Shining His Glory

Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. Proverbs 27:13

Last week, we weeded our gardens and found a mess of easy and difficult roots to pull. This week, imagine going back over the more healthy plants and giving a careful eye to the deeper issues surrounding any stunted growth. Pull back the decaying leaves and notice baby shoots from good foliage underneath trying hard to spread their new green growth. Trim the old to allow the new to come forth.

One way to do this is to heed the verses in Prov. 27. For today’s verse, imagine a man who irresponsibly and rashly loans money to a stranger. This is not the kind of person with whom I want to do business. There are those who would borrow as much as they could, and then make excuses to repay.

We must make room for new growth in our lives by wisely refusing to make deals with those who lend money to wasters. Foolish lending is harmful to the borrower, to the lender and to his family. The lack of carefulness in taking on another’s debt is foolish, and warns of the likelihood of further bad judgments in the future (lost credibility). I would have little confidence in the success of any agreement between two such souls.

When Proverbs was written, a man would take the garment of a person who owed him money (his garment was what kept him warm). The lender did this as a pledge for his security (a way to make sure the debtor paid him back). Doing so would promote wisdom in his decisions and would keep himself and his family from being wiped out.

I know a wise man who, years ago, carefully lent money to two people, but his dealings with each were different. The first man borrowed only $5.00, but the wise man constantly hounded him to pay it back. The second man borrowed $100.00, yet as the weeks went by, the wise man said nothing about payment. When asked about this, he said concerning the first man, “He is a freeloader, lazy and wasteful who conveniently ‘forgets’ to pay even the smallest debt.” Of the second man, he said, “I have no doubt he will pay back what he borrowed.“

It takes time to learn how to be a responsible lender. A reckless lender must come to understand his foolishness of loaning to imprudent people. But WHY would anyone supply careless strangers with their own hard earned resources? I might never be this stupid, but the reasons behind the actions may be something to which I can better relate.

Perhaps the lender imagines himself popular and approved by the people that hang on him for their overflow of needs. Maybe he sees himself as a rich benefactor or even a Christ-like giver who can brag on his ability to give away so much. He cares what people think of him. That matters more than truly caring about those he lends to. It matters more to him than the desire to do what is best for the other person and not just what feels good.

There are times when I foolishly compromise and give away something of myself for the sake of my reputation or approval. In so doing, I am not thriving at all and they aren’t either.

Then there are the situations in which a person continues to take on other people’s loads (thinking they are ‘serving’ them in godly obedience). In reality, they are enabling bad habits.

Perhaps this lender is simply too tired from listening to the stranger’s pleas for help, which makes it hard to do the right thing, even though he intellectually knows it will not end well.

Such struggles remind me of the tired mom whose weariness prevents her from disciplining her kids, the hungry eater who indulges in just one more bite of food to calm his mind, the restless person who sits in a funk all day unable to lift a finger to do his work because his circumstances have robbed him of joy, or the out-of-control dad who falls for anger every time he gets riled up because anger and impatience are easier than taking the time to truly assess the situation in a level-headed manner.

All of these wrong choices are dangerous and dumb. The proverb is a warning for me about foolishness and how I must run from such responses and dealings.

What about my own foolishness? What pearls do I throw before swine (Matt. 7:6)? How do I toss away my talents on what is not good soil (Matt. 13:1-13)?

During the week, I had a day in which I was so weary I fell into sleepy ways: ‘just get through the day as best you can.’ I felt impatient for my problems to be solved and for the pesky projects or decisions of others to be over, as if these answers could have any control over easing my life or bettering me as a child of God. So, with my downhearted attitude I allowed the day to take me over. I foolishly gave in. So many things were drowning my desire and ability to get up and move for Christ. I needed to stop entertaining or giving into strangers (the enemies inside my head) that were pulling me into their wrong choices. I felt lulled into laziness, like I was taking my power (God’s power to act) and giving it to another.

At one moment, I finally regrouped, chose wisdom and declared Jesus as Lord. I prayed for the world and all others who were under attack from Satan and his cohorts. Within a few days the feelings dissipated and one week later there was not one struggle in the spiritual realm, though my current circumstances continued.

If my goal is to thrive in the life I live for the Father, I must stay on track with how He wants me to live, how He wants me to spend my time and who He wants me to join hands with. His reasons for what I do may have nothing to do with approval or popularity or even bad days of restless weariness. It may have more to do with His energy and power to move me forward in obedience, in tough love for the unhealthy borrower or in simple trust that He will provide the energy I need to be selfless.

Selflessness is a great word that reminds me to steer away from the need for approval from others (because I don’t want selfishness in my heart). When I praise God, it takes my mind off of self. Praising is an effective tool against the enemy and can set me back on my feet in power, even when God seems to be pushing me beyond myself.

But, doesn’t God want me to be me? What about who He made to be?

Whatever circumstances I feel are preventing my ‘personhood‘ from evolving, I use them to let God shine through me and make me stronger than ever before in what He is calling me to do for that moment (perhaps different than what my personality was made for or perhaps fanning the flames of my personality to be further used by Him IN the circumstance). In other words, if I was made loud and outgoing, and a situation came up that made me feel stifled, I could square my shoulders and use it to cheer others around me instead of complaining that the circumstance was hindering my ‘talents!’ If I was created shy and reflective and was in a situation that gave me very little space for myself, I could use it to put into practice what I had learned in previous quiet times. I could let God’s truths come alive in these moments. He can work throughout all of it and use it to shine His glory.

Father, help me to thrive to the glory of your name. Teach me how to think before I make rash decisions. Help me to come to you and pray about my choices that have to do with others. Show me how to refuse to do what is foolish. May my life be a way for you to shine your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.