Wisdom From the Proverbsናሙና

Proverbs 19

Of all the verses, why did verse 10 stand out to me today?

'It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury -- how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!'

As I looked at this verse, I asked myself, 'How does this affect each of us in modern life, really?' We can write slavery off as something consigned to the past and sweep past this verse or focus in on the massive issue of modern slavery and all we need to combat it, but perhaps there's some deeper meaning to this verse. Something that affects us daily. And then I felt the Lord ask me, 'What are you a slave to?'

You'll all know the verse that tells us:

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

(Mark 12:30)

So, we know we have bodies, our 'flesh', our physical humanity. We also have minds and intellect that enable us to grow and mature and make choices and decisions. Our hearts hold what we value and treasure most, and our souls encapsulate who we are, our character and our will. But all the way through the book of Proverbs, we see what happens when these parts are not in alignment, firstly with each other, but then also with the One who created us. We see over and again, throughout Proverbs, the fall of the foolish – those that let fleshly desires guide their behaviours -- and their consequent downfall.

So, I'll ask again, 'What are you a slave to?'

When we let our flesh rule over our self-control when it comes to eating a favourite treat too often, we not only gain weight, spend too much and get bad skin, but we create turmoil inside because we are acting according to our flesh in disagreement with what our mind knows to be right.

What is it in our lives that 'gets the better of us'? Because when we listen to the wrong voices, we become a slave to the one that we should be a master of. We bow to our appetites rather than make them listen to us. We indulge in gossip and let slander have free reign when we know that it'll ultimately bring division and disunity.

Giving foolishness its head, like giving an untamed animal control of its lead, is letting the foolishness of us live in luxury, unfettered and uncontrolled. Yet we know that the fruit of the spirit is self-control. It is patience. It is kindness and gentleness.

Those things that are supposed to be under our control do not make for good masters in our lives. The things of foolishness, if left unrestrained, will waste our 'luxuries' of time, energy and health.

Today – ask the Holy Spirit to show you the areas of your life where you are allowing foolishness to rule and trust him to guide you into the ways of wisdom.