Fools, Liars, & Lazy People

I learned a couple of things from Proverbs 26 this morning. As bad as it is to be a fool - and they don't paint a pretty picture here - it is worse to be lazy! V.12 says "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him." V. 16 continues, "The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly". Ouch! I also found it interesting that in the first 12 verses' discussion of a fool, there is, in v. 2, a verse about curses. "Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight". I love this verse because I have always taken comfort that curses can't touch me if I don't open the door for them. What I hadn't considered was how my "foolishness" can be one of those doors! What kind of foolishness? Well, the proverb lists: being wise in my own eyes (have done that before); repeats his folly (yep, have done that before too). God help us all.

The end of the Proverb describes one who hates as a liar/deceiver. I had never thought about how deceit can go hand in hand with hating. Hate is such a strong word, a horrible word. Perhaps it means simply this: when we lie, we are hiding the truth of who we are, that we don't love - ourselves, others, a situation. Hate is me-focused. Love is other-focused. Lying, hating, are all about "me". Hate does not care for the truth, it hides from it, just as lying does.

But love....love believes and hopes and advertises the good. It looks for the truth and proclaims it, puts it on display. And I'm not talking about our versions of the truth, but The Truth. We would do well to weigh our 'truth' against the full weight of the Word of God.

Here's some truth: God loves us all. Christ died and rose again because that love was greater than anything we have done wrong, and He continues to desire relationship with each and every one of us. Maybe if we all focused on that Truth, sharing that Truth, living in that Truth, the world would be a better, more joyful, content place.

Let's not get distracted - let's try to truly live in The Truth.