The Imagined Wall

For Thursday, June 29, 2006
Proverbs 18:11

A rich man's wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.

Note the contrast with the previous proverb. The righteous man looks to the LORD to be his strength; the rich man looks to his wealth. The righteous man turns to the LORD and finds safety; the rich man turns to his wealth and finds an illusion. For wealth can save no one. It can create an illusion of safety, but it not only fails to protect; it creates its own dangers.

A wealthy man must take measures to protect his wealth. He must protect himself from others who seek his harm because he is wealthy. He cannot distinguish for sure those who are his friends and those attracted to his wealth. His wealth cannot protect him from slander nor from jealousy. He can fall in disgrace and lose his family.

Or even more dangerous, his wealth can make him happy all his days. It can protect him from constructive criticism and keep him entertained enough so that he does not consider his heart. It can deceive him into thinking he really is powerful. And thus he learns only at his death that his "high wall" was an imagination all along.

The Name

For Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Proverbs 18:10

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

What's in a name? How can a name be a strong tower? What's in a name is what is in a person. According to that person's character and relationship to us, the name may evoke joy or sadness, peace or fear. And so it is with the LORD - Yahweh, I AM WHO I AM. For those made righteous in Christ, his name is a strong tower. The mere mention of the name evokes joy and peace and confidence. To belong to him is to know security. In contrast, those who are without Christ may despise and fear the Name.

In our time, the names "God" and "the Lord" evoke little emotion, one way or the other among the religious and nonreligious. The reason is that they impute whatever images and traits they so wish in the names. The name that is our strong tower and that reveals who truly knows the LORD is the name of Jesus Christ.

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest.

Dear Name! the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and hiding place,
My never-failing Treasury filled
With boundless stores of grace;

Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see thee as thou art,
I'll praise thee as I ought.

Till then I would thy love proclaim
With ev'ry fleeting breath;
And may the music of thy Name
Refresh my soul in death.

The Slacker

For Monday, June 26, 2006
Proverbs 18:9

Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.

The slacker destroys productivity. Products, service, goals are sacrificed. He destroys morale, as others are influenced to have the same attitude or frustrated so that they become less productive. He destroys teamwork, as others become not only angry with him but with supervisors for not managing him well. He destroys his own future, his laziness becoming the obstacle that he cannot get around.

But the problem of the slacker is that he does not recognize that he is one. He attributes his lack of productivity to others - to the bureaucracy he works under; to the supervisor who doesn't manage well; to his colleagues who don't understand how he works; to his parents for not raising him well; to his spouse who doesn't appreciate him; to whomever he can remotely place blame.

He may even that that he is productive. He is pleased with his output, especially if he works with others who also have low productivity. That is why he and others are resentful of the worker who comes in and immediately out performs them. His laziness is played out in different ways: he simply moves slowly; he is easily distracted; he is unmotivated and shows his disinterest; he enjoys talking; he may work busily but disorganized (too lazy to organize himself).

You are likely to be thinking of some lazy workers now. But be sure to examine yourself. Remember, the slacker's problem is not recognizing his own laziness. Also examine how you are influenced by the slacker. Is he affecting the way you do your job. Are you blaming him for your poor attitude. Remember, the slacker is quick to blame others for his failings. Your Master for whom you work is Jesus Christ: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23).