Money, power and rebellion… or doing nothing
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today Mal Calladine peruses our penultimate tenth monthly chunk of ‘Practical Proverbs’, nuggets of knowledge that have loads of life application.
What did I like about today’s passage?
I liked that so many of these little couplet sayings are speaking to some very contemporary issues of today that are on my mind. The currencies of money and power are as alive for us in our society as in the time of Solomon! And a number of the verses highlighted that in these areas, our choices really matter; and that (particularly under pressure) we will see their consequences – including where we choose to be passive and do nothing.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
It showed me about the world He created and chooses to operate in. That it IS broken and fallen, with many people dancing to other distractions than the divine disco of the deity!
29:26 encouraged me afresh that it is God’s grace that I need to rely on, not humanity’s imperfect understanding of power. Often, I want to get favour with someone (‘an audience with a ruler’) but it was healthily convicting for me to be reminded that it is from the Lord that we get real justice – no one else.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I feel stretched in considering challenge and instruction - the where and how. Both in giving it (28:7a; 28:23), and in receiving it from others (29:1), and the Lord (28:9). I’m reminded in a few interactions of my internally frustrated reaction to someone saying to me “I know”, when it appears obvious that they aren’t leaning into and seeing breakthrough in this ‘known’ issue in their life. Is it only what they say they ‘know’ in their head but not experienced in their life? It makes make want to blurt out ’You say you know, but do you understand…?’ i.e. what you say you know, I can’t see you are doing, or looking to put into practice in your life… As Liz Nixon said to me the other week, ‘I wish we had an English phrase that is good as the Americanism “that dog don't hunt!”’ It's a great discipler’s question of someone who is trying to work out how we can best challenge each other in our English culture that doesn’t facilitate this easily!
But where does that emotional reaction in me come from and search me out? And why does it trigger and frustrate me? Is it that I’m frustrated in myself? I am not just asking if this ineffective challenge time is well used but also: is it that I don't easily receive instruction either? 29:19 talks about how servants cannot be corrected by mere words. Is incarnation – seeing it lived out by example – the key?
So, I’m going to look for opportunities this week to be a vulnerable example – both in places where I’m trying to challenge and the places where I’m asking for instruction, including “how do I show up in that setting? How do you perceive me?” I’m encouraged in this by 28:13 – that keeping hidden where I get it wrong doesn't work; but where I speak out what is on my heart and renounce that as my chosen future path - that is where I find mercy. Lord, more of that dynamic please.
Who am I going to share this with?
Those people I’m looking to be vulnerable with this week. Both with those where there is an invitation to challenge and the places where I am looking for feedback about me.