Practice Makes Righteous

There were two things that stood out to me in Proverbs 11. I learned about using discretion and about generosity. Solomon's words show that those who practice these two things are wise.

Practice being gracious:

• Verse 12: He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
• Verse 13: A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Practice giving lavishly:

• Verse 24: There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
• Verse 25: The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
• Verse 26: He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

Last Sunday, my Pastor's teaching was on the Godly principle of giving and tithing. He pointed out that the expectation for us to give is a test tied to a promise. He talked about how our mindset about money changes when we realize that everything we have belongs to God. When we remember the Giver, it's easier to be generous. As shown in Matthew 25 (the parable about the master with the talents), when you tithe and are generous, this odd thing happens - more wealth comes back to you. Solomon pointed out this blessed oddity in Proverbs 11:24-25 listed above. 

Upon further reflection, a third thing became apparent to me. This whole chapter is about God weighing our activities and experiences. It comes to the ultimate conclusion that "the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth." (Proverbs 11:31) Solomon indirectly tells us that people who are wise experience the same struggles as people who are foolish. What makes the wise different is their choice to be discreet and generous and this is counted in their favor. I looked up the word "recompensed" and it means rewarded for loss/harm suffered or rewarded for an effort made. This last verse was so satisfying because it speaks to all the times we've acted with wisdom, but were rewarded with disappointment. Solomon reminds us that God sees our practice of being wise and plans to reward them.

Lord help us to practice discretion and generosity. Control our mouths and our hearts. Lord count us as one of your righteous people and let your promise of Proverbs 11:31 apply to our lives. Amen.