Proverbs 13

Bible Passage:  Proverbs 13

So many more wise sayings today that is worthy for us to consider them carefully.

And yet…

So little time to really reflect and see how we can put them into practice in our lives.

Maybe I would just highlight a few verses that made me pause more than usual today for us to think about….

⁴ The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

⁸ The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,
But the poor does not hear rebuke.

¹¹ Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.

I have just come to an end of a whirlwind of overseas business trips and while what I do may not be considered to be big business compared to many others, fundamentally, it is still very much to do with earning more money for the companies concerned.  And when money is being discussed, nothing is ever simple and straight forward.

The verses highlighted above from Chapter 13 reminds me that worldly riches are often accompanied by trouble.  But better still, they remind me of what true riches are.

It goes without saying that we have to work for a living.  And frankly in today’s world, we can no longer get by without any money.  And if we do not have much money, it seems that many of our dreams and desires cannot be fulfilled and hence we feel that our lives are lousy and without much meaning.

Verse 4 is worth repeating…

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Some people like the idea of having things handed to them on a silver platter.  They lament over their lot when they compare themselves to others and think that if they were given the same opportunities or had the same money as others, they would be a success in the world and be happy with their lives.

But this verse tells me this… we can have many desires…  and dreams …. and things we want to achieve.  But if are lazy and do not work at it… we have nothing.  We will get nothing!

We all like gifts and it is nice.

But for me, it is more meaningful if I get something after I had worked hard for it.  I would value something more and get greater satisfaction in getting things done if I have to work for them.  But if you have to work and save up to buy something, don’t you take really good care of it?  Don’t you want to do what you can to protect it, so it doesn’t get broken? I know that’s how it works for me.

Verse 8 makes me really glad I don’t have a lot of money.

A man’s riches may ransom his life,
but a poor man hears no threat. (ESV)

Hearing some of the wealthy men talk recently may make me envy their lives… especially when they talk about their properties and things they have… not just in Singapore but around the region.  But this is envy lasts just for a fleeting moment… and all the more so when I got to know some of the baggage that accompanies their lifestyle.

Money and fancy things tend to bring more trouble than they’re worth – at least in my opinion. If you don’t have money or valuable possessions, no one’s going to kidnap you or a family member for a ransom, right? And if someone should break into your home and steal some of the things you own – well, it won’t cost as much to replace those items as it would if you had lots of fancy expensive things, right?  Also, no one would be constantly trying to convince you to ‘invest’ in some hair brain scheme and get some money out of you.

So this verse reminds me to be contented with my lot and to pursue what is right.   And even more so… godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim 6:6).

Verse 11 – Flavour of the Month

¹¹ Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.

On the plane home recently, I was watching the movie called “Wall Street – Money Never Sleeps”.  Now I believe most of you know what this movie is all about but for those who do not know, it is about Gordon Gecko – the infamous character of the first movie “Wall Street” back in the late 80s where his infamous slogan “Greed is good” became the mantra of many aspiring, want to get rich quick people then.

And now many years later, this movie is about his release from prison and entering into a world that did not seem very far from where he came from… where greed once again ruled the marketplace and led to the great financial collapse of just a couple years ago.

Verse 11 kind of reminds me of that.  Many in the world… despite the harsh lessons of the past, still are thinking of getting rich quickly, in whatever way they can.  Sound financial principles are not necessary… as long as I can make a quick buck.  It does not matter who I step on… as long as I am the one that is finally standing.  A lie or two won’t hurt… as long as we all make something out of it.

Money! The more the merrier!

It is very easy for Christians to get caught up in this… especially when you are surrounded by friend, colleagues or even relatives who are doing these things and getting ahead financially…

But the Bible says if you work for your money and save a little each month, that money will grow and grow and grow.

Baby steps.

So many things can be accomplished through baby steps – and patience.

It is not just about money but many things in our lives.  It also includes the things we want to do for God.

Baby steps.  One at a time.  That’s all we need to do to have an increase 🙂

I pray you each find these verses encouraging also. I’m really looking forward to reading your thoughts on these verses!

Blessings to all!