Examine Your Heart

Two rival foes contend for control of our hearts: Sluggard and Diligence. Locked in a bitter, all-or-nothing struggle for dominance, each uses its most effective weapons to entice us to join sides against the other. Sluggard craves, but he accomplishes nothing. He doesn’t follow through. He postpones: “Maybe someday.” He tries to convince us that the consequences of inaction are negligible and manageable.

Submit Your Ways

Procrastination can feel like an oppressive ruler who cannot be contradicted or confronted. Its chains appear unbreakable and its rule, absolute. Fortunately, Solomon assured us that we have all we need to break free, as well as an Advocate in the all-powerful, sovereign Ruler of the universe. Hear what Solomon learned:

Bad Intentions

Pro•cras•ti•nate: To put off intentionally and habitually . . . to put off the doing of something that should be done. — Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition. Most of us know the meaning of this word all too well, but a concise definition helps clarify the issue. The procrastinator usually has logical reasons, valid excuses, and plausible explanations for inaction.

Lasting Consequences

Solomon concluded this discussion of sexual temptation by considering additional consequences. He noted that when a man steals in order to keep from starving, most people empathize with his situation. Even so, empathy doesn’t remove the demand for justice. His community may feel sorry for his desperate choice, but they will neither excuse his sin nor set aside the victim’s right to receive complete restitution multiplied by seven!

Reasons to Avoid Temptation

We’ve discussed what things to avoid and we’ve thought about how to avoid them, but we haven’t explored the question of why we should stand strong against temptation. Why did Solomon take such a hard line on resisting lust’s appeal? Without the slightest hesitation, the wise man set forth the truth, which so few people stop to consider today.

Plan for Purity

Solomon warned his son to avoid the wiles of a temptress and gave him four practical instructions to help him. The first two—“Stay away from evil people” and “Guard against the smooth tongue that invites you in”—focus on the external component of temptation. That is, these instructions tell us to place distance between us and the potential lure and fulfillment of sin.

Flee Temptation

While virtually every outlet in popular media bombards us with sexually oriented material—a phenomenon that previous generations didn’t experience—we also face another danger: the opportunities to commit adultery have never been more prevalent. Furthermore, we live in a society that is more accommodating than ever. In addition to the normal temptations that occur in everyday life, we can go online to a dating service for married people seeking affairs!

Battleground Brain

Solomon was a straight shooter. I find that rather refreshing in our day of vague definitions and bold rationalizations. The words you just read are timeless and no less relevant today than when the ink was still wet. The battle against lustful temptations hasn’t declined in the millennia since the wise, fatherly king warned his own children. In fact, we could make the case that temptations are far more numerous today.

The Thief of Discontentment

By now, the best way to ease the grind of discontentment should be clear. The book of Proverbs counsels us to find personal delight in the things money cannot buy, such as love and interpersonal harmony. Wisdom also points to another intangible hope that satisfies the heart in ways that material possessions fail to do. Better is a little with righteousness, than great income with injustice. (16:8)

Food for the Soul

As we continue to consider the grind of discontentment, we have learned that the secret ingredient to a fabulous meal is love. The book of Proverbs continues this culinary theme with another comparative couplet: Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a house full of feasting with strife (17:1) The image of a “dry crust” (NIV1984) is a word picture any ancient traveler could appreciate.

Tag Archives: Proverbs