08/12/2015 WEIGHTS & GAINS
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. [Revised Standard translation]
Psalms 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. [New International translation.]
Summary
The book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon of Israel, David’s son, is said to contain a number of wise and weighty sayings. A proverb, much like a parable, is meant to convey a truth, a piece of wisdom, a little lesson for living a better life. Proverbs are our “instructions for living” contained in short phrases.
One of the things immediately apparent in Proverbs 16:2 and Psalms 90:12 is the importance of weight and gain.
Our culture places a great deal of emphasis on weight gain. Mention weight gain and most people immediately think about their waist lines, the pounds they want to shed or their physical weight. A great number of people will immediately start to think of calories, body fat percentage, being overweight, stomach size, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, dieting and the like.
For others, like many younger people, trying out for basketball teams or baseball teams or other sports, weight gain may be a longing or a desire. For them weight gain may mean being more competitive on the field or on a court. Weight gain for this group may mean rising to welter weight, or middle weight or heavy weight. Weight and gain may determine whether someone ends up as a linebacker or a running back. Weight and gain may determine their position on a basketball, soccer or wrestling team.
Like the Beatitudes, JESUS’ Proverb-like, “blessings” and sayings in “The Sermon on the Mount” (see, Matthew 5:1-11), Proverbs 16:2 and Psalms 90:12, remind us that the way we “look at things” may be different from how GOD “looks at things.” Our human “focus” on physical weight and gain may be seriously overlooking a “higher” meaning of weight and gain. Instead of focusing on the way “we want to see ourselves,” or how “others may see us physically,” we should instead focus on the way GOD “sees” us and how GOD “weighs” us. Instead of asking about physical weight gain or loss, Psalms 90:12 suggests the question we ask our children, nieces, nephews, Sunday School students and ourselves is “how much more wisdom” did they or we gain this past week, this past month or this past year? Every Sunday, perhaps we should ask GOD if there is anything “weighting down” our hearts and spirits? We should unburden ourselves to HIM, and simply, lose the weight.