The New Testament nowhere explicitly requires tithing. But in Matthew 23:23 Jesus castigates listeners for not being willing to go beyond the tithe when there are needs. This is only reasonable. We have greater privileges, joy, knowledge, and power than our ancestors in the faith, so how could we be expected to be less generous with our possessions? So the tithe is best seen as a minimum rule of thumb for Christians who want to give in gospel proportions to the church, the poor, and others.
Do you think that it is reasonable to see the tithe as a minimum standard for Christian generosity? Why or why not?
Prayer: Lord, my culture presses me to spend and spend in order to be happy and secure. But remind me that I have joy and peace in you, and then help me be open to constantly giving a greater and greater percentage of my income away as the years go by. Amen.
November 6
“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (30:8–9)
GLAD SIMPLICITY. Money can corrupt us not only by its presence but by its absence. The poor are tempted to crime as a means for income (I may become poor and steal). They are often excluded unfairly from the economy, and in their hearts there can arise self-justification for illegal and even violent action. We have already seen the dangers and burdens of wealth.
But we must not read this as a “middle-class” ideal. “My daily bread” (cf. 1 Timothy 6:8) refers to a modest lifestyle, lower than what we would call middle class. Does this mean Christians should divest themselves of all money beyond a “simple lifestyle”? Not necessarily, because we need Christians in all places and social circles. What it does mean is at least this: Our homes, clothing, and lifestyle should be modest within our circle and neighborhood so we can be as generous as possible. The Christian community should model to the world a society in which wealth and possessions are seen as tools for serving others and not as means of personal advancement and fulfillment.
Do you live as modestly as possible within your vocation and neighborhood, in order to be as generous as possible?
Prayer: Lord, don’t let my heart regard my money and possessions as my treasures and you as just a means to various ends. Rather, direct my heart to make you my most precious treasure (1 Peter 2:7) and so see and use my worldly things as mere tools for serving others. Amen.
November 7
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. . . . An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away. (12:27, 13:23)
GOD’S ECONOMY. 12:27 tells us that the lazy do not eat because they do not pursue the quarry. Many see that as the explanation for poverty—a lack of personal initiative. But 13:23 tells us that a family might have extremely fertile land yet injustice may take their profits away. The Bible’s view of wealth and economics does not fit neatly into either socialism or capitalism. Poverty cannot be reduced to either a simple lack of initiative or to unjust social structures. Hard work and private property are highly valued, yet property rights are not absolute, because we are only stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
Deuteronomy 23:24 says you may walk through a neighbor’s vineyard, and if you are poor you may eat “all the grapes you want,” but you may put none in a basket. In a fully communitarian society, the grapes would belong to the state. In a fully individualistic society, any taking of grapes would be robbery. The Bible’s vision for interdependent community, in which private property is important but not an absolute, does not give a full support to any conventional political-economic agenda. It sits in critical judgment on them all.
If Christians believed that the Bible does not support fully either a pure liberal-socialist or a conservative-capitalist approach to economics, how would that make the church different from what it is today?
Prayer: Lord, the wisdom of your Word can be reflected but never fully captured by any human political project or economic system. May your people love their neighbors, and give themselves to be salt and light in society (Matthew 5:13–14), yet never put our hopes too much in any social program. Amen.
Power
November 8
By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth. (8:15–16)
LEADERSHIP. Proverbs does not ignore the reality of power and speaks constantly to those who wield it. Leadership has never been more difficult than it is today, yet no society can function without it. Here speaks God’s wisdom, through whom the Lord made the world (8:25–31), and says, By me kings reign. What does it mean? On one level it means that all leaders are effective only to the degree that they acknowledge at some point the givens of God’s wisdom—that they are not too wise in their own eyes, that they are relatively free from the power of money, that they know themselves and the times and seasons and how relationships work.
On another level, however, reigning by me means all leaders, whether they know it or not, exercise authority by the permission and power of God himself. Jesus told Pilate he had no power but that which was given to him by God (John 19:11), and he told him this even as Pilate was about to commit a great injustice. Even leaders without much wisdom or virtue, though they don’t know it, are ruling by God’s appointment and ultimately furthering God’s plan (Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23; Romans 8:28).
How should Christians regard good leaders who are not believers and bad leaders who are?
Prayer: Lord, instead of grumbling about our civic leaders, move your people to both thank you and pray for those in authority, that they would be given enough wisdom that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Amen.
November 9
Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler! . . . By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down. (17:7, 29:4)
CHARACTER. Although Proverbs usually uses kings and rulers as case studies in power, the basic principles apply across all forms of leadership—from parenting to leading a small group to supervising employees.
The first mark of a wise leader is evident strength of character. 17:7 speaks of lying lips on a ruler as profoundly incongruous (though, sadly, not at all rare). 29:4 urges rulers to not be greedy or corrupt and open to bribes. Leadership certainly can and should make use of formal legal obligations. You are required to grant authority to many who have the power to penalize you legally or financially if you do not follow their direction. But the most powerful leaders are those whom people trust so much that they want to follow them. The New Testament tells church leaders to not “[lord] it over those entrusted to you, but [be] examples” (1 Peter 5:3). You can have trustworthy character and not have the gifts or skills to be a strong leader, as we will see. But the reverse is not true. You cannot be a real leader without character that all can see, respect, and therefore trust.
Thinking of the best leaders you have known, how has character been important to their effectiveness?
Prayer: Lord, I pray for the leaders of our states and nations, of business and commerce, of the arts and cultural institutions, of scholarship and the academy, and of social and welfare institutions for their honesty, wisdom, skill, and virtue in their duties, that their work would be a public blessing. Amen.
November 10
When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes. (20:8)
READING CHARACTER. A second mark of a good leader is the ability to assess the character of others. A leader who cannot read people’s hearts, who cannot winnow out all evil, will not govern well. She cannot recruit the right people to serve with or under her. She cannot discern good partners for her institution or organization. Either naïveté or cynicism about people—habitually overtrus
ting or undertrusting motivations—will greatly hinder leadership effectiveness.
In 1 Kings 3 the new young king Solomon refrains from praying for wealth or power and instead asks for “a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:9). God is pleased. Immediately after this prayer, Solomon is faced with two women, both with newborn sons, one of whom has tragically, accidentally killed her infant. Each claims that the living child is hers, and Solomon is able to cut through the contradictory testimony and expose the hearts of the women, distinguishing good and evil where it was unclear and rendering a just judgment. Just as Jesus could read hearts (John 2:24–25), so can good leaders.
Thinking of the best leaders you have known, how has the ability to judge character been important to their effectiveness?
Prayer: Father, as your Son could read people’s hearts but did not despise them, but rather died for them, so enable me to discern the good and the bad in people. Let such insight, a gift from you, move me only to love them more deeply and more wisely. Amen.
November 11
A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them. (20:26)
DECISIVENESS. A third mark of good leadership is decisiveness. The threshing wheel was fitted with sharp iron blades that separated the wheat from the chaff. The wicked are likened to chaff, but the image does not mean they are to be literally tortured. It means that leaders are not to be afraid to “clean house” and make judgments, especially with regard to matters of right and wrong.
We must not think that any human leader has the insight to completely remove wickedness from a church or organization. Jesus warns that only he will be able to do that, and not until Judgment Day (Matthew 3:12, 13:24–30). Yet good leaders are able to see past appearances and make judgments. They are not afraid to take bold action. Indecisiveness is often due to fearfulness. In Jesus’ parable of the talents, the steward who is afraid to invest the master’s money is called “wicked” and “lazy” (Matthew 25:26). Indecisiveness may also result from an excessive need for approval. We don’t want to appear bossy or hurt the feelings of others. But when people in an organization are not quite sure what was decided or exactly what they are expected to do, that’s a failure of leadership.
Thinking of the best leaders you have known, how has decisiveness been important to their effectiveness?
Prayer: Lord, help me overcome both the fearfulness that leads to indecision and the pride that leads to stubbornness. Give me sound judgment, oh Judge of all the earth, who can only do right (Genesis 18:25). Amen.
November 12
Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure. (20:28)
POWER IS NOT ENOUGH. Covenant love and faithfulness is a phrase often used in the Bible to describe God’s relationship to his people. God loved us so much that he came into the world and sacrificed himself for our good. That’s how relentlessly faithful and loving he is to us. This saying, then, means that even a king’s leadership must be characterized by a love for his people that is evident to them. That is, they must see that in the end he would sacrifice himself for them, rather than sacrifice them to save himself.
A leader is like a true husband who leads his wife only to serve her, even to his own detriment (Ephesians 5:25), not like the false husband who sacrifices his wife to save his own skin (Judges 19: 22–28). The most powerful kind of leader is one who uses his or her authority ultimately to serve the ones being led. A leader must be decisive, and that includes making the tough decisions (November 11). But in the end, exercises of power are not enough. The greatest leaders are the greatest servants (Mark 10:45; Luke 22:27).
