Humble Wisdom
23
The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge,
but fools broadcast their foolishness.
24
Work hard and become a leader;
be lazy and become a slave.
Verse 23
A wise man is still wise, even if he does not speak.
When Jesus was in court, he remained silent (Matthew 26:63). Isaiah wrote, ‘A sheep is silent before the farmer cuts its wool. So he (Jesus) remained silent.’ (Isaiah 53:7).
Some people are always speaking. They want everyone to hear their ideas. If a fool talks constantly, all his words will be foolish. He needs to be silent, and to listen. Then a wise man can speak and teach wisdom to the fool.
Verse 24
Employers watch their workers. The employer wants to know which workers are working hard. He also wants to know who is lazy. A good worker will receive more responsibility. A lazy worker might lose his job. In the end, the lazy worker could even become a slave.
I had a friend once who struggled with alcoholism, but he had this knack for spotting it in others. He was also really wise. Now, imagine if someone who wasn't so wise had his ability to spot alcoholism. They might blurt it out the moment they met someone struggling with it, and that could shut down any chance of helping that person.
But my friend was different. He kept his observations to himself and focused on reaching out and helping instead.
Now, Proverbs is pretty clear about something: God expects us to put in the work. If we think we're entitled to government help without giving anything back, we might find ourselves in a bind, just like Verse 24 warns.
Lemme ask you: Let's say you find out a close friend is dealing with some serious issues like addiction to drugs, alcohol, or something else harmful. What would Proverbs suggest a wise person do in that situation?
Struggle to Standing. Available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/ev3YUqw
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