His Ambassador Blog

Proverbs is a book known for its applicable wisdom. Written by Solomon, the son of David and the third king of Israel. The Lord told Solomon that He would give him anything that He asked for. Instead of asking for riches, power, or anything of these sorts, Solomon asked for wisdom and the Lord greatly blessed him with such. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs so for the next 31 days of May we’re going to take a look at the wisdom in each one. 

‘Chapter Eleven: Integrity, Righteousness, Life. 

A life of righteousness and wisdom is marked by integrity and holiness. Integrity is the quality of being honest and living a life that does not contradict itself, which is to say that you are the same person in front of an audience and behind closed doors. 

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.”(v.3, 9)

Honesty before the Lord drives a man or woman to be led by the will of God, which is the best place for someone to be. Possessing values and convictions will guide us to live holy and righteous lives. When we do not live consistently, and by this I mean living one way in front of people and a different way when the doors are closed, we are subject to fall and create problems all throughout our lives. 

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered. Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it. If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!”(v.1, 21, 27, 31) 

God is the God of integrity. He loves justice. The fact that God cares so much about justice should be both a comforting and sobering thought. God ensures that things are fair and it may not seem that way now but one day He will set everything straight. That is why it is important that we choose forgiveness and leave vengeance to God. I know that’s a lot easier said than done. We want to see people get what they deserve for hurting us or hurting someone we love, but that is not our call to make. Jesus asks us to have the same grace with our offenders that He has with us. Christ will set everything right in the days to come. The righteous will receive the blessings waiting for them and those who follow wicked ways will face the justice of God. 

“Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered. Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”(v.11:12-14)

A part of having integrity often involves not judging or condemning another for their public sins when our private sins carry the same weight. This is not to say that we shouldn’t hold other Christians accountable, but we must be careful to remove the log from our own eye before attempting to remove the speck from another’s. Also, if we come across another’s private sins it is not our business to make it a public matter, we should address this with the person directly. Seek grace and kindness when moving forward with accountability.