Three Ethical Principles that I Gleaned from Proverbs
Prasha Maharjan.
The book of Proverbs looks more like a handbook that is well documented about the experiences of others to offer insight and guidance to its readers. The book offers wisdom and instructions from a teacher or mother and father to a child. Wisdom is personified as a woman. The moral aspect of the teaching is to instruct and encourage the child to seek righteousness, justice, and equity. In the book, God is the central figure, not man. The climactic introduction, “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7), indicates that divine knowledge originates from God and can only be attained through a profound reverence for Him. Fearing God is the prerequisite for attaining this wisdom. The book also makes clear that this knowledge is partly accessible to human beings (16:1-2, 9; 21:30). The main idea is that the human quest for wisdom begins and ends with “the fear of the LORD,” with God present at both ends of this journey.
Reading Proverbs as I seek wisdom, I have gleaned three ethical or behavioral principles that I want to follow in my everyday life. Implementing these three principles in my everyday life has helped me be more effective in my ministry for others.
Lust for money is a common weakness for all. People who are wholly giving and generous are but rare. The book of Proverbs provides us a set of instructions about handling money. In worldly terms, verses like Proverbs 11:24-“25—“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will be refreshed”—are impractical. It’s hard to believe that a man can keep giving and still have more. However, in my personal experience I have seen many people who have been blessed one way or the other for their generosity. This is one trait that I would like to implement in my life to be a more effective Christian servant. We are the workmanship of Christ, made for good works and to serve others. Making our resources available to others is an example of being Christ-like. Again, I do not know how it works for God, but he has always blessed us when we have given freely. My husband and I are merely international students, and our other family members are not Christians. Our family members have been amazed at how we have consistently had enough during our entire time in a foreign country. It is a testimony of God’s provision to them in our lives.
Secondly, I desire to be a godly wife, following the instructions that Proverbs lays out for women in chapter 31. People who are called to serve in God’s kingdom are also subject to higher judgment. My husband and I are involved in ministry, and we have to pray continually as we serve and guide others that God would help us love and respect each other. As a human being, I am naturally inclined to be selfish and prioritize my own interests. But as a Christian woman and wife, I yearn to be selfless and be an embodiment of Christ’s love so I may be a more effective Christian servant. I know that non-Christians that I work with are closely looking at the way I behave as a wife. Hence, my husband and I pray fervently that God would extend to us an extra measure of grace so that even when we slip, the non-Christians would recognize that we are still human beings desiring to live a life that brings glory to God. I desire to be a selfless and godly wife so that our ministry to young couples more effective
Thirdly, diligence is an ethical behavior that I would like to pursue as well. Many past employers provided less than ideal work circumstances. There were times when I lazed away and thought my employer did not deserve my hard work or devotion. And in many other areas of my life, I have felt the same way, where I did not feel like giving my best. It is so hard to keep in mind that all things I do are for the glory of God, regardless of the result. When I am diligent even under a meager salary and unfair conditions, it will make people wonder. Diligence is a part of wise living, not simply to be appreciated and rewarded but to serve God with our very best.
