A central theme in the book of Proverbs is the benefit of righteous living. From a theological point of view righteousness is not a means to an end but an end in itself. We should not do what is right because we will gain from it. And yet there is indeed a prudential aspect to righteousness. To be righteous means to live in a right relationship with God and to be in step with his will for our lives. If we live a righteous life then, according to the wisdom of the Bible, it will go well with us. And that doesn’t refer to any reward beyond this life, though that is of course the greatest benefit. The proverbs tell us that righteousness is beneficial in this life. The philosopher Socrates (in a dialogue recorded in Plato’s Republic) was challenged to prove that justice could be of any benefit in this life. His challenger claimed that no one with any prudence would pass up the opportunity to gain from unjust behaviour. He challenged Socrates to imagine a scenario in which a person was given a ring that would make him invisible (presumably, this is where Tolkien got his idea). Would it not seem irresistibly prudent to use this to gain power over others? No, said Socrates, because an unjust person is in conflict with himself. Injustice breeds a conflict of soul that destroys the unjust just as Sméagol became Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. Both Socrates and Tolkien saw things rightly. Justice rewards the just in the long term because a life lived through a bad conscience is inevitably bitter.
Ask God to help you live with integrity of heart.
Read Proverbs 11:1-21
