December 11

Dec 11 - Today from Proverbs 11 we look at verse 16
"A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth."

"How are you feeling now?" asked the family physician.
A couple of weeks ago the man came in complaining of dizziness and headaches. A routine examination revealed very little. Yes, he had been under quite a bit of stress lately. The doctor prescribed some mild sedatives and told his patient to ease his stress load for a couple of weeks and then come back.
"Just great Doc," replied the man sitting on the examination table. "I guess it was just the stress."
They talked a bit, the physician exhorted his patient to keep his stress levels down and to take daily walks to help. The man promised he would and walked out of the office. Just before reaching his car he almost lost his balance as a wave of dizziness swept over him. He knew that a crashing headache would soon follow. It happened every day, sometimes now two or three times a day. But he wasn't going to tell his doctor -- he might be diagnosed with something far worse then stress.
Today we get a diagnosis of values. One needs to be very honest with one's self in order to gain a correct conclusion. The Great Physician asks us; "Which of the two people in this verse do you most seek to pattern your life after: The woman who has the respect of people, or the very rich man who uses his power and authority to make things go his way?" Just to put the diagnosis into a little more perspective, you must place yourself in the culture of the era in which the Proverbs were written. Women had no public rights. Independently, they didn't contribute to politics and justice at the city gates, they didn't teach, they didn't wheel and deal in the business world, they couldn't expand their holdings -- in fact, they were very often exploited by cunning and powerful men who reduced their worldly holdings. If they didn't marry, they didn't fare well. If they married and were widowed, they didn't fare well. Their culture did not recognize any public or political rights for a woman. Men definitely had a great advantage in that department - and they learned how to use it at an early age.
Now we can get a feel for the great contrast of these two people in today's Proverb. The woman may have respect, but she has not gained any public or political rights. It is only the people's respect for her that may get her anywhere at all. The man has great wealth. Wealth had the same effect then as it does today - power, prestige and privilege. The man gained and wields his wealth in an arena of powerful men. He may be considered ruthless, but he has much more respect in the community then the kindhearted woman can even dream of! Wealth and power gain respect. . .
Now be honest, is that your line of thinking? I mean deep down where nobody else can see or listen, would you opt to be the wealthy man? Would you be willing to sacrifice a little integrity in order to gain the power, prestige and privilege of the wealthy? Don't walk away from the Great Physician today without letting Him properly diagnose you. You may have a very serious heart condition which will one day cripple you - or worse.
Here is the truth. One day we will all stand before the Great Physician, and all of our worldly entrapments will be removed. The only thing left will be who we are. What we have will not be in the picture at all. The kindhearted woman already stands before God without any entrapments, so there will only be joy and wonder for her on that day. But the ruthless man will no longer have the adjectives of wealthy, powerful and prestigious. Those things will be removed. He will stand before God only as a ruthless man. How much joy and wonder will he experience?
A lesson in diagnostics. We must not get off the examination table until we have been completely honest with the Great Physician. And we needn't worry, He already knows the truth, and He loves us. He just wants us to know so that we can begin treatment immediately. What is the treatment? Just listen to Him, He will tell you.