27.4.18

Daily Bible Study: Proverbs 10:4-5

He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Proverbs 10:4-5 (NKJV).

We make our own way on this side of life. We eat from what we have worked to obtain, and for those who don't work hard, they must rely on the goodwill and charity of those who did work hard to overlook the personal indiscretion of laziness to keep their stomachs full.

Sometimes people we know run into "hard times" where, even despite their efforts, things just don't go well. People get sick, accidents happen, and nobody lives in a vacuum where they get to control everything, so there are times when the unexpected happens and now you're caught short.

The problem is in figuring out whether folks who need help actually need help, or if they're just lazy and expecting that other people will take care of them. Oh, sometimes it may look like they're "busy", but spinning tires in the mud is not trying to make progress, it's just the appearance of trying.

This dynamic is then compounded in that, due to modern communications and their power, we can be made aware of those that have needs, but we can't really ever understand why. We're supposed to "trust" that everyone who is needy is so for reasons outside their control, and any attempt to validate this is met with hostility.

Pride is the main reason for this, in that people want to have the dignity and respect that is due to someone who has made good choices, but without making the good choices.

The old phrase "beggars can't be choosers" spoke to this, where folks who do not have, for whatever reason, are not entitled to anything that anyone else has, even if it would be a "good" thing to "share".

Life just isn't that simple though, and the further away from someone you are, the easier that it can be to lie about something, and the more one has to gain in doing just that. We can tell ourselves that we're doing "something good", but how many folks are able to validate that with their own two eyes?

We live in an r-selected society due to the prevalence of resources, real or imagined, and so "morality" all gets filtered through this, whether secular or spiritual in nature. If resources are abundant, than anyone "holding out" on someone else is simply being greedy.

There's enough for everyone, quit being so selfish! There's no reason for you to steward resources well either, just give money to whoever provides you the most emotional satisfaction and trust that somehow "God will put it to good use"!

What we're supposed to believe is that, despite humans having a habit of behaving according to human nature, which is sinful, selfish, and to continue beating the dead horse, solipsistic, people on the other side of the world that desperately need help would otherwise be hard working, despite their nation sucking on the teat of foreign aid for decades, and that they're not using the free resources as an excuse to avoid actually developing their own countries through diligence, but that they've just continued to have bad luck year after year despite everything they've tried?

At some point you have to realize that people exist in circumstances which are the result of their own choices, and not some cosmic unfairness in a zero sum system that just happened to hurt only them and now it's time for you to put your cape on and be their savior. People who can make money of cheating and lying are going to do it instead of working hard, whether they live next door to you or on the other side of the globe.

Nations of sheep judged as if they are responsible for the nations of goats, and how nations of goats treat themselves and their own people.

Do not be foolish with the resources you have been granted responsibility for. The only gift we can give freely is the Gospel, the good news from God to all mankind regarding the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on behalf of all, that if your faith is placed in Jesus you would be saved.

Preach Jesus, and see how quickly people want to be associated with you when the only genuinely unconditional love you have to offer comes from God.

No comments:

Post a Comment