opposite of what you think

Yesterday morning for me meant chapter 11 in Proverbs and there were a few awesome thoughts that flowed together. SO awesome that i thought i would share them with you...

"One person gives freely, yet gains even more;  another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty."(11:24)

This one is what i like to call a "Backwards Proverb". it's like it's trying to be ironic or something. it seems backwards. we would naturally think that whoever gives freely would come to poverty and the person who gives least or "withholds unduly" would have the most... right?

but again and again God flips common sense and logic on its head. it's the opposite. it's backwards.

i desperately want to be the guy who gives freely. i just want to be that kind of person. 2 open hands. i never ever ever want to withhold anything unduly. 

hopefully we're all becoming this way. if we all follow this simple advice - think about it - our world will be a radically different place! it would be ludicrous to think there would ever be any need. children wouldn't be hungry. not many people would die because of preventable stuff... because we would be giving freely to prevent it.

Then the very next verse goes on to back up this "opposite" kind of idea from verse 24:

"A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." (11:25)

i love that word "refreshed" and the idea it expresses. when you are generous and you give, don't you just feel refreshed? you feel better than at pretty much any other time. why wouldn't we follow this advice? we'd have to be crazy...

"Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." (11:28)

i think it's interesting how the author pits "those who trust in their riches" and "the righteous" as opposites. very interesting.

so - don't trust in your riches! or you'll fall flat on your face. reminds me of this.

the "thrive like a green leaf" wording doesn't really connect with me... sorry, Solomon. i guess you had to be there?  or think about green leaves more often.

but, i don't need any more convincing. i'm never going to trust in riches. that'd be crazy.

don't you think?