Proverbs 15:15-17
These
three proverbs contrast the life of those who follow the LORD and those who don’t.
It is not as you might imagine. Some corners of the Christian church would want
you to believe that if you are a Jesus-follower, wealth follows you. But the
full counsel of Scripture says something much more profound.
Look
at the life of the one who doesn’t follow the LORD. Oppression, great wealth
with turmoil, and abundance of food with hatred. They seem to have it all, but
their lives are in upheaval. Their personal relationships are filled with
strife. They have wealth, but not much more. Because wealth is their focus,
they end up holding on to it and allowing everything else in life fall. Their
lives might look desirable on the outside, but once you step inside the door,
look out, things are flying.
By
contrast the righteous have little worldly wealth, but are very happy. And that
cheerful heart makes their life like a continual feast, even though their
checkbooks don’t provide them with a great cushion against adversity. Their
lives are fairly uneventful, when it comes to interpersonal strife. They don’t
have much, so there aren’t many people contending for what they have. No one
takes them to court, because they don’t have much to lose. It isn’t worth the
effort.
They
do have love. They have a table that welcomes others for the simple things in
life. Notice that they don’t even have meat, a sign of being poor. But this
doesn’t bother them. They have each other.
I
don’t know too many wealthy folks who are really happy, content deep down. They
seem to be worried about losing what they have, and they don’t know how they
could live without the cushion of safety that wealth brings.
I
want a continual feast. I don’t mind a little, even if I have trouble with too
much stuff. I like vegetables! I want a simpler life. How about you?