Proverbs
19 reminds me of the TV show about Celebrity Rehabilitation from
addiction. It seems that many of these adults were child-actors, or
children of privilege. My guess is that during adolescence, no one
was willing to say “no”. I’m sure the parents believed that
their wonderful children did not need harsh rules at home. I suspect
that today, many of those parents are filled with regrets. This
chapter reveals a father’s warning, perhaps after seeing his own
adult child struggle. He describes the challenge of wanting the best
for your child, yet knowing that giving them everything can leave
them unprepared, “Better
the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
Desire without knowledge is not good“.
When adversity hits, “their
heart rages against the Lord“.
A parent fears, “the
closest friend of the poor person deserts them“.
Instead we should focus on instilling character, “A
false witness will not go unpunished“.
Solomon knows, “everyone
is the
friend
of one who gives gifts“.
The emphasis is on the motivation behind the action. Generosity is
an attitude, as is selfishness. Takers soon run out of targets, “The
poor are shunned by all their relatives… their friends avoid them“.
I believe that once we embrace the Giver of All and receive His
forgiveness, we cannot help but pass on the blessing and forgive
others. Amazingly, we are enriched in the process. “The
one who
gets
wisdom loves life“.
Do you love life? Do you need forgiveness?
Solomon
next says something that might sound cruel, but I believe he may be
expressing tough love. “It
is not fitting for
a
fool to live in luxury“.
I picture him looking at his grown son, still living at home,
unmotivated, unproductive and wasting his talents. How will the son
fully develop if he does not leave the nest? Experience is a great
teacher, “wisdom
yields patience“.
Long-term, allowing a grown son to stay home begins to wear on every
other relationship, “A
foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is
like the constant dripping of a leaky roof“.
He adds, “The
shiftless go hungry”
it’s been said, hunger is a very good motivator!
He
is not saying the truly poor and needy should be ignored. We are
told to “look
after of the widows and orphans”
(James 1:27). Solomon adds, “Whoever
is
kind
to the poor lends to the Lord‘.
What about the one that is able? “Discipline
your children, for in that there is hope“.
Overcoming challenges leads to maturity. To the parent that won’t
let their child work out their issues, “rescue
them, and you will have to do it again“.
Sometimes pain is necessary to change. “Accept
discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise“.
In our effort to protect, we may be interfering with the lesson God
is teaching, “Many
are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s
purpose that prevails“.
We all have one thing in common, “What
a person desires is unfailing love“.
Too often we substitute other things for what is missing. I believe
Solomon is saying, each of us must find peace with God before we can
be truly fulfilled, “The
fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content“.
This kind of contentment is apparent to all. He offers this
encouragement from his own experience, “Rebuke
the discerning, and they will gain knowledge“.
He does not give up! He closes with a warning, “Stop
listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the
words of knowledge“.
Have you strayed? I believe there is one sure cure for spiritual
withdrawal and that is a steady diet of God’s Word. “When
Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s
delight, for I bear Your name, LORD God Almighty”
(Jeremiah 15:16). Are you ready for recovery?