Proverbs 14
26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known. 34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
I know a man who is self-employed and does odd jobs for a lot of people in his community. This man does wonderful work, but he is almost never clean. I don’t know why, because he is intelligent, and soap is cheap. Part of it is his upbringing… he did not grow up in a family where cleanliness was valued. On the other hand, hard work was another subject … in his family everyone worked hard. Physical labor – an “honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay” – was highly prized.
It would be very easy to hire someone else who looked – and smelled – a whole lot nicer. But if you spent any time at all with this person and got to know a little about him, you would find that he really is a very nice, honest man. He has hopes and dreams and thoughts and feelings just like you and I do… and he is every bit as much God’s child as we are! He has had hard knocks. He has had ups and downs in his life. He has even had people who gently suggest he do better, take a shower, put on clean clothes, get a haircut, and try to be more presentable. And for awhile at times, he has done this, and you almost forgot that he was ever any other way. But old habits die hard, and more often than not, you’ll see him in a shirt with buttons missing, an old ball cap covering his too-long hair and a scruffy, several-days’ growth beard, dirty hands, and more.
This person appears to be poor… but he probably could afford to live better than many of those for whom he works! In talking with him, I would say he is pretty content with most of his life… more content that many who appear to live more comfortably. But the point is that we should not be judging anyone by their appearance or our perception of them as rich or poor. Remember, we are all God’s children. He loves each and every one of us – whether rich, poor, clean or dirty. If you are unkind or judgmental of another, you are doing the same to God. This passage reminds us that treating others with kindness honors God. Can this be said of you? How are you treating others these days?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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