Scripture:
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight. Proverbs 11:1
Observation:
How many times do the Scriptures refer to value and evaluations? Sometimes it isn’t just money the Scriptures are talking about.
Application:
Proverbs 11:1 conjures up the image of a shopkeeper placing his thumb on one side of the scales, presumably in his favor and against the customer—adjusting the advantage. It seems to me that this can work when I am dealing with another person or, in a not so extreme example, myself. How many times do I hold someone to account by expecting more from them than I do myself? This isn’t just spoken “accountability”, it is the attitude of my heart towards someone as well. How does it manifest? It could be disappointment, irritability, aggravation, bursts of anger, and condemnation. Perhaps haughty eyes, a superior attitude, grumbling, gossiping, complaining to another person—“getting it off my chest…” If I dig down to the core of these descriptions as it applies to me I can come up with the idea that I am not measuring “them” the way I do myself. That’s not so bad except the measure should be the Word of God. Do I measure myself by the Scriptures or do I measure myself through some sort of moral rationale? This is a tough discipline to get into because it is hard to be “just” to myself—I want to give myself a break, give myself some grace that I don’t want to give to another.
Prayer:
Father—A just weight is your delight. When I look at the guy in the mirror there are times I remember the Gospel just fine and rejoice in Your forgiveness. There are other times that I look at someone else and can apply the harshest sort of evaluation. I can get aggravated, irritable, and all of that; sometimes I nurse it because “they are wrong and I am right…” “how dare they cut me off in the street like that…” “why can’t they be on time like I am…” (as I unconsciously polish my halo..), etc. This is where I want to avoid a false balance O God. Open my heart and make me attentive to Your Voice. Evaluations and judgments—Seems to me that Proverbs 11:1 could be related to “Judge not lest you be judged.” I can fall into that realm of setting others to a higher standard that I set myself. “Oh, no” I say to my heart, “I am only expecting from others the same that I expect from myself.” How foolish I am when I say that. I either forgive myself too quickly and elaborately or I burrow into self-condemnation and anxiety.