Proverbs 6:1-11
Today we turn our attention to a couple of practical bits of wisdom. In Pr. 6:1-5 we are warned not to put up security for someone else, particularly a stranger, and in Pr. 6:6-11 we are advised to work hard and not be lazy.
Have you ever co-signed a loan for someone, perhaps a car loan or even a mortgage? If so, I’m guessing that the “someone” you co-signed for was well-known to you, most likely your son or daughter. You probably would not enter into such an arrangement with a stranger or with a scoundrel. Why not? Because doing so could threaten your own financial security, putting you at the mercy of the (un)reliability of the person in question. That is the kind of thing that Pr. 6:1-5 is talking about, and I think we can all see the wisdom in the advice. But let’s be clear: this is advice, not a commandment. There is nothing inherently wrong with giving your pledge for a stranger. Such may be a tremendous act of generosity and care, but it’s not wise for your own well-being, so don’t be surprised if it all goes south. (And if you pledge funds that you cannot afford to lose, well…)
As for hard work vs. laziness, it’s rather easy to see the truth in Pr. 6:6-11, too. My guess is that we can all think of examples of people who could serve to illustrate this truth. Yet if we look around at our culture, one would think that the connection between work/laziness and success/failure is all a big mystery. For example, many schools are adopting policies that forbid issuing “D” or “F” grades (or even any grades). What, do you think, will be the natural result of that?
Primary elections were held in a few states around the country yesterday, including right here in Kentucky, so political issues are a bit on my mind. I have no intention of using this forum to tell anyone how to vote. But I would strongly encourage everyone to set aside one’s own “natural” political bias and consider how Proverbs speaks to current issues. Let Proverbs disrupt your normal leanings. For example, think through the implications of today’s readings for local, state, and national policies. What does the warning about being security for someone else say about the proposal to cancel student loans (i.e., to push the responsibility for those loans to the taxpayers)? How about foreign policy and treaties (e.g., the expansion of NATO)? How about work ethic? Which policies promote — and which punish — hard work? Do some policies reward laziness, even inadvertently? My point here is simply that we would do well to let the wisdom of Proverbs inform all of our thinking, including our political thinking.