Day #219 - Proverbs 14-15 Proverbs 14 - Verse 4 struck me right between the eyes today. Is Solomon only talking about oxen here? I dont think so! I think hes talking primarily about people. Working with and being around people can be messy. Sure it is a lot cleaner that way but it is also a lot emptier. As Christians shouldnt our life be about getting messy as we serve others? As I read this I remembered a story that Wally on Way-FM told yesterday morning. I had the gist of the story but wanted to make sure I had it right, and found it; its called by many The Law of the Garbage Truck. It goes like this ... How often do we let other peoples foolishness change our mood? We let things like a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin our days far too often. The mark of a mature person is how quickly he/she can get back his/her focus on what’s important. As Wally told the story I dont think he was telling it 1st person but rather as a story hed heard. A man hopped into a taxi, and they took off for the international airport. They were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space in front of them. The taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other cars back end by mere inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a wreck, whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us. The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy and smiled as he did it. The passenger could not believe what he just saw. He asked, Why did you just do that? That guy almost ruined your car and sent both of us to the hospital. The taxi driver responded with two word, Garbage truck. Not understanding the man in the back seat said, What? The taxi driver explained, Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, theyll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, dont take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. The guy in the back seat pondered the idea of how often did he let garbage trucks run right over him? And how often did he take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? He later said it was at that moment that he said, Im not going to do it anymore. Truth is though thats easier said than done. When we overreact to people who dump their garbage on us, we need to realize that what the other person does is his or her problem—but to the degree that we overreact that is our problem. To react in a Christ-like manner, it is imperative that we resolve our own garbage. If we dont, we will be forever allowing others to control our moods and trigger our unresolved problems. As I go throughout my day I want to see the garbage trucks on the road. I only saw the previews to the movie The Sixth Sense, where the little boy said, I see Dead People. Like that, I want to see Garbage Trucks; to see the load theyre carrying. And like that taxi driver, I hope I dont make it a personal thing. May I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on. Lifes too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who dont. There are so many other verses worth mentioning here but I simply want to point to verse 34. Righteousness ... right living will only exalt a nation, but sin, no matter who you are, is a reproach to any and all people. May we as Americans resolve to live more righteously and may God give us leaders who will lead us into righteousness. Proverbs 15 - In verse Solomon tells us that a soft answer turns away wrath. While its true that a quiet and humble response to someones wrath will normally cause it to subside, its equally true that some people will never be pacified. Because of long-term bitterness and resentment, their wrath just runs too high. In that case the only thing we can do, and the thing we must always do, is be meek and lowly in the face of their anger and leave the consequences with God. This doesnt mean we must stay in an abusive situation, or simply exist as a doormat to someone else, because no one has the right to mistreat another human being. But it does mean we can by Gods grace respond calmly to anothers anger. Paul put it this way in Romans 12:18, If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. We must be peacemakers even if others refuse the offer of peace. Obedience is our job; the rest we leave to God. Verse 3 is a reminder that when evil is rampant, as it seems to be today, and we are tempted to believe that people are getting away with murder, that The Lord sees everything. He is not indifferent to evil and one day He will wipe out evil and punish the evildoers. I think verse 5 has both earthly and heavenly application. A fool despises wisdom, be it offered from an earthly father or our Heavenly Father. But it is wise (prudent) to accept correction from both. Occasionally I will read a passage that I have read many times before and I will notice a verse for the 1st time in a whole new way. Verse 17 is just such a verse; how true it is! It is better to sit a table that is sparsely covered and know that there is love there as compared to a table that is filled with food but surrounded by hostility.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 19:17:20 +0000
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