Scripture:
Proverbs 16:7–8
7 When the ways of people please the Lord,
he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.
8 Better is a little with righteousness
than large income with injustice. (NRSVUE)
Observation:
The proverbs usually provide simple and straightforward truths. God sees our ways—the manner in which we live out our daily lives. When He looks upon us and sees that we are living in ways that reflect His desires, He is pleased.
A person who lives in ways that please God may even find that enemies become willing to live at peace with them.
And as we live into being righteous people, we should learn to be satisfied with what we have materially. It’s much better to have a little, or just enough, and be a righteous person than to have a large income gained through injustice.
Application:
Those are some pretty basic and simple truths, but sometimes we just need things presented to us plainly.
We live in such a divided world. The United States will have elections next week, and no matter how you look at it, the country is deeply divided. People on both sides of the aisle are holding tightly to what they believe is “truth.” I honestly wonder how much we have been manipulated by algorithms that continually reinforce what we already believe, feeding the polarization that threatens to tear us apart.
That’s why I find this passage fascinating. It’s just a simple truth. There is a way of living that pleases God, and it can even lead to peace with our enemies. What if that is supposed to be the way of the follower of Jesus Christ? What if, in the midst of horrible polarization, we followed these simple truths and lived out our faith—not just shouting our opinions on social media, but genuinely living in ways that please God?
What if all of God’s children, led by the Spirit, reflected the love of Christ to the world? What if the way we treated one another at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, at church, and even online reflected these simple truths? What if we were the honest and hardworking employees? What if we were the ones who showed love and respect for our spouses? What if we were the ones who went out of our way to help our neighbors in crisis?
What if we were content with what we had rather than seeking more at someone else’s expense?
Simple truths.
We don’t need to be rich. We need to be righteous. And that might just combat all the algorithms in the world!
Prayer:
Lord, help me to live my life leaning into these simple truths. May my ways be pleasing to You. Amen.
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