- Proverbs 13:16 "Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." – see also 8:18; 13:18; 21:21.
- John 12:26 "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
- Chronicles 29:12 "Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all."
- Eccl. 5:19"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift of God."
Meekness
Humility - meekness- are not normal themes for a hard-charging executive. But this verse has quite a promise for all people, no matter their job – a satisfying life. Now, that’s worth slaving long hours for, right? Well, maybe not. There is another path far more satisfying.
Satisfying Life
It is interesting to look at various translations of "satisfying life" or "long life." This adjective in the Hebrew has many nuances of meaning, but the impact of the word is not about just "living" but REALLY LIVING. Western thinking tends to divide how we think about humans into compartments: the Eastern mind views man holistically - body, mind and spirit - all interrelated and as a unified whole. LIVING includes health, prosperity, vitality, cognition, understanding, enjoyment, etc. Life is intrinsically good because it comes from God and because he is the Lord of both life and death. This word (translated satisfying) captures a set of experience of living rather than simply some abstract principle of life.
But this kind of satisfying life has a particular beginning - it begins with God-fearing, and that takes humility: the willingness to recognize that my life is not my own, but, as a believer, has been bought with a price which I can never repay. And in Scripture, humility and honor are often linked.
Honor
Honor is a consistent topic in Proverbs (see 13:16 for example). The Apostle John reminds us that true honor comes from the Lord, and in this New Testament passage, like today’s verse, we find the key again...the if/than. We must serve Him to receive honor. Honor is something that should accrue to a leader - especially those that follow Jesus' leadership model. His life was a model for focus on purpose, mission, and values. He demonstrated how to manage his team, handle opposition, respond to demands on his time, and how to deal with everyday realties with clear insight. And God has honored Him and set Him on God's right hand forever. That's our model. Not a failed or fallen human.
Plenty
That word rendered "plenty" sure gives rise to some strange thinking. Riches. Wealth. Plenty. I think that in our culture, our understanding is clouded by a definition that compares and contrasts our wealth with the "rich and famous." It is certainly a gift from God and Jesus warns that there are perils to focusing on wealth "but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." And Paul to Timothy points out that "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction."
Fearing God
Our focus then must be on humility and fearing God. That's why organizations that provide helpful business tools, but neglect the spiritual component, could be dangerous to the Believer, for we could easily get sucked into one-dimensional thinking instead of a holistic approach of body, mind and spirit. It is the spirit that matters. Jesus reminds us not to "store up for yourselves treasure on earth..." Wealth, honor and a full, satisfying life are consequences - not goals.
Put God at the core of your thinking - not as some abstract, ancillary association with living - and the Sunday stuff will drive the Monday stuff.
Copyright (c) 2006 by P. Griffith Lindell
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