The Right Life of a Christian (1)

[Proverbs 20:13–18]

A few months ago, during our Bible study in District 1, we read and shared together from Titus chapter 2. At that time, one of the deaconesses made a comment to the effect of, “It seems that people who believe in Jesus are worse [than others].” Later, after the study and during our meal, I had a conversation with her and was able to understand in more detail what she meant by that.

As I came to understand her meaning more clearly, I couldn't help but agree. Not only that, but there have been more than a few times when I’ve been at a loss for words seeing how we Christians not only fail to serve as the light and salt of the world but actually behave worse than nonbelievers.

When I reflect on the reason for this, I believe one of the causes is found in Titus 2:1: that we Christians have not been properly taught “sound doctrine.” As a result, we are unable to speak “sound words” (v. 8), and furthermore, we are failing to live a sound life.

Today, based on our passage in Proverbs 20:13–18, I would like to share with you under the title “The Right Life of a Christian” four key teachings on how we, as Christians, ought to live rightly. I hope and pray that by receiving and striving to practice these teachings, you and I may live as true Christians in this world.

First, we must have a proper way of living.

Let’s look at Proverbs 20:13:
"Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare."
As we have been meditating on Proverbs, we’ve already received teachings about laziness and diligence. One of those teachings comes from Proverbs 6:9–11:
"How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man."

When we reflect on today’s passage in Proverbs 20:13 in light of this, the conclusion we can draw is: “A lazy person loves sleep, and if you love sleep, you will become poor.”

Therefore, in today’s text, King Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, tells us: “Open your eyes,” meaning “stay awake.” In other words, don’t doze off when it’s time to work—stay alert.

For example, as we already reflected on in Proverbs 6:6–11, the writer of Proverbs tells us to be like the ant that “stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” (v. 8). He exhorts us not to love sleep when there is work to be done, but to stay awake and work. The Bible says that if we do so, “you will have food to spare.”

Brothers and sisters, when we look at the Bible, we see that God repeatedly tells us to “stay awake.” For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says:
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober."
So what should we do while staying awake and alert? We should pray.

Look at Colossians 4:2:
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
In Scripture, the phrase “stay awake” is frequently associated with prayer. In other words, the Bible tells us to stay awake and keep praying.

And why does Scripture command us to stay awake and continue praying? It is so that we may “not fall into temptation.”

Look at Matthew 26:41:
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Another major theme associated with “staying awake” in the Bible is the Second Coming of Jesus.

Matthew 24:42 says:
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."
Since we do not know when the Lord will return, we must be vigilant.

And Luke 21:36 adds:
"Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
In order to escape the things that are coming and to stand before the Lord, we are told to always pray and stay awake.

Brothers and sisters, what we must understand here about a Christian's proper lifestyle is this: “Do not love sleep, but stay awake and work diligently.” This reminds me of hymn number 330 in the New Hymnal, titled “Work, for the Night is Coming”:

(Verse 1)
Work, for the night is coming, stay faithful to your post;
Rise early when the dewy dawn appears;
From the rising of the sun, work with all your strength,
For the night is coming when no man can work.

(Verse 2)
Work, for the night is coming, stay faithful to your post;
Work while you can and do not waste your time;
Though there may be toil in the day, a time of rest will come;
But the night is coming when no man can work.

(Verse 3)
Work, for the night is coming, stay faithful to your post;
Labor hard in the rays of the setting sun;
Even when the light fades and darkness falls,
Do all that you possibly can.

Brothers and sisters, just like the lyrics of this hymn, we cannot deny that a night is coming when we will no longer be able to work. Moreover, we cannot deny that this day when we can no longer work is coming soon. Therefore, we must not waste time when it is time to work. And we must not love sleep when we should be working; rather, we must be diligent. This is the proper lifestyle of a Christian.

Secondly, we must speak rightly.

Look at Proverbs 20:14 from today’s passage:
“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer— then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

Brothers and sisters, how do you bargain when you're out buying something, whether at a department store or at a market? I still remember an experience from December 2003 when I had just returned to the U.S. and went car shopping with my father-in-law around Buena Park. That’s when I thought to myself, “Ah, so this is how you're supposed to buy a car.”

As I recall, my father-in-law asked a salesperson for the price and then acted as if it was too expensive. He said something like, “Let’s go look elsewhere.” In response, the salesperson said something along the lines of, “Maybe I can lower the price.” I believe that’s how we ended up buying the Honda that I still drive today.

A few weeks ago, I went to get my car washed, and one of the workers told me that because my vehicle is an SUV, I had to pay $15. I confidently told him that I paid $12.99 the last time I was there. He wrote down $13 on a slip of paper. Then, when I went inside and handed the slip to the Korean lady at the counter, she simply charged me $12.99.

In Proverbs 20:14, King Solomon is pointing out that a buyer may claim that an item is “no good” in order to negotiate the price down, but once he gets the deal, he boasts about how clever he was (MacArthur).

Have any of you had similar experiences? In this age where we can buy all kinds of items online, as buyers, we want quality goods at low prices, while sellers, of course, want to make as much profit as possible. So naturally, negotiations between buyer and seller occur. But when the price is fixed—as is often the case with online shopping (excluding auction sites)—there’s little room for bargaining.

However, in situations where the price is negotiable, both sides have to engage in some give and take. But in those negotiations—between those who want to pay less and those who want to earn more—it can be very difficult to keep the conversation pure and honest.

Especially for salespeople, being completely honest could mean less profit. So they may feel compelled to exaggerate or even lie.

But we Christians, even Christian salespeople, must speak truthfully.
In other words, we must not lie to or deceive our customers.

Why? Because, as we already reflected in Proverbs 20:10:
“The Lord detests differing weights and dishonest scales.”

Our God hates deception and falsehood.

Now look at Proverbs 20:17:
“Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.”

What does this mean? It means that what is obtained deceitfully may taste good at first, but in the end, it becomes unpleasant and deeply dissatisfying, like having a mouth full of sand (Walvoord).
Put differently, what is gained through deceit ultimately becomes a curse (Pastor Yoon-Sun Park).

Doesn’t this remind you of Proverbs 9:17?
“Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”

Whether it’s food gained by fraud, stolen water, or bread eaten in secret—all of these may taste good at first, but the consequences of such dishonest actions can never be truly good.

What’s more concerning is that even we Christians, despite having some awareness of the consequences of our wrong (sinful) choices, still sometimes lie and deceive others.

Brothers and sisters, we must not lie.
As Christians, we must not deceive others.
On the contrary, we must speak rightly.
We must speak the truth.

In doing so, our lips must be “wise lips.”
Look at Proverbs 20:15:
“Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.”

This means that our lips should speak knowledge. As Christians, we must speak knowledge of God. We must speak biblical knowledge, and speak of knowing Jesus Christ.

And when we speak, we must speak with wisdom, and also speak words that are appropriate for the time and situation (Walvoord).

Third, we must love rightly.

Let us look at today’s passage, Proverbs 20:16:
“Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is for an outsider.”

Friends, what would you do if someone you love asked you to be a guarantor for them? Especially, if you knew that this beloved person had no ability to repay the debt, would you still guarantee the loan for them? Or would you politely decline?

We have already been taught about standing surety or putting up security for a neighbor in Proverbs 6:1–5. The core message of that passage is that if we have given a pledge for our neighbor (v.1) and become ensnared by it (vv.2–3)—that is, if we take on the burden of their debt—then we must deliver ourselves (v.5).

Here, King Solomon, the author of Proverbs, is warning us about a foolish act—namely, knowingly taking on the responsibility of repaying a debt for someone who is unable to repay it. That is, standing as their guarantor.

Of course, I do not believe that the Bible teaches that being a guarantor itself is always foolish. If a neighbor is in financial distress, becoming their guarantor could be a practical expression of Christ-like love for one’s neighbor.

However, the foolish behavior Solomon warns against is this: becoming a guarantor without being prepared to take full responsibility if things go wrong, or being tricked into doing so, or acting without the financial ability to cover the debt.

In Proverbs 20:16, Solomon once again warns against potential mistakes in acting as a guarantor (according to Dr. Park Yoon-sun). The mistake here is guaranteeing a debt for someone you barely know (a stranger), and as a result, not being able to recover anything from them. So the question we must ask is: why would anyone become a guarantor for someone they barely know?

Dr. Park Yoon-sun referred to such an act as “economic recklessness.” What a great financial risk that is! Whether it is lending money to someone who cannot repay it or guaranteeing their loan, these actions can bring significant financial loss to the lender or guarantor.

Of course, some might argue—like loan sharks—that even lending money to someone with no ability to repay can be profitable by using every means to recover the money, often with excessive interest. They might say that this isn’t a loss, but a gain. However, Proverbs repeatedly warns against risky financial guarantees (6:1–5; 11:15; 17:18; 22:26–27).

Here are Dr. Park Yoon-sun’s words:
“When people (especially believers) take financial risks, they usually fail. The reason is that excessive financial risk is a kind of unbelief. It assumes that humans control the future and ignores God (cf. James 4:13–17).”

Friends, what do you think of the phrase “excessive financial risk is a kind of unbelief”? Do you agree?

As I’ve meditated on the book of Proverbs—the book of wisdom—I’ve come to realize more deeply that loving our neighbors with God’s love also requires God’s wisdom.

For example, as I briefly mentioned in the introduction, I had a conversation with a deacon after a Bible study group in our church. We talked about how we should love our neighbors. I shared with the deacon a few things God has taught me in my life. One of them was this: “Because I trust God, I will trust you.”
This is because, when we love someone, we tend to trust them completely, give everything, and treat them like family. But if that person betrays us, the hurt and loss can be so deep that we might end up saying, “There’s no one in this world I can trust.”

Another thing I shared was this: When loving our neighbor, we don’t need to reveal all our deepest truths to them. Personally, I like to live transparently and share openly. But one day, while reading the story of Samson in Judges 16, I was struck by how Delilah kept pressing him daily to tell her the secret of his strength. Eventually, his soul was so vexed to the point of death (vv.15–16), and “he told her everything” (v.17). That passage hit me hard. I shared with the deacon that, even with someone we love deeply, we don’t need to disclose everything in our hearts.

This is a lesson in moderation—even in loving others. And within that moderation, I believe we must learn to say “No” politely but firmly when it is necessary.

One such thing to which we must say “No” is standing as a guarantor.
Of course, if we are financially able to repay the debt and are fully prepared to do so out of love, then there is no issue.

But if we lack the financial means and, in the name of love, borrow money to lend or act as a guarantor, this is not wise or loving toward our neighbor.

Dr. Park Yoon-sun’s point—that such financial recklessness stems from unbelief that disregards God—should be taken seriously.

What the Bible teaches is that, instead of standing as a guarantor for someone we love, we should help them financially if they’re in need (cf. Deuteronomy 15:1–15; 19:17), or lend without charging interest (cf. Leviticus 25:35–38; 28:8).

Friends, we must love rightly in the sight of God.
Right love is love in the Lord and in the truth.
Love that departs from God’s truth is never true love.

We must love our neighbor, but we must do so according to God’s Word.

Especially, as today’s passage in Proverbs 20:16 tells us, we must be extremely careful about standing as a guarantor for strangers.

If we make a mistake in guaranteeing for our neighbor, we will not be able to avoid the consequences. Worse still, the result may be that we bring dishonor to the glory of God.

Therefore, when loving our neighbor, we must make wise judgments when it comes to guarantees, so that we do not fall into error.

Fourth and lastly, we must have proper management.

Let us look at today’s passage, Proverbs 20:18:
“Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.”

You are all familiar with Walmart, which achieved great success in the U.S. market, right?
However, do you know why Walmart, despite its success in America, suffered a major defeat in the Korean market after expanding globally (it entered Korea in 1998)? The reason is said to be that it overly emphasized low prices, which did not align with the preferences of Korean consumers.
For example, Korean shoppers tend to dislike the typical warehouse-style layout of discount retailers, even preferring discount stores to resemble department stores in how products are displayed. Walmart completely ignored these consumer preferences.
As a result, Walmart lost badly in competition with Korean companies like E-Mart, which better understood the Korean market. Ultimately, Walmart sold all its operations in Korea to E-Mart and withdrew entirely (according to online sources).

Reflecting on this result in light of Proverbs 20:18, we can see that in any form of management, both counsel and strategy are essential.
A good example of this is found in Exodus 18:17 and following, where Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, offers wise counsel to his son-in-law Moses.

The background of that passage is that Moses was sitting as judge for the people from morning until evening, and the people stood around him all day (v.13). Seeing this, Jethro told Moses that both he and the people would wear themselves out, and that the task was too heavy for one person alone (v.18).
So he advised Moses to appoint capable men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain—making them officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, to serve as judges for the people at all times (v.22).
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from among all Israel and made them leaders of the people—officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens—who judged the people regularly, bringing only the difficult cases to Moses (vv.24–26).

This shows clearly that consultation and advice are necessary and important in leadership and management.
This teaching is not only found in Proverbs 20:18, but also in Proverbs 15:22, where King Solomon writes:
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
And in Proverbs 11:14, we read:
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
This all means that to succeed—even in war—you need sound strategy and wise planning.

There is even an economist who once said that the Bible emphasizes economic matters more than any economics textbook.
Apparently, throughout the Old and New Testaments, there are around 15,600 verses that mention economics and management.
In this regard, the Bible is considered to be an excellent textbook on economics and a guide to management (according to online sources).

A model often referenced in biblical economics is the Torah-based economy, which is characterized by a clear separation between ownership and management.
From the very beginning, the Bible separates these two roles.
So, who is the owner? God.
And who is the manager? We are, those entrusted with management.
We are stewards, managing what God owns (online source).

This is one of the three essential biblical perspectives that Christians must have:

1. A biblical view of life,

2. A biblical view of vocation,

3. And a biblical view of material possessions.

A biblical view of possessions means recognizing that God is the owner, and we are the managers.

The key difference between biblical economics and secular economics is that secular economics focuses on how to earn, whereas the Bible teaches us first how to use money rightly (online source).

Look at Proverbs 16:1 and 3. Scripture tells us:
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord… Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
What is this teaching us? It’s teaching us that we must entrust our management to God.

Why is that?
Because only God’s plans are ultimately guaranteed to be fulfilled.
See Isaiah 14:24:
“The Lord of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.’”

Let me conclude this meditation.
Brothers and sisters, we are Christians.
And as Christians, we are called to live upright and faithful lives.

To live rightly as Christians means we must pursue:

• a right way of life,

• righteous speech,

• true love,

• and wise and godly management.

When we do these things, we will be able to fulfill our roles as the light and salt of the world in a faithful and effective way.