Proverbs - BETTER

Proverbs 19:1

                                                                                        

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity,

than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Many proverbs contain this sort of comparison.  The Lord tells us what is better than something else.  This implies that we could make choices that are not obviously sinful to us and miss out on a better choice.  The Lord is telling us that, in His value system, it is better to be poor, or lack some sort of financial worth and have our integrity than having our lips get us things by slanting the truth.  Loan applications, time cards, the bill we receive at a restaurant are all to be handled with integrity.  If we see that we were not charged for an item, we ought to bring it to the merchant’s attention.  It is better to have the money leave our pockets than our integrity leave our lives.  If we are counseled to exaggerate on an application for a purchase, we must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly and rather walk in our integrity.  It is better to leave without the purchase than without our integrity.  If we were gone longer than we should at lunch we ought mark that down or request to work longer at quitting time so that we represent the truth to our employers.  It is better to lose some money on the paycheck than lose our integrity in their eyes.  Ladies, when God says something is better, it is better.  Let us be like Mary and choose the better part.