Life Journal: The Third Option
Scripture
Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken. The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. Proverbs 22:8-10
Observation
These three verses reveal three choices and three results in how treat our fellow man.
1. Injustice = Calamity (vs. 8): The first option speaks of a person who abuses their position of authority by abusing those who are working for him. They treat those who work for them as if they are less than them. It’s quite a vivid word picture being used here. The very tool that was being used to plant and grow the crops by the employees will be used to beat down to the employer because of his unjust treatment towards them. He that threshed others will be threshed himself. Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
2. Mocking = Strife (vs. 10): The second option speaks of the person who takes nothing and no one seriously. It’s the idea of someone with an evil imagination looking to stir up trouble in a serious situation just to stand back and watch it all burn. They like to laugh at others rather than value life. The scripture makes it clear that when the mocker is allowed in the room strife, quarrels and insults replace civil discourse and peaceful protest. The moment the mocker is forced out, unity can be restored. Galatians 6:8: “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
3. Generosity = Blessing (vs. 9): The third option stands in contrast to the other two. Rather than looking out for himself, he is looking out for others. The Hebrew wording paints the picture of a person with “a good eye” who can see the good in others and seeks to do good towards them. Rather than judging the poor from his position of power, he uses his position to provide for the poor. It’s not just a quick “hand out” but rather a hand up and over to his own table where they, though very different, will eat together. This restores the person's honor and reminds them of their value as a human being made in the image of God. Galatians 6:9: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Application
I shouldn’t be amazed anymore, but I am. Over and over again God’s Word in the assigned reading for the day speaks to my exact situation. As I read through Proverbs 22 this morning it jumped off the page and straight to my heart. Normally I will sit down at God’s Word before reading the news, but someone had texted me about the riots in San Diego and I began to catch up on what had been happening overnight, not just in our city, but in major cities around the country. As mentioned in my previous journal my heart was broken at the injustice on display towards our African American brothers and sisters culminating in the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. The response to this racist violence was straight out of Proverbs 22:8. Our country has sown injustice toward our African American population and now we are reaping calamity until the rod used against them is broken. There’s no excuse for violence, but this makes it clear we should not be surprised. Instead, we should repent for our part in the injustice and find peaceful ways to stand together in solidarity. Most of what I’ve observed in news coverage is justified and lawful peaceful protests stirred up by a few who want to push the crowd towards the destruction of property and people. This is the second option shown in Proverbs 22:10. The mocker thrives on the chaos and often ends up hurting the very people and property they say they are representing. The third option is our way forward in the middle of all of this. While reading this morning I received a text from another friend telling me about the message from Miles McPherson based on his book “The Third Option.” As the pastor of one of the most influential churches in the area, Rock Church, with a multi-racial family and family members in the police force, his voice is one we all need to heed right now. He has chosen the third option presented in vs. 9- a generous spirit that unites in what we all have in common- we are all made in the image of God. He said, “I want to propose to you that the devil has done a great job of dividing our country. “Us vs. Them.” There is a third option. The third option is that we honor what we have in common. We can’t think about “us first” or say “those people”. The third option is that we saw we have more in common than our differences. When we focus on what we have in common we can focus on unity. This is not about black vs. white. This is not about us vs. the police. This is about sin. The dehumanizing of George Floyd is where the outrage comes from. God wants to give us a vision for what we can do now.”
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for my part in the injustice. Forgive me for when I have remained silent when I should have spoken up. Our country is teetering on the edge between breakdown or breakthrough. I believe it starts with Your people experiencing the brokenness that You do. Break my heart for the things that break Yours. I pray what Pastor Miles prayed, “Fill my heart with more love for all the people that are in my life. Give me more patience and more compassion for the uniqueness of people that You have created. That I would honor them and serve them.” On this first day of our 21 Day Fast give me Your Heart for those around for we have all been made in the image of God. “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
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