Thinking of the best leaders you have known, how have evident love and a servant heart been important to their effectiveness?
Prayer: Father, we pray that our leaders in the nation would seek loving service instead of power and glory, and that our leaders in the church would fully conform to the pattern of your Son, who came not to be served but to serve. Amen.
November 13
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (29:18)
VISION. We turn now to what leaders do. Here we are told that people cast off restraint—they scatter in all directions and wander from the path—if they lack something, but what? The Hebrew word describing it is literally “vision”—to see ahead—but it can also refer to the revelation that prophets receive from God. Translators are therefore divided, but it may be best to take the senses together. “Those who don’t have a goal and/or a plan for the future have nothing to guide them onward, so they go every which way.”221
Christian leaders, guided by the wisdom of God’s Word, must set before people goals that honor God and serve others. And indeed the best leaders are those who can paint a compelling picture of the future, who can say, “This is the world I want to see. Who’s with me?” Organizations can become calcified when they become selfish—no longer serving a vision, a cause outside themselves, but only maintaining their own power and turf. Good leaders not only are servants but make their organizations into servants as well.
Have you seen a leader cast a vision or paint a picture of the future in a compelling way? How was it done?
Prayer: Lord, may our nation’s leaders not be motivated mainly by a desire for personal advancement. Let them be animated instead by a vision for peace (the end of violence and conflict), for prosperity (the lifting up of the poor, sick, and hungry), and for freedom (the breaking of systems of injustice). Amen.
November 14
A king delights in a wise servant, but a shameful servant arouses his fury. . . . The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. . . . Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by. (14:35, 21:5, 26:10)
ORGANIZING. A leader may have a servant heart and a compelling vision. Yet 14:35 and 26:10 tell us nothing will be accomplished if the king has selected his servants poorly. Some leaders are good at “catalyzing” but not good at organizing. Organizing includes finding coworkers who can actually do the job. Organizing also means the ability to devise wise, strategic plans (21:5).
Finally, organizing is a matter of . . . being organized. Disorganization is selfishness, a lack of sacrificial love in little things. Good leaders will find and give time to the most important things. Jesus started the day this way: “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, . . . [he] left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). When the time had come to go up to Jerusalem, he set his face (Luke 9:51). All this shows a mastery of his time in complete service to the calling upon him. So we were saved. Ask him to help you bring your time into the service of his calling upon you.
It is one thing to say, “Here’s where we need to go”; it is another thing to know how to actually get there. Are you better at setting goals than at reaching them? How can you change?
Prayer: Father, I have had many captivating ideas for new projects, but too often I lack the wisdom to know how to make the dreams a reality. By your grace, help me be organized enough to finish what I start so I become like your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
November 15
The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice. Honest scales and balances belong to the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making. Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness. Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right. A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but the wise will appease it. When a king’s face brightens, it means life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring. (16:10–15)
BEFORE GOD. In these verses “‘The LORD’ could be inserted wherever ‘king’ is found.”222 Even though all human authority is limited (Matthew 22:21), and we mus
t obey God over human beings (Acts 5:29), leaders in authority do stand in God’s place (Romans 13:1).
What this means is that if you have been given authority—whether as a parent, a teacher, a government official, or a small group leader—it is something God gave to you (Daniel 4:17), and God holds you fully responsible for what you do with it (Deuteronomy 17:18–20). You now must, as much as possible, represent him in your leadership. Here indeed is a reason for fear and trembling before the Lord. But remember that Jesus put the failed Peter into leadership (John 15:15–25), showing that it is not ability but humility and dependence on him that matter most. As Aslan said to Prince Caspian: “If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been proof that you were not.”223
Have you seen that your failures and weaknesses have made you more, not less, qualified to lead?
Prayer: Lord, leadership made me anxious that I wouldn’t look good, but now it brings, I hope, a godly anxiety that I won’t represent you as I should. Give me all the integrity, unpretentiousness, love, and decisiveness I need to be a good leader. Amen.
November 16
By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down. . . . If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked. (29:4,12)
A CULTURE OF TRUTH. Bribes may vary from small “tips” enabling you to skip to the head of a queue to large sums in order to secure government contracts. Bribes can be legal or illegal depending on the situation and the country, but the Bible universally condemns the practice (Deuteronomy 10:17–18; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Proverbs 17:23, 29:4). It does so not just for the sake of honesty but for the sake of justice. The poor cannot afford to bribe, and so bribery is a way of privileging the rich unfairly. It makes advancement out of poverty impossible.
God's Wisdom for Navigating Life Page 30