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'Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence. The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.' (Proverbs 3:27-35)

Back to basics

Sometimes I read the Bible and think that the reason it's so challenging isn't because it's blowing my mind with its complexity, but because it's so basic that I really shouldn't need to be told again. Reading the passage above it seems that we need telling again, and again, and again. This passage is basically giving one basic command: be good to everyone. Look at the commands: be generous when you can. Don't be mean. Don't argue for no reason. Don't do evil things. For each of the commands there's no argument against them. There are some biblical commands that people can try to weasel out of (take sexual abstinence outside of heterosexual marriage as an anger-inducing example), but these aren't like them - these simply come down to the question, 'will you be a nice person or not?'

So simple it's difficult

Of course, just because these commands are simple doesn't mean they're easy. In fact, some of these would be the hardest commands we've ever experienced. How often, when a friend's asked me to do something, have I said, 'I'm a bit busy right now - can I get back to you tomorrow?' The Bible's simple instruction is actually quite revolutionary; will we respond to these simple commands, or will we allow the temptations of laziness, selfishness and greed hold us back?

Can it be easier?

Thankfully, God has made a way. One of the many and varied joys of Christianity is God's grace in everything! God saves us by grace, and He enables us to respond by grace. He never says, 'I have saved you, now try as hard as you can to get purer,' He promises us His Holy Spirit as a Helper to equip us for good works. All we need to do is ask.

One of the most liberating Bible passages is Romans 6:17-18: 'thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.' The key to obeying Bible passages like this in Proverbs is simple as well: stop trying so hard! As a Christian we are slaves to righteousness! That means that we don't have a say in the matter, we just need to allow ourselves to be led. If we do step away from God's good plan for our lives, that means that we have willingly placed our hands back in the shackles that originally held us. Let me finish with one of my favourite verses - memorise this: 'I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' (Galatians 2:20)

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

Honoring A Father