Do Not Wallow in the Glory (Proverbs 12:8)

With wisdom comes a commendation of sorts. Wisdom is knowledge, and with that knowledge there is a responsibility to use what you know accordingly.

"A man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he who is of a perverse heart shall be despised." Proverbs 12:8, Amplified

To be commended for what you know is a great thing. It is an acknowledgment. I know in a few occasions that I have been called in to help out in a pinch. The knowledge that I had in a kitchen was used to bring about a favorable outcome. I was commended for that knowledge. (Remember that wisdom is knowledge applied.)

But we also have a responsibility to react accordingly. We can either chalk it up as a gift from the Lord and focus the praise on Him, or we can bask in the glory for that moment. the one who is of a perverse heart will wallow in that glory for a while. Soon it will smell like a pig pen. Glory, unduly retained, soon turns to muck. This wallower will find every opportunity to remind you of how he or she was able to save the day. Sin is merely taking what the Lord has given us and turning the focus away from him. Take for instance sex. It is a beautiful thing given to us by God for the purpose of procreation, but the sinful nature of man has made a booming market out of pornography.

The commendation that is received must be deferred to God. Yes we are the vessel that He chose, but there are many other vessels to choose from. Remember that the cup that sits on the king's table has the same purpose as the cup on the beggars table. They are both put there to serve. After either one is used, there is a gratification in the spirit of the man, and the cup will be used again.

Integrity (Proverbs 10:9)

Integrity is such a wonderful thing. So many different things in this life can have integrity. Even an inanimate object can have integrity. But when it comes to the human being it becomes something more. It describes a lifestyle.

"He who walks uprightly walks securely, but he who takes a crooked way shall be found out and punished." Proverbs 10:9, Amplified

The more I use the Amplified Version of the Bible, the more I begin to regret it. There is some language and phraseology that I have become accustomed to. In the New King James we read this verse a little differently. "He who walks with integrity walks securely..." It is the integrity of the Christian that I wish to focus on at the moment. By definition, integrity means, "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness; the state of being whole and undivided; the condition of being unified, unimpaired or sound in construction; internal consistency or lack of corruption in electronic data."

We must understand that the Christian who is walking in integrity is walking "undivided". As we walk in uprightness, there is a certain security that comes along with that. Being undivided means never having to look over your shoulder at who is coming after you. An undivided lifestyle means never having to cover your tracks. There should always be a certain security in our walk, not only of where we have been but where we are going to. What I mean is, this integrity of ours allows us to walk in such a fashion that we have complete faith in the Lord for our security. Being fired from a job does not disrupt the flow of the walk because there is security in every step knowing that the Lord is watching over us. Integrity naturally brings with it security.

However, the one who chooses the crooked path shall be found out and punished. Again, I have become used to a certain vernacular. In the New King James Version it reads, "...but he who perverts his way will become known." We need to understand that as we knowingly sin, it is a definite choice, a perversion of our path. I say "knowingly" because I feel that it is possible to walk outside the commandments of God without realizing it. One may not understand the ramifications of being a "talebearer", but when that knowledge does come a correction must be made in the life to ensure integrity. Perversion can only last so long behind closed doors. Eventually your secrets will become known. There is no security for the one who perverts his own may. The attributes of perversion do not include honesty, morality nor does it included a unification or soundness. Without integrity we are divided against ourselves and doomed for destruction.