THE WICKED AND THE WISE June 4, 2020

Today’s devotional is on the eleventh chapter of the book of Proverbs. And like in any part of the book, it always makes comparisons between those people who are living right, and those who are not.

Some say it is difficult to be completely good, because people will always have a good and bad side to them. However, I believe that the important thing is one’s motivation. True, nobody is perfect, and even though we try so hard to live a just and fair existence, doing our best to be at peace with everybody, still as human beings who each grew up in different unique circumstances, much like the uniqueness of our DNA codes, we tend to rub against people whose values and convictions differ from or polar opposites of ours.

But the Word has some things to say about who is wicked and who is wise. Deceit, pride, perversions, naughtiness, mischief, selfishness, greed, hoarding, hypocrisy, cruelty, despisers of what is good and just, wrath, tattle tale-bearing (gossipers), lack of discretion, one who is dumb enough to be surety or guarantor of somebody whose credit performance is unreliable or unknown, one who trusts in his own riches, and somebody who troubles or brings trouble to his own household—these are characteristics of wicked people, both sly and ignorant. While honesty, humility, integrity, righteousness, diligence, generosity, liberality, big-heartedness, love of knowledge, mercy, understanding, peacekeeping, faithfulness, discretion, one who manages his own finances well, one who trusts GOD, and one who conducts himself in dignity and honour—these are the people who are living right.

The chapter also points out what happens to people who do these things. And it makes one think about what is happening all around us today. While it is not good to point fingers, it is undeniable that people who do those things that belong to right living have more lasting influence and significance than those who do not. Although one cannot judge any person because of the many circumstances in a person’s life that contributes to how they are living at any time, still if one wants to be and do any good in life, it is always rewarding to live with accountability and with a view that this life is not all there is, and if we persevere in living by the right convictions, surely there is a better reward waiting at the end.

I am a sports fan sometimes, and I felt sad that we could not witness the Olympics this year. But one thing I learned about athletes is related to the Word we learn today: if they do not do their training right, they would lose at the match, and worse—they might injure themselves if they push too hard without enough preparation. We are not all athletes, but I think it is high time that we too learn their lesson: with the challenges we face every day, life is more bearable if we do right. Though some may say that one hasn’t really lived if he hasn’t done any mischief at all, I dare say that one hasn’t lived well if he hasn’t managed his mischief properly. For after all, we only get one life to live, we should strive to overcome our inherent wickedness and start living wisely.