Proverbs 16:30 ESV
Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.
[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+16%3A30&version=ESV]
What’s the difference between paranoid and prudent? Should I cut off my friend for looking suspicious? Should I disregard how that stranger is hiding a dripping red knife behind his back as he approaches? When am I being foolish in the first way, when in the second, when paranoid, when reckless? This proverb gives us a little hint, and we can carry it farther in application to understanding others and making ourselves understood.
First, we must assess people by our relationship with them. Strangers, family members, friends, acquaintances, politicians, lawyers, they all get different amounts of lee-way, different amounts of trust. If a family member mysteriously takes to hiