The Person We Desire

[Proverbs 19:6, 22]

What kind of person do you like? What kind of person do you want to be friends with? I came across a touching article on a website titled "A True Friend," and I would like to share it with you:
"A friend is the face you suddenly miss when you're wandering in longing, and the person who only wishes to be by your side while you're alive. A friend is someone who can wipe away your tears when you're crying, and who responds to your bright smile. A friend is someone who thinks of you no matter where you are. A friend expects nothing in return and is a being of love, willing to give everything. A friend is someone who prays that they can share in your pain and sorrow. A friend is someone who can provide a warm feeling when you're feeling defeated, and someone who respects your desire to walk alone when you want. A friend is the person you want to call when you're lonely, and the person you'd want to send a short message to. A friend is someone who can love all of you and, even when an unexpected farewell comes, only wishes for your happiness" (Internet).
Friends, do you have a friend like this? If not, wouldn't it be nice to have one? Now, who is the person that the Bible says we should desire?

In today's passage, Proverbs 19:22, the writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, says: "What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar."
I want to reflect on this verse under the title "The Person We Desire" and consider two main points, seeking the lessons that God wants to teach us.

First, the person we desire is a generous person.

Look at Proverbs 19:6: "Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts."
In times like these, when the economy is not doing well and everyone is struggling, it may be difficult to find someone who treats you generously. Especially in a world where many people are soaked in materialism and are hesitant to do anything that could harm their interests, finding someone who treats you generously can be even harder. But, how would you feel if you met someone who, even at a cost to themselves, treats you generously?
Personally, I frequently visit a restaurant called El Pollo Loco. There is one near my church, and another one near my house, so I usually go to one of those two places and order my favorite Tostada Salad. Once, at the El Pollo Loco near my house, I ordered the Tostada Salad, but when I opened the container, I noticed there was too little lettuce. So, I asked the worker to give me more. Another time, when I visited the same restaurant near my church, the worker looked at me, checked my name, and made my food so generously that I was very grateful.
Friends, wouldn't you prefer a generous person over a stingy one?

In Proverbs 19:6, King Solomon speaks of the generous person as one who is willing to give and help others. Especially, this person empathizes with the plight of others and desires to assist those in need. The generous person is described as someone "who gives gifts" (as stated in the second part of the verse). Therefore, the generous person not only provides food for the poor (Proverbs 22:9), but also shows kindness all day long (Psalm 37:26). Such a generous person brings abundance to others (Proverbs 11:25).
How would you respond if someone gave you help, gifts, and kindness throughout the day? According to Proverbs 19:6, the Bible says that many people seek favor from such generous individuals, and many want to be friends with them. Do you have a generous friend like this?

Proverbs 18:16 comes to mind: "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men." When meditating on this verse, I was reminded of the gift God has given us: Jesus Christ. The fact that God gave Jesus, the greatest gift, to sinners like us, and to those who were enemies of God, makes us reflect. As a result of this gift, are we not being led toward the throne of grace of the glorious God? Therefore, we must approach the throne of grace with boldness to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Moreover, through God’s grace, we should live lives that show grace to others. We must also be generous toward them. By doing so, we will be blessed (Proverbs 22:9), and not only we, but also our descendants, will receive blessings (Psalm 37:26). God will make us prosperous and will enrich us (Proverbs 11:25).

Lastly, second, the person we should long for is one who is compassionate.

Let’s look at today’s passage, Proverbs 19:22: "What is desired in a man is his kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar."
Friends, what do you desire in a person? Is it not, as this verse says, their kindness? The original Hebrew of this verse translates as follows: "The desire of a man is his kindness, and the poor is better than a liar" (Park Yun-sun). This means that "if a man has a sincere desire to show kindness in his heart, a poor man who acts with kindness is better than a rich man who acts without sincerity" (Park Yun-sun). Here, the writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, is telling us that what matters is not whether we are rich or poor, but whether we have a desire in our hearts to show kindness. Why is this important? Because God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). And because God desires truth in our innermost being (Psalm 51:6), it is crucial that we have a genuine desire in our hearts to be kind.

Friends, if you had to choose, would you prefer a lying rich person or a truthful poor person? Especially when the rich may appear to help many, but lack kindness in their hearts, while the poor, with a kind heart, helps a few neighbors, who would you consider better? One of the things I am thankful to God for is that the members of the church in Mexico, as well as our mission team from Victory Presbyterian Church, are serving the Mexican people with pure hearts. According to Pastor Gómez, who is leading our Hispanic ministry, many churches in Mexico are not serving souls with pure hearts. For example, many churches require money or material goods from those who attend. However, our church in Mexico is providing free meals and various items to people who come, which is why they continue to attend. Even here at Victory Presbyterian Church, a couple from our congregation collects canned food every day and brings it to the church, which our mission team then takes to the church in Mexico to distribute to those who come. This, I believe, is a truly precious ministry. One sister in the Mexico church is sharing the canned food with her neighbors while also evangelizing. What a beautiful ministry that is!

Friends, we must do good to our neighbors. We must have a heart that desires to show kindness (a desire) toward them. With this heart, we must show love to our neighbors while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because God has first shown us grace, and continues to show us grace. Solomon understood this grace, and he acknowledged it in 1 Kings 3:6: "Solomon said, 'You have shown great kindness to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart, and you have kept for him this great kindness in giving him a son to sit on his throne this day.'"
Therefore, King Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to God on the altar at Gibeon (1 Kings 3:4), and God appeared to Solomon in a dream, saying, "Ask what you wish, and I will give it to you" (1 Kings 3:5).

Friends, those who know God's great grace cannot help but show grace to their neighbors. Those who experience God's immense kindness cannot help but share that kindness. The person of God who knows that the Lord's kindness is better than life itself (Psalm 63:3) cannot help but share that kindness with their neighbors. What we must long for now is precisely this kindness of God. We must long even more for God's kindness. Therefore, we must become Christians full of kindness.

I would like to close with a reflection on the Word. Friends, the true friend we must desire is Jesus. Why? Because Jesus desires us (Song of Songs 7:10). To what extent does Jesus desire us? He desires us to the point of carrying all our sins in our place and dying on the cross for us, loving and desiring us to the very end. Jesus delights in showing us His kindness and treats us with great generosity. We must be able to confess like the psalmist: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You” (Psalm 73:25). And I hope that we can sincerely praise God with the words of Hymn 88 from the new hymnal: “My true friend, the Savior Jesus, is beautiful, the lily of the valley, the shining morning star. There is no way to describe my Lord, who is my great comfort when my heart is sad, and my good friend when I am lonely. He is the lily on the mountain and the shining morning star, and nothing on this earth can compare.”