Sweet Talker

For Friday, March 31, 2006
Proverbs 16:21

The wise of heart is called discerning,
and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

Here is our “sweet talker.” A wise person will be recognized for his wisdom, and, because he is wise, he will know how to speak in a persuasive manner. Our sweet talker is a wise guy! Do you want to be the person who, when you speak, people listen? There are two routes you can go.

The first route to take is to seek wisdom. Seek to understand right from wrong. Seek to understand God and his ways. Seek to understand the human heart. The more you understand, the wiser you will be, and the wiser you are, the more respect you will gain. You will become one who is trusted, whose opinion is respected. This will happen because of what you know, but also because your wisdom guides how you speak.

The wise person knows what to say and how to say it because he understands the human heart and how different persons respond to instruction. The wise person understands how God would have him speak, that it is important to God to build up others with the truth, not blow them away with it. The wise person gives attention to his tongue, knowing when to speak and when to keep silent.

The easier route in which to gain influence is to take courses on speaking and salesmanship. There are excellent books and seminars that teach how to sell yourself. The classic book is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Public TV has built its success on featuring financial, health, and even spiritual gurus who are excellent communicators and have built successful careers of influence. As the best salespersons know, cultivating the ability to speak in a winsome manner paves the way for success.

One can counterfeit wisdom. This is not a secret, and, indeed, has become a science in the marketing and political world. Knowing how to use words and catch phrases, knowing how to use the inflexion of one’s voice, how to use dramatic pause, body language, and so on – such knowledge can turn someone into a sweet talker without the wisdom. All of us at some time have fallen prey to such sweet talkers.

It is not wrong to learn techniques of speaking. A wise person may take advantage of such things to improve himself. But nothing replaces wisdom itself, and nothing stands the test of time like wisdom. Remember this. We can be anxious to have people acknowledge us for our wisdom, and, indeed, make fools of ourselves trying to impress others. But real wisdom has a way of coming to the surface to be seen. The counterfeit wisdom of others might take the spotlight for awhile, but real wisdom will be seen eventually, if not by the majority, at least by others who have wisdom as well. You will be able to persuade those who have the ears to hear and win the respect of those whose opinions are themselves respectable.

Discovering Good

For Thursday, March 30, 2006
Proverbs 16:20

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,
and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

This proverb presents a recurring theme in Proverbs – a mark of a wise and godly person is being a good learner. Just in the last chapter and a half, there are six proverbs that refer to this theme:

A fool despises his father’s instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is prudent (15:5).

A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise (15:12).

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly (15:14).

The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise (15:31).

Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence (15:32).

How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver (16:16).

The proverb that most closely parallels this proverb is 13:13: Whoever despises the word bring destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.

The principle is simple: the way to succeed in life is to be a good learner. The second half of the proverb clues us into what type of word is meant: blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. The wisdom/word of Proverbs is the “fear of the Lord” wisdom, that which comes from knowing God and how God would have us live. The one who gives attention to this kind of word, and who trusts this wisdom, will know the good life. The problem with the fool is that he doesn’t want to learn, nor does he want to trust the Lord.

Why? It may be that he fears what he will have to give up or take up. He is comfortable being lazy; he likes the sins that he indulges in. The wisdom of Proverbs and Scripture do not encourage such behavior. It may be that he fears he will fail or will be let down. Maybe he doesn’t have the ability to stay on the straight path and trying to do so would expose his weakness. Maybe it will turn out that God (whom he cannot see) doesn’t come through. He leaves his old life only to find the new has more troubles. That does happen. There is a lot of risk to walking along the path that the wisdom of God would have one go. By definition, walking by faith is walking without clear sight. But this proverb teaches that the one who will walk by faith in the Lord will find what is truly good, for what he finds in the eternal, joyful life given by Christ.

Spoiled Spoils

For Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Proverbs 16:19

It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.

