May 6

May 6 - Today from Proverbs 6 we look at verses 1 through 3
"My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself; Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!"

If you make a personal commitment to another, integrity calls for you to do all that you possibly can to fulfill that commitment, even if it means personal sacrifice. Integrity can be costly at times, but when one thinks about it, integrity is probably one of the most valuable assets a person can possess -- it's priceless. I once heard a preacher say, "The only thing you are going to take with you when you die is who you are." That's pretty profound when you stop and think about it.
When you put your integrity on the line for another you have increased your risk immeasurably. You have placed your integrity into the hands of someone whose life and fate you cannot possibly control. The Teacher is instructing his son not to place his goods, his reputation or his integrity on the line for another, thus exponentially increasing risk of failure and cost.
This is not to say that one can not take outside risks in life. If you have discretionary resources and place them on the line for one whom you are willing to take the risk, that is called investment. If your investment pays off, you both have gained. If your investment fails, at least you have not risked your well-being. You can survive and move on. On the other hand, think of those who mortgaged their homes to invest in the run-away ‘dot-com’ market a few years ago, before the bottom dropped out. The inflated mortgage payments are still due every month, and there is nothing to show for it in return. The home is not a discretionary resource. It is indeed a sorrowful thing.
Let's take the principle beyond money, to something much more valuable -- your reputation, for instance. Let's say you are casually talking with some of your neighbors and the conversation turns to someone that a few of them don't particularly care for. The more you talk, the more you wish to remove this person from the neighborhood. They begin to formulate a plan to sully his reputation and to make him unpopular with the rest of the neighbors. If it works, he will soon be driven from the neighborhood. Fairness and justice are no longer a part of the plan. It will only take a handful to give the plot momentum. They turn and ask you to throw your reputation into the conspiracy. Let’s say that you are caught up in the moment, and you agree.
Sound pretty far-fetched? I think we are involved in such decisions much more than we realize. It's going on all around us every day, and we are often pulled into the gravity of other people's issues and grievances. Sometimes we have our own two cents to throw into the pot, and soon we are caught up in an opportunity to invest in an unjust action -- sometimes as simple as character assassination, sometimes much more severe. The point is, once you have agreed, it's YOUR integrity and reputation you have committed to the situation. Now you either have to keep your word and stay with your allegiance to an action that is less than honest, or you have to go to those to whom you have sworn allegiance, humble yourself and beg to be released from your commitment. They may turn on you, but at least you can walk away with your integrity intact.
Think about the last days of Jesus. Did the crowds hate Him? Not initially. But it didn't take many to turn the crowd, and in a very short period of time. But, there were a couple of leaders who refused to throw in. Nicodemus defended Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Council, took Jesus' body from the cross and placed Him in his own tomb. They probably weren't very welcome on the Council or popular with the leaders any more after that, but at least they had their integrity. History showed them to be the men of character and the others to be the scoundrels. History does that. You cannot keep truth hidden.
Wisdom always looks to the end.