Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Proverbs 14:20-21 – The poor are disliked even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.  Those who despise their neighbors are sinners, but happy are those who are kind to the poor.  (NRSV)

The Book of Proverbs is full of provocative declarations and keen insights into human nature.  These two verses from chapter 14 illustrate how counter-cultural it can be to be a person of faith.  The first sentence makes a matter-of-fact observation about the way things are; the second reminds us that we are called to live differently.

This conflict between the way things are and the way God wants us to live emerges again and again.  Whether the question is one of wealth, or violence, or forgiveness, or status, the gospel almost always teaches us something different than “the world.”  This is one reason why it’s risky to use our feelings as a measure of what’s right and wrong.

We may be feeling comfortable and easy with how things are going along.  We may become convinced by the ‘logic’ of the marketplace into believing that we deserve everything we have and if others don’t have it, they probably deserve that.  But this is not what the gospel teaches us.

If we’re going to be faithful, we will discover that we are often uncomfortable because the decisions we make, based on our faith, will place us in conflict with the values of a world where “might makes right.”  Living the gospel can be hard, dangerous, or sometimes just embarrassing, because it means making friends with those the world despises, rejecting the seduction of wealth, turning the other cheek, and forgiving our enemies.  Thanks be to God that we are not left on our own to follow the path of faithfulness!