Proverbs 14:2 To juke or not to juke
He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.
Proverbs 14:2 NASB
The Hebrew word for uprightness means: straightness, evenness of path, often inferring rightness, what is due, right, or even predictable. In contrast, devious (in his ways) means: to turn aside, depart, the inferred meaning being deviousness, guile, or even to vanish.
The word picture is comparing the route one takes for walking. The one who considers God, walks straight — which is a benefit to him in that he may see what is ahead. It’s also a benefit to others in that it is often predictable. Walking with uprightness means I am exposed and even vulnerable. But if in my heart I don’t consider God, walking straight is a liability. Instead, my intentions are to be devious, and to “to turn aside” or “depart” from what is expected. If someone is shooting at me, I would make a difficult target. I purposely pursue a trajectory so I won’t be seen, departing from what one would expect of me. What my Father would expect. And doing so demonstrates contempt.
The Message Bible: An honest life shows respect for GOD; a degenerate life is a slap in his face. Proverbs 14:2 MSG
I live out my values in my action and behavior. If I value and love someone, I consider what is important to her in my choices. I contemplate what I am doing and the effect it will have on her. With God it is no different: I consider His law (or the written expression of what He loves and hates), I check in with my conscience and listen to that voice within that speaks to me about what is right and wrong, the intrinsic code of justice written on man’s heart and I pay attention to His Holy Spirit that fills me.
Walking in uprightness is mostly — predictable. One can easily spot a man or woman with unflinching character who without apology lives by a higher code of right and wrong. And this is the point of the Proverb: Those who zig zag are unpredictable, hard to follow — and are doing so with purpose. Their own unreliable purpose.
As a hiring manager at my company, I have the pleasure of interviewing candidates for open positions within my department. Besides a resume, I must assess a candidate within the span of a 60 minutes or less, determine if she will fit with my team, have the skills needed to do the work, and is motivated or energized by the job. Their past performance is a good indicator of their future fit. Demonstrated behavior is the only way to reconcile resume words and interview words with the action I am expecting. And as much as we don’t qualify potential employees on their personal life — the two cannot be separated. Who one is at home is the person she brings to work. So as a hiring manager, I listen to a person’s “walk.” Uprightness, or straightness is easy to spot. It’s a core part of “being.” But if what I am hearing is a muddled, confusing, obfuscated path, it can mean many things, but at it’s root, I recognize I’m not getting the full picture. Someone wants to hide something. Are they qualified to do the job? Possibly. But someone who is guarded, particularly with the stakes of the short time to get to know each other, raises a red flag for me. What aren’t they telling me? Owning my life and history is part of walking uprightly — even if I’m not proud of it. But recovery, and honoring others, begins at being “straight” with myself.
A person who continues to be devious does so for one reason: to gain an advantage over another. To cover the truth — because in her case, the truth hurts or is damning. She knows she has chosen an indiscreet way and it’s to her advantage to step aside, and zig zag away from what she knows is right.
Behaviors are predictive. But when I have no regard for God then any behavior, as sinister as it may be, is possible with me. There are no restraints except to serve my own interests. That seems like a radical statement because everyone has a line, right? Of course, but the problem with that line is that it is negotiable. If I don’t care to consider right or wrong, then stealing could be to my advantage. I may be a thief, but I’m not a murderer. Am I? But is it really off the table for me if the right circumstances presented themselves? How about genocide? My point is that the one without a moral compass, that stake in the ground is embedded in sand. It moves easily.
Yet, when intrinsically woven together with the Father, my heart doesn’t have to consider such things. It takes a lot of work to be devious and plan how to take advantage of others (without getting caught!). Instead I may focus my energies on kingdom realities. Spending time in His courts, viewing his beauty, gazing into his eyes. Feeling what he is feeling. Loving as he is loving. Wrapping myself in something so much better than self.
The way I walk in life is a choice. I make the choice whether I am consciously aware of it or not. And I reap the fruit of those choices, whether I want to or not. Ultimately, my life is a gift I return to my Father. I pray it honors rather than despises Him.