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Day 184 Proverbs 19:1 Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hastes with his feet sins. 3 The foolishness of man perverts his way: and his heart frets against the LORD. 4 Wealth makes many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbor. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape. 6 Many will entreat the favor of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that gives gifts. 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? He pursues them with words, yet they are wanting to him. People tend to look down on poor people. They stay away from them as though they have a foreign disease. Yet poor people who are honest in their dealings, and do everything they can to pull themselves up, are better than some people who have wealth. It isn’t only the poor who are foolish. Wealthy people can be foolish as well. The difference between a poor person who is foolish and a wealthy one who is, is the size of their pocketbook. Wealthy people can pay to keep their name out of trouble. Yet everyone knows who is honest and who isn’t. Solomon had a lot to say about both poor and wealthy people. Just because he was wealthy didn’t mean he favored them. He looked at a person’s integrity rather than the size of his holdings. Who do you spend your time with? Do you shy away from people who don’t dress the same as you, buy all their clothes and household goods from thrift stores, visit pantries for their food, or do you mingle with both poor and wealthy alike because they are honest despite their state of poverty or wealth? As Christians, you are not to look down your nose at poor people. Jesus tended to spend most of his time with poor people, not because he was poor, but because they readily listened to him. Those who had wealth tended to find problems with everything he did. You tend to look at Jesus and the disciples as poor people because they walked everywhere, slept under the stars, and didn’t have more than the clothes on their backs. Yet, if you consider that era, most everyone walked everywhere they went. Only the wealthy rode in chairs carried by four slaves, or rode horses. Consider for a moment that neither Jesus nor his disciples were poor. James and John came from a family that had servants. When Jesus called them to be disciples they were fishing with their father and servants. They left their father and their servants mending nets and went with Jesus. Peter and Andrew were also fishermen. Peter had a nice home and wife. Nathaniel was a man of leisure. He was lying under a tree when Jesus called him. Judas understood accounting and held the money bag. He took care of getting their food and anything else they required. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Saul also known as Paul became an apostle. He was a Pharisee, a man of wealth. Also, consider where Jesus told the apostles to go after he rose from the dead – everywhere. They wouldn’t be able to go to the uttermost parts of the earth without money. As Christians, you want to look at Jesus as poor and needy because he walked everywhere and associated with poor people. Jesus spent his time with those who were honest, rich, and poor alike. Don’t forget, Lazarus was also Jesus’ friend, and a wealthy man. Zacchaeus, was a wealthy tax collector, so was Levi when Jesus called him to be one of his disciples. Whether you are rich or poor, makes no difference if you are honest. If you live your life doing all you can to honor God with your lifestyle, people will give you their time, just as Jesus gave his time to those who were poor and wealthy. Spend your time with rich and poor people, not because they are rich or poor, but because they are honest and love God. Don’t allow the size of their pocketbook determine whether you will spend time with them or be their friend. Let’s pray: Father, help me look beyond a person’s means and see the integrity of their heart for you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 11 March 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay