Testing Character

“As the fining pot for silver,
and the furnace for gold;
so is a man to his praise” (Prov 27:21).

Your character is what you really are. It is not what your parents make you do, or how you want to look to your friends, or even what you someday hope to be. It is what you are in your heart. Your character is exposed by your actions. When you are put in a difficult situation, it shows your character—who you really are. When you are alone or with people you feel comfortable, then your character comes to the surface.
This proverb describes something else that tests or displays your character: praise or fame. There are two examples that are similar to a third thing. First, a “fining pot” is for silver. Silver is purified by heating it into a liquid and removing the dross, or impurities. Second, a furnace is for gold. Gold is refined by smelting, a process that involves heat and a carbon reducing agent. The two examples are similar: they undergo a refining process that shows how pure and valuable they really are.
In the same way, people undergo a refining process: fame and praise. When somebody becomes famous, he may become very proud, refusing to associate with “lower” people. He may become very selfish and greedy, trying to gain financially from his fame. He may use his fame to try to advance causes or interests he thinks are important. But it is not so much that the fame “changes” him, but that it “reveals” his true character.
How about you? If you are praised by a teacher or parent, do you demonstrate a heart of pride? If you become more popular with classmates at school, does it show an unkind and unloving spirit? What does praise reveal about your character?

Never Full!

“Hell and destruction are never full;
so the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Prov 27:20).

Some of you can eat an awful lot of food, which is fine, because you’re growing boys and girls. Your parents may think you never get enough to eat. It may seem that way, but sooner or later, you get full (although it may take several pizzas or burritos). This proverb compares things that are never full. Each part of the proverb personifies an inanimate object: death and our eyes.
The first part of the comparison says that hell and destruction are never full. The grave, or death, never has enough. There is never a time when Death says, “Enough people have died.” People are always dying—it’s one of the certitudes of life. Benjamin Franklin is famous for saying, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Just as death is never satisfied, so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Man’s desire to have things is never satisfied: he sees something, he wants it, and he tries to get it. When he finally gets it, he makes a disappointing discovery: it doesn’t satisfy. Have you ever been let down after waiting a long time for something? After days or weeks or months of excitement and buildup, finally realizing the goal can’t live up to the anticipation.
What our sinful hearts think will make us happy never satisfies. People suppose that the pleasure of a vacation, alcohol, food, music, or pornography, will make them happy. But as soon as they get back from vacation or sober up, they crave something more. It does not satisfy. Some people think that getting a possession or more money will fulfill them. It does not. Others think that if they can get in the right crowd, with cool friends, or some position of power, that will satisfy. All of these people learn the truth of this proverb the hard way: the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall. . . .

“As in water face answereth to face,
so the heart of man to man” (Prov 27:19).

We all use the mirror every day (or at least I hope you do!). We look in the mirror, which is basically something shiny that reflects our image back to us. By looking in the mirror, we can see ourselves (actually, we see a reflection of ourselves). In Bible times, they didn’t have mirrors on the wall or hand mirrors to use, but smooth water always makes a great reflecting surface. You can look in the water and see yourself looking down. This reflection forms the basis for this proverb.
Just as you can look into smooth water or a mirror and see a reflection of your face, so your heart attitudes reflect who you really are. When we talk about the heart, we aren’t referring to the organ that pumps blood, but the seat of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. What you think and feel reveals who you really are.
It’s easy to hide your true thoughts and feelings. You may say nice things to others but inwardly be filled with malice and hatred toward them. You may look nice and dress appropriately, but still be rebellious and disobedient in your heart. You may keep your body pure but allow your mind and heart to be corrupted with lust and filthiness. You may always do the right thing but do it simply to make others like you. You may say the right things with your mouth but be thinking vile and unkind things in your heart. It’s actually quite easy to hide who you really are.
But deep down, what is your heart like? You may convince yourself that you are a good person because you are a teacher’s pet, friends like you, and your parents brag about you. Don’t be fooled: “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7). Address heart issues in your life, not just outward appearances.

Patience Is a Virtue

“Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof:
so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored” (Prov 27:18).

I struggle with patience. When I work on something, I want it to be done right away. When I order something, I want it right now! Consequently, I’m not a very good gardener. I just have a hard time waiting for the plants to grow and bloom and blossom. I have an even harder time with trees. Who has ten or fifteen years to wait for a sapling to grow up into a tree that has fruit?
This proverb teaches that patience is indeed a virtue. While it may take years, the person who carefully grows, tends, prunes, and fertilizes a fruit tree will eventually be able to enjoy its fruit. The fruit does not come immediately; it takes time. However, patiently caring for the tree for years and years pays off when the fruit comes.
In a similar way, you should not expect to start out at the top. This is how life is: you must prove yourself first. You don’t get a job and immediately begin as the president of the company or the manager of the store. You start at the “bottom of the totem pole,” doing the jobs that nobody else wants. Generally speaking, if you work hard and do a good job at those little tasks, you will advance up through the system, but it takes time and patience.
Our world does not value patiently serving and working and waiting for God’s timing. It wants everything right now! Buy now, pay later! Pay nothing for a full year! Get rich quick! Nothing that is truly worthwhile comes quickly. Learn to be a patient young person. Expect to begin at the bottom and work your way up. Don’t be frustrated or angry when people don’t assume you are wonderful—use that time as an opportunity to prove your ability to serve others and learn the lessons you need to learn. Be patient in school and don’t be in a hurry to get to the next level. Patience is a virtue.

Making Sparks Fly

“Iron sharpeneth iron;
so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Prov 27:17).

You should see the sparks fly when a knife is sharpened on an electric bench grinder! When the knife touches the grinder, there is an ear-splitting sound of scraping metal and sparks shower from the knife. Why would anybody do something that sounds so awful and looks so frightening? A hardened steel knife must go through a pretty traumatic process to become sharper and more useful.
In this proverb the writer likens sharpening a knife to a person sharpening the countenance of his friend. Have you ever noticed the effect your friends’ attitudes have on you? If they are happy, it’s not long before you start feeling more cheerful yourself. If they’re in a bad mood, pretty soon you are both grumpy.
We have a great influence on our friends, and they on us too. We must be especially careful about how we influence our friends: are we making them better? Are we encouraging them and building them up? That doesn’t necessarily mean we always say the things they want to hear. Sometimes it may mean we have to tell them hard things they don’t really want to hear. We may have to confront them. Sparks may fly. But if what we want is our friend’s best, then that is okay.
We may be fun people to hang around, but we may not sharpen our friends at all. We may dull them. We may simply waste their time. Maybe you have friends like that: you probably should get rid of them. You need to have and to be a friend who sharpens those around them, who builds them up, and who helps them to be more pleasing to Jesus Christ. Are you a good friend? How do you “sharpen” your friends?