Read
4Evil people are proud
and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
they produce.
5If you plan and work hard,
you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
you will end up poor.
6Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
and no less than suicide.
7You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
and refusing to live right.
8All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
will do right.
Reflect
Some things never change. I have just been reading a book (The Road to Character, by David Brooks) in which he laments a radical change, over the last fifty years or so, in what are considered the important things in life. People used to put much more store on character (the kind of things that will be said at your funeral) than they do now. Today there is much more emphasis on success (the kind of things that go on your CV).
In these verses Solomon is warning about the temptation to take shortcuts to get to the top. Taking advantage of people. Cutting corners. Planning ahead without taking stock of what lies behind. Finding the lazy way to do something. Putting yourself first. Telling the convenient lie. David Brooks quotes someone who regularly asks people when he’s interviewing them for a job, “Tell me about some time when you told the truth and it hurt you.” The answer you give to this question will tell if you put love of truth ahead of love of career.
Think about what you want your life to be like. Who are the people you look up to? Are they the ones who are successful, or are they people of character? Do you want to be like the rich man in Jesus’ parable who stored up everything for himself, but was poor in the sight of God (Luke 12:15-21)?
Taking the path to character is difficult. It means self-denial. It means discipline. It means paying attention to other people’s needs. It means listening. It means being open to God to hear his voice of correction. It means asking for forgiveness.
“Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Get the kind of bank account that never goes into overdraft. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. Your heart will always be where your treasure is” (Lk 12:33–34, adapted). These are Jesus’ words.
Jesus’ kingdom is an upside-down kingdom.
Respond
Dear God, you know all about the shortcuts we like to take. By your Spirit make us people of integrity, with our hearts in the right place. Thank you for the words and the example of Jesus, and for the joy of following him. Amen.
Annabel Robinson
Annabel was born in Kew, near London, England. She committed her life to Jesus Christ at a Scripture Union camp when she was 16, and immediately found joy and peace. At Oxford she was active in the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, where she met her husband, Reid. They emigrated to Canada in 1965, where she taught Classics at the University of Regina until 2007. She has two children, Heather in Oslo and Alasdair in Calgary.