Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (5)

 

 

“The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor.” Proverbs 12:24.

 

What does this mean? Do we see this consistently working out in life? Here is, perhaps, a verse that we would like to skip over when thinking about leadership and authority, but alas it does have the word “rule” in it; it tells us that the diligent will rule – so we ought to engage with this verse in our series on leadership in Proverbs.

 

Do we always see the diligent ruling? Do we always see the faithful and hard-working being recognized? Do we ever see slackers getting promoted and receiving positive recognition that they don’t deserve? Do we see people in positions of authority who are lazy and don’t work?

 

Well, of course we see these things, we live in an unjust world, in a world that isn’t truthful and fair – but we also live in a world that is ultimately under the authority of God and which is being judged by God, and which will in ultimate fulness be judged by God.

 

An element of our growth in Jesus Christ is learning to live in ultimate realities, or as Paul wrote, living by not looking at the things that are seen, which are temporal, but rather at the things which are unseen, which are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). We see this orientation toward the unseen and its ultimate outworking in Hebrews Chapter 11, as indeed throughout Scripture. This is not to deny the suffering, injustice, and pain of the present world, but it is also to place these things in their ultimate perspective (see Romans 8:18 in its context) and to place them most especially and assuredly in the hands of our kind and loving heavenly Father and dear Lord Jesus.

 

When we know the Bible holistically, in an integrated fashion in Christ, proclaiming Jesus Christ, then our understanding of life develops in Christ and we gain some measure of clarity when we see injustices around us. More importantly, our vision of God increases and our trust in Him grows deeper – for seeing Him and knowing Him and trusting in His essence and character (if we may use that word) is the core of life.

 

“Theodicy” is a word that refers to how God works out His judgement and justice both in this world and beyond. When we have a Biblical framework for our theodicy we will still have unanswered questions and many things, I think, will still be mysteries to us – but we will have a framework in Christ through which to view justice and equity – and their counterparts – and we won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time we have questions about why the wicked seem to have their way and why the innocent and righteous suffer or are otherwise in difficulties.

 

So many professing Christians reinvent wheels of understanding over and over again because we are not grounded in the Bible holistically, we are not grounded in the Person of God – in His essence and attributes as He reveals Himself in and through the Bible. Our lives lack firm foundations in Jesus Christ. We want quick and easy answers to difficult questions – we will not sit still and learn at the feet of the Master and allow Him to develop His image within us, we will not submit ourselves to Him. We would rather complain than trust and worship Him.

 

Not every diligent hand will rule in this life, and not every slack hand will be seemingly held accountable in this life.

 

Many Psalms struggle with questions of theodicy. Where is God in the midst of wickedness and injustice? Why do the wicked seem to have everything? Why do the innocent suffer? Will no one help the oppressed? Is our faithfulness to God a waste?

 

I have long loved Psalm 73, with its raw honesty – a hallmark of the Psalms – and its sudden realization that, “I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You” (Ps. 73:22), and of course its conclusion, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.”

 

Of course, Psalm 37 is the “go to” Psalm on theodicy, beginning with, “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward the wrongdoers,” and concluding with, “But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh; He is their strength in time of trouble. Yahweh helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”

 

Note that both Psalm 37 and Psalm 73 focus on God as our refuge – what can we learn from this?

 

Joseph and Daniel provide examples of those with diligent hands ruling, but their lives were not without sorrow and conflict and they both patiently endured, making God their refuge.

 

In our Lord Jesus we see exaltation after crucifixion, (Phil. 2:5 – 11), and we are called to have the same attitude in ourselves that Jesus displayed (Phil. 2:5).

 

It is not unusual to see injustice and inequity in the workplace, and when we work in such environments it is important to keep Colossians 3:22 – 25 in mind. We are to be sincere in all we do, not simply putting on an outward show. We are to fear God, and we are to do our work heartily as unto the Lord rather than as unto men. And here we have theodicy, for in Col. 3:24 Paul writes, “…knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Our God can lift us up above the injustices around us, putting us in a place, in Christ, where we can be a blessing to others – even in the midst of inequity and unfairness and moral and ethical poison.

 

And so when we read a verse such as Proverbs 12:24, though we may not see the fulness of its outworking right now, we can be assured that ultimately we will witness its fulfillment – for as Paul writes, “…the saints will judge the world…Do you not know that we will judge angels?” (1 Cor. 6:2 – 3).

 

Ultimately, the hand of the diligent in Christ will indeed rule.

 

 

Pondering Proverbs – Leadership (4)

 

“A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1.

 

I have a friend who owns and operates an auto repair business to whom I recently mentioned Proverbs 11:1. He said to me, “I think of that verse every time I bill a customer. I want to make sure that I am fair with everyone.”

 

In my business career I thought of that verse in my dealings with customers, vendors, clients, and employees. And yes, as a pastor I also knew that I was called to serve without favoritism or with regard to my personal benefit.

 

I have a friend who is a pastor who was once offered substantial money for his struggling congregation if he would change elements of his teaching and ministry. He replied, “I have been bought once by the blood of Jesus, and I’m not going to be bought again.” When we live under the ownership of Jesus Christ, He becomes our justice and equity, for He is Righteousness and Justice and Equity, and just scales are grounded in Him. Christ does not change, but is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), and in Him we learn not to change – including not changing the scales by which we live.

 

On the other hand, I have sadly known pastors who evaluate others by their financial giving. These pastors have forgotten James’s admonition, “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” (see James 2:1 – 7).

 

Not long ago I was in a self-service checkout line at a mega retailer when a man carrying a case, with a badge identifying himself with the state Bureau of Weights and Measures asked me if he could step in front of me for just a minute. Of course I agreed and then I watched him open his case and place various weights on the checkout scale to verify the scale’s accuracy. When I later mentioned this to Vickie she told me that the retailer in question had recently been caught overcharging their customers by using inaccurate scales.

 

O dear friends, if the Bureau of Weights and Measures goes about checking to see if we are using just scales in our businesses, are we so foolish to think that God does not know when we use unjust scales in our lives? Consider the man with the writing case in Ezekiel 9:1 – 11, to whom Yahweh says, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.”

 

The sons and daughters of the Living God are called to live righteously and justly, proving themselves to be “blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…” (Phil. 2:15). Lying and cheating and playing favorites and using unjust scales may be the way of the world, but it is not the Way of Jesus Christ and it is not to be our way.

 

And this means that we apply just scales to ourselves, that we make no exceptions when it comes to ourselves. Psalm 15 begins with the question, “O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?” Part of the answer is, “He who swears to his own hurt and does not change…” (verse 4c). This means that we tell the truth to our own detriment! We tell the truth even when it hurts us!

 

Now let me be quick to say that in the long run telling the truth never hurts us, for telling the truth is living within our union with Jesus Christ, telling the truth is confessing Him with our words and actions – whereas lying is repudiating the life of Jesus Christ within us. Do we want to live as children of the Light, or do we want to align ourselves with the devil – who is a liar and thief and murderer?

 

As far as I can tell, we all have opportunities to tell the truth to our own hurt – for none of us, as far as I can tell, are perfect. Telling the truth is using just scales, for I certainly want others to tell me the truth, and I certainly will take issue with others if they lie to me – so how can I expect others to tell me the truth if I will not tell others the truth? Would this not be using a double standard, an unjust scale?

 

When is the last time you heard a political leader, a church leader, an institutional leader, a business leader, say - “I was wrong”? Whether in government, politics, business, education, church, sports…in every sphere of life, we have “spin” and excuses and reasons to justify our ungodly and immoral and unethical actions – and it seems to always be someone else’s fault. We are masters at using unjust scales…which are an abomination to God.

 

Where do we see leaders, when confronted with their sin, say with King David, “I have sinned against the LORD”? (2 Sam. 12:13). Where do we see repentance, as we see in King David in Psalm 51?

 

In the political realm we are more interested in destroying the opposition and justifying our own thinking and behavior than in being truthful and honest with ourselves and others – for again, when do we see self – criticism and telling the truth and humility? When do we see just scales in politics, economics, in business? In education? In life? In the professing church?

 

Well, to live as citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20) means, in part, that we use just scales throughout life, in every facet of life – for again, just scales have their foundation in Jesus Christ.

 

Am I using just scales in every facet of my life?

 

What about you?

 

Pondering Proverbs - Leadership (3)

 

“A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but a just weight is His delight.” Proverbs 11:1.

 

Have you ever been in an environment, perhaps at work or in school or in a civic organization, or even in a family, in which people were not treated fairly, in which there were favorites to whom normal standards were not applied by those in authority?

 

What did you think in these situations? How did you feel? Had you been in charge, what would you have done differently? Have you ever played favorites, not treating everyone fairly?

 

Have you ever been cheated in a business transaction? Have you ever cheated anyone?

 

Have you known people who are examples of integrity in leadership, who are honest in their dealings and relationships with others and who treat others with fairness and equity?

 

When I used to interview prospective managers in the business world I would ask, “Without giving me any names, please describe two or three examples of good leaders you have worked for.” Then I would ask, “Now, without using any names, please describe two or three examples of poor leaders you have worked for.” One difference that often separated good from poor leaders was equity and fairness – some men and women had a deep sense that they ought to use their positions of authority to treat others fairly, others used their authority to display favoritism and create their own circles of power, privilege, and prestige.

 

When we first read Proverbs 11:1 the image of scales and fairness in business transactions may be in our minds, but as we ponder what the image represents we will see that it applies to every area of life, it has to do with the way we live and who we are. We may also have an image of the “scales of justice” with a blindfold covering the eyes, an image that few pay even lip service to anymore – such are the inequities surrounding us.

 

Consider these words of God to the People of Israel before they entered the Promised Land:

 

“You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to Yahweh your God.” (Dt. 25:13 – 16).

 

How critical is it to treat others fairly? Not to do so is an abomination to God. It is bad enough when individuals cheat and practice inequity, but when organizations and businesses and nations adopt cheating and lying and deceit as a way of life (actually a way of death!) then we have Satan working his will in the collective mind and heart – then his evil toxin flows through the veins of a people.

 

Within the past couple of weeks two of the largest banks in the United States, Wells Fargo and Bank of America, have been caught cheating their customers. This is at least the second time in the past few years that Wells Fargo has been caught cheating; after the first time the bank assured regulators and customers that it would never happen again – this was a lie. Once a culture of cheating and lying and deception has taken root in a corporate culture, can it really be irradicated?

 

The banks will pay a fine and perhaps make restitution and nothing will likely change, customers will continue to do business with them because we have become accustomed to crookedness in society and business and politics – we have become a bent people, our souls are twisted and we bear the yoke of iniquity with our eyes to the ground…no longer aspiring to righteousness…preferring slavery…and this includes professing Christians who no longer will stand in front of the mirror of God’s Word but who rather insist that the ends justify the ungodly means they use to achieve their goals.

 

Yahweh’s words in Deuteronomy 25:13 – 16 were a warning to ancient Israel and they should be a warning to us; a nation of cheats and liars which has rejected equity and justice is an abomination to God…and all the glitz and glitter and wealth and material prosperity cannot, and will not, hide such a people from God and His judgment. The Law and the Prophets bear witness to this, but we don’t read them, and when we do we gloss over them.

 

But of course it begins with me, what does my life look like with respect to a just scale and righteousness and justice and equity? Do I treat others fairly and righteously?

 

What about you?

 

How is Proverbs 11:1 speaking to you?