Proverbs 28:19...Be Realistic

"He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough." (Prov. 28:19).

Do you ever get tired of doing the same thing every day? You wake up, take your shower, eat the same bowl of cereal, go to work (where you do the same thing every day), come home, eat supper, watch TV, spend some time with the family and then go to bed. Sleep. Wake up. Repeat.

If you're anything like me, this kind of repetition is hard. It's okay for a while, but then you get...antsy. You begin to yearn for something new and more exciting. So you begin to dream and fantasize about different things you might do. Maybe you'll go back to school and get a degree. Maybe you'll look for a new job. Maybe you'll just sell your house and buy a new one. You just want to do something new and exciting. Mix things up a bit, ya know?

While there's nothing wrong with wanting to change things up a bit, we've got to be careful that we don't trade certainty for uncertainty. In other words, if you have a steady income with your current job, don't throw it away to pursue something that is uncertain, especially when you have a family to support.

That seems to be Solomon's point. The man who tills his land has to work hard every day, but his needs are met. It might be tempting to get away from the same old 9-5 work and pursue what the wise man calls "frivolity," but he tells us NOT to do it.

Again, if you are prudent and you plan ahead and you have mapped out your course of action and you feel confident that you and your family will be provided for in the end...and if you have the support of your family...and if you seek the counsel of others (Prov. 11:14), then more power to you. Do it. But don't forsake a steady source of income just because you have some itch to do something different.

Maybe you don't struggle with this. Maybe you're the kind of person that craves the ritualism and stability. But in our A.D.D. society, I think I'm safe in saying that most people need to hear the message above...including myself.

The grass is always greener on the other side. But at some point, we've got to learn contentment.