I love the first four verses of Proverbs 23 for a variety of reasons. As my regular readers know, prosperity is a favorite theme of mine. But prosperity is so much more than simply feeding expensive appetites.
When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what [who] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you have a big appetite.
Do not desire the ruler’s delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
be wise enough to desist. (Prov 23:1-4, NRSV)
The first two verses are obvious: don’t pork out when dining with someone of prominence. Words of wisdom if I ever heard them. And yet I could write pages about the disappearing practice of dining.
When was the last time you sat down to a meal with your family? Sharing a meal is such an intimate activity, it is a pity that we don’t practice this ritual more often. We are so overscheduled and overstimulated that we rarely find time to dine with those we love the most.
And we are paying the price. Fast food was once considered a delicacy. Now it plays a far too prominent role in our daily diet. “Do not desire the ruler’s delicacies, for they are deceptive food.” And you didn’t think the Bible mentioned fast food!
Finally, we are advised in verse 4 not to wear ourselves out getting rich. Is that a life of prosperity, constantly striving to increase the bottom line? I think not. As I said, prosperity is so much more than simply feeding expensive appetites.
In my own case, as long as I make enough to pay all my bills, to sock something away for retirement, and to support my charities of choice, I am happy. The funny thing is that by focusing on what I want to do with my money, the money comes in sufficient quantities of its own accord.
When I am interviewing someone who is interested in joining my primary network marketing business, I spend a lot of time asking questions about his or her Why. I want to determine what motivates the person at the deepest level, and then if my opportunity is a good fit, I can move forward with my prospect’s goals in mind.
In contrast, I continue to be amazed by all the come-ons that promise a life of leisure, with yachts and McMansions and fancy cars. If that is all that motivates you, I don’t want to talk to you. If, instead, you want a better life for your family, you want to pay off medical bills, you want to fund a pet project that will benefit many people, or you want to promote healthier lifestyles, then we need to talk. These are goals I would be proud to help you achieve.
