“The righteous hate lying, but the wicked bring disgust and shame. Righteousness guards people of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner. One person pretends to be rich but has nothing; another pretends to be poor but has abundant wealth. Riches are a ransom for a person’s life, but a poor person hears no threat. The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is put out.” (Proverbs 13:5-9 CSB – Read the chapter)
Several years ago, I heard a sermon about generosity. The preacher was talking about the myth that more money will make us happier. He shared some interesting survey data that showed there actually is a point below which more money seems to contribute to overall happiness, but it’s a lot lower than you’d think. This is an easy trap to fall into. We survey our lives, and see all the things we would or could do if we had more money, and conclude that if we had that money, we would feel more accomplished or secure or confident, and happiness would follow in the wake of all that. After eighteen years of ministry, I am in a very different financial place than when I started, yet I can say with confidence that I’m not any happier today specifically because of that. In this next batch of proverbs, Solomon makes this point in a really interesting way. Let’s dive right in.
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