In 1995, NASA, famous for careful planning and for backup systems, had everything ready to go for the Discovery Shuttle to launch on its scheduled date. However, nature had other plans.
Following an extended Memorial Day weekend, shuttle workers discovered that the woodpeckers had pecked about 200 holes in the foam insulation on the external fuel tank. Some holes were as much as four inches deep, so the shuttle flight had to be delayed until repairs to the fuel tank could be completed. And then a variety of noisemakers and physical deterrents were installed at both launch pads. In addition, permanent human woodpecker spotters were deployed at the launch pads around the clock.
Isn’t it interesting how very small things can have big consequences? And speaking of consequences, the following incident was reported as a true story by a very embarrassed mother. She was taking a shower when her two-year-old son came into the bathroom and started to wrap himself in toilet paper. Although he made a mess, he was adorable, so she ran for her camera and took a few shots. They came out so well that she had copies made and included them with her Christmas cards. Days later, a relative called about the picture, laughing hysterically and suggesting she take a closer look. So, very puzzled, she stared at the photo and was shocked to discover that in addition to her son, she had captured her own reflection in the mirror. Need I say anymore?
Talk about consequences. Embarrassment was the consequence.
We live in a world in which there are consequences to our every day actions.
In fact, a very important theme running through Proverbs is the idea of consequences to ones’ actions, either good or bad. And when it’s talking about bad actions, it’s not about arbitrarily imposed curses from God. No, it’s all about natural consequences. For example, let’s look at Proverbs 19, verse 3.
Chapter 19 and verse 3. “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.”
Did you notice what brings his ruin? It says a person’s own folly brings himself to ruin. The Lord doesn’t have anything to do with it. I might also add that we can’t necessarily blame the other guy either. After all, the devil really can’t make anyone do anything. I like the Good News Bible translation of this verse. It says, “Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the LORD.”
Now this theme is especially evident in one of Proverb’s strong sub-themes on the evils of laziness. Solomon uses the word sluggard.
And I invite you to follow me as we pick Solomon’s brain through the book of Proverbs on this theme. And we’ll start with chapter 6. We’ll look at chapter 6 and verses 6 through 11.
“Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?” And then repeating what we’ve already heard. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.”
There are a couple of things to notice here. First, the ant is always working, always preparing for the future, that’s clear. And verse 11 comes right out with the next theme, the natural consequences, in contrast, of only thinking of present creature comforts. They’re not curses from God. It’s the man’s folly that is the culprit. Nothing else. And Proverbs 10 also refers to this theme.
Let’s look at chapter 10 and verse 4. Chapter 10, verse 4. “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
The Good News Bible says, “Being lazy will make you poor, but hard work will make you rich.”
To change the metaphor slightly, it’s like being a student in school. Generally speaking, students who put in the study are the best prepared for tests. And likewise, generally speaking, those who don’t put the time in, are not. And while we’re here, we should notice verse 5.
“He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”
Another translation says, “A sensible person gathers the crops when they are ready; it is a disgrace to sleep through the time of harvest” It’s all about common sense. This verse tells us about the farmer needing to work for the future. It’s all about prudence and sensibility because if the farmer doesn’t prepare the soil, plant, cultivate, weed, water and harvest there will be no crop. And no crop means no food. Hello!?
By the way, have you noticed the humor in Proverbs?
Look at chapter 19, verse 24. Proverbs 19, and verse 24. “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.”
That’s got to be very lazy. I’ve not actually met someone that lazy, have you? But there’s a point there. And also humorous is this next one in chapter 26, verses 13 through 16.
Chapter 26 beginning with verse 13. “The sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road! There’s a lion in the streets!’ As the door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard in his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.”
Through this picturesque language, comes the message that the sluggard imagines only risk associated with working and being productive.
“There’s a lion out there! Oh, my! I think I will get harmed. I’ll get hurt. I’d better not take any risks.”
I wonder how Pastor Gettys is doing by now. We’ve been praying for him, right? The lions didn’t deter him from going to Africa.
And through this wise humor we can say, Solomon is actually giving us some dangers to watch out for in our quest for wisdom.
First of all, watch out for those purely imaginary risks. Don’t be held captive by them. They can hold you captive, scaring you into inaction. Don’t listen to them. And by the way, don’t listen to or spread rumors, because they can have the same effect on other people.
Secondly, laziness and inaction only make you weak by consequence. It’s just like how watching only TV all the time or playing games all the time or staying in front of your computer monitor all the time will make you physically weak. If you don’t get up and use your muscles or your brain for some real tasks, you’ll lose your skills. You’ll waste your time because you won’t be doing anything productive.
And third, Solomon tells us to watch out for the deceptiveness of laziness. Don’t let living for comforts in the here and now deceive you. You may think you are wiser than others, but really what’s happening is you’re thinking of yourself only, and that’s’ it.
Now let’s put this all together.
This is about using our minds and the opportunities that God has given us. You’ve got time. You’ve got some talents, at least. And you’ve got skills. So! Lights, camera, action! It’s about doing what is necessary to invest the effort and time and thought to what is ahead. That’s what being sensible is. After all, God is a reasonable God. And so we live in a world of the natural laws of cause and effect. You put your hand in the fire, and you will get burned.
That means then that being religious or spiritual should not mean that we don’t use our heads. God wants us to be sensible and realistic. He expects us to learn from our foolish mistakes and stop getting burned. The crowning act of stupidity is to do nothing and then expect something to come of it. And no doubt you’ve heard of the saying that stupidity or, I guess it’s insanity, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. According to Proverbs, fools do not use their minds. They don’t think about what they’re saying.
There’s this story about a conversation between a tourist and a fish hatchery worker. There was a small display at the hatchery that described the now-extinct Michigan Grayling. It’s a kind of fish.
And a tourist said to a worker, “Is the Grayling still extinct?” The worker replied, “Yes sir, it doesn’t exist anymore.”
“Any thoughts of bringing it back?” “No…, I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Why not?” “Because it’s extinct.”
“Still?” “Yes.”
God wants us to use our minds, don’t you think? And that means, first and foremost, recognizing that there are real consequences to our actions. There are environmental consequences on a global sense. And there are consequences to our lives in a personal sense. For example, all the prayer in the world won’t keep you from getting health problems if you continue to make the wrong lifestyle choices. All the prayer in the world won’t stop you from getting hit by a car if you go kneel out in the center of the road. That’s just the way it works. Not working means you aren’t prepared for the future. You won’t have basic supplies.
The wisdom of Solomon tells us to have common sense. And a very real God wants us to be wise and learn and grow and be intelligent. He expects us to learn what works and what doesn’t work in life.
I’m glad that God has made the world the way He has. It’s a world where cause brings effect and there is freedom to choose and learn. It means that by hard work, a person can plant a flower bed and see beauty as a natural consequence of ones hard work. It means that I can learn how to treat people well and experience meaningful relationships. It means I can work and earn money to buy a home and fill it with wonderful times of family togetherness. And it means that I can share those blessings with others.
That’s the good life. And that’s what wisdom is. That’s what having Proverbs’ style of sense and sensibility is all about. That’s the experience of those who invest their time and their skills and their energy. And they learn and become useful.
Pastor Bill Hybels’ father learned that lesson. He was an ambitious and successful businessman with a busy schedule. And yet he always carved out one afternoon a week to spend with a group of mentally disabled women at a hospital. For twenty-five years, he led a Sunday afternoon song service with these women. He knew each one by name, and he treated them with respect. These women couldn’t do much for him in return. But still, he found great joy in serving them.
Ultimately, I believe Proverbs isn’t just teaching about having a work ethic so we can go out and be busy yet miserable workaholics, devoid of meaningful relationships. It’s about doing what’s necessary to invest our lives for the future and cooperating with a very real God in a real world. That can mean being a dedicated worker, definitely. It can mean being committed to using our gifts and talents and living up to our convictions. And it can mean making an impact for good for those around us.
In Jefferson City, Missouri, there is a maximum-security prison that houses many thousands of the state’s toughest criminals. For many years, Jefferson City had a problem dealing with the “shadow people” as they are called. The wives, children, or girlfriends of inmates in the prison. Many of these women lived in poverty. When they came to visit their loved ones in prison, they often slept in their cars or on the street. They must have felt very alone in their situation. But a small group of Christians noticed their plight, and they responded with an ambitious plan to create a “hospitality house” for the visiting families of the inmates. Churches from several denominations banded together to raise money for the house. They formed work groups to renovate and decorate an old rooming house near the prison. And so, on November 2, 1980, Agape House opened for guests.
For me that is a picture of what it means to invest ourselves wisely and sensibly for the future. Even if it’s not exactly our own future. Let’s be winners who become useful to those around us. And let’s be God’s kind of workers.
And let’s sing about having that kind of dedication in our closing hymn. Hymn number 330.
Hymn of Praise: #27, Rejoice, Ye Pure In Heart Scripture: Proverbs 24:30-34 Hymn of Response: #330, Take My Life and Let It Be
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McDonald Road Sermon transcribed by Steve Foster 7/24/07