Proverbs 17-20
Have you seen anyone operate with “dishonest scales” or “unfair weights?” Do you know what I am talking about?
In the days of Solomon, the unfair weights were tricks of the merchants. They would have two weights in their bag with the same markings of measurement. The wicked merchant would have two weights marked “one talent” (75 lbs). If you came in to sell him something, he would weigh with the smaller weight; if you came to buy, he would use the larger one. Either way, you would be swindled, and he would make more money.
There are people today who are swindlers, but probably not you. But are you using differing weights in other areas of your life?
Do you give your children a pass on actions which you judge others for? (After all, it’s never your child’s fault, right)?
Or what about yourself? Do you harbor resentment for those around you for doing exactly what you do? Do you call them greedy, when you are? Do you get annoyed with their gossip, while you are doing the same?
Many times, the very attributes which annoy us in others are the attributes we share with them.
That’s a modern day version of “differing weights.” What we expect from others shouldn’t be more than what we expect from ourselves.
It all comes down to humility and honesty. Neither we nor our children are perfect. (A hard fact, but we have to face it. We and they are human, too).
So as we are honest in our praying and study, we will try to remove the sin from our own lives. That will be our concentration – not judgment of others.
The Lord has to be the one to deal with the others.
It’s amazing to see the peace which comes with such a sincere approach to life. Amazing!
II Corinthians 7
There are two kinds of sorrow. There is “godly sorrow,” which comes to us when we realize our sinful ways and choose to change them. Then there is a “worldly sorrow” which comes to those who refuse to change. They reap the rewards of their choices.
In Paul’s first letter he wrote about the man who “took his father’s wife.” He was to be kicked out of the church. It was a tough stance, and he felt sad as he wrote it.
However, he did the right thing. The church repented and the man repented. It produced “godly sorrow,” which led to repentance.
The second kind of sorrow may eventually produce repentance, but only after a big price has been paid.
I have seen many (and you probably have as well), who go through life with an arrogant, nobody-can-tell-me-what-to-do attitude. They continue down the wrong road, piling trouble onto the lives of those around them, as well as themselves.
At the end of such lives, there is always sorrow. There is loneliness, remorse, and depression for lives misspent.
So godly sorrow is good. It takes a person off the wrong path and gets them back on the track which leads to life and joy at the end.
If there are some things in your life which need to be changed, then don’t wait! Change them. God can help you get back on the right track (or get on the right track for the first time, if you have never been there).
Repentance is a wonderful gift we have from God. We get to start over any time we will. I love that!