The second line gives the context for this subject of pride and humility – to divide the spoil with the proud. It is better to be oppressed than to be an oppressor; it is better to be without, than to take away from others. The proud, or arrogant, in Proverbs is equated with the wicked, who in their arrogance oppress others and commit crimes. This proverb says that such gain is not worth the price. For the price is not a mere matter of being hindered in getting along in life; it is receiving the judgment of God.

We are given the image of a gang of men dividing the spoils they took after defrauding or beating up some victim. The victim is bemoaning his loss or even lying on the road, while the proud thieves rejoice over their treasure. The Teacher, though, shakes his head, trembling not over the fate of the victim but of the perpetrators, for he knows the judgment coming for them. It may be soon through the hands of human justice; it may be in death or after death. But it is coming, and better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to be found with the spoil in your hands before God.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God,” David wrote in Psalm 53. They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.” He then asks this question: Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
What are the wicked thinking? Evidently they think either there is no God who exists, or more likely the case in the ancient world and Israel, they think God doesn’t see what they are doing. They think they are getting away with their crime. Many think that way today. They cheat and lie and do not get caught. They profit from taking advantage of others, and their road is as smooth riding as ever. Traveling through life is a pleasant drive.

But what are they thinking? Don’t they realize that the odds are against them of the road remaining smooth? That more than likely they will become victims themselves of the same crimes they have committed? They should realize that, whatever happens, the road will end, and they will have to give an account to God who will judge with justice, not mercy.

Insidious Pride

For Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction
and a haughty spirit before a fall.

This is a proverb that has proven itself time and time again, yet seems to be the hardest to learn. It's principle is behind most of the upsets in sports events, in which the clearly better team loses. One reason attributed to the "miracle" win of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team is that it was soundly trounched by the Russian team in a pre-Olympic game. The Russian coach said that he could not get his team afterwards to take the Americans seriously.

Pride affects more than sports. It's special strength is its subtle influence, for it infiltrates our lives at the holiest of times. It seeps into our worship, as we are caught up in the feelings that our music and architecture inspire in us, which subtly shifts our feelings to pride in what we have. It seeps into the sermon time as we listen intently and then with pride of how we do it best.

And that is the curse of pride. We do not merely enjoy what we have, but enjoy that we have it better than others. This insidious sin affects everything - our jobs, our education, our relationships in the home and in the community. We cannot simply enjoy, but we must do it in comparison with others. We then fall because we have taken our eyes off of what should have our attention and devotion, and shift them to others and ourselves. Pride thus robs us of pure joy which delights in something outside of us, and further leads us to fall in our joyful pursuit.

Highway Driving

For Monday, March 27, 2006
Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preseves his life.

The upright, when it comes to temptation, heeds the warning of his conscience, "don't go there." He does not listen to the various rationalizations that would take him into temptation and danger - curiosity, to become stronger, to protect others, to see what others struggle with, and so on. "Just don't go there," he says to himself.

In our modern day, the image lends itself to someone driving a car. Billboards are along the highway for adult entertainment, casinos, alcohol. Add others - signs for gluttony, for pride, for greed, for gossip, etc. All you need to do is pull over at the next exit. So easy to do; you are away from home; you've got some extra time...

The upright turns aside from the exits and travels on. Why is he able to do so - because he has greater self-control, a greater capacity for self-denial? Perhaps it is because he has a greater destination to reach and can't be distracted by shallow, empty substitutions for true joy and fulfillment. Perhaps he has tasted that the Lord truly is good. He has drunk from the water of life given by Jesus Christ, and his thirst is for righteousness; it is for God himself.

If you are to turn aside from evil and guard your way; if you are to do this successfully, it will not because you have developed enough willpower to resist temptation. It will be because you have tasted the Lord and found him good indeed; it will be because you love him and you are driven by the desire to know him more. Desire is not bad; what matters is the object of your desire. Seek after God; learn the joy of righteousness. Christ said he came to give abundant life(John 10:10). Take time, make the effort, to enjoy that life now.