy is not of You and that I am called to You and You alone. It is a freeing and blessed reality to lose any sense of comparison. I fall into Your hands, giving up hanging onto anyone else’s approval or satisfaction to give me my sense of worth. Thank You that I am Yours alone. Amen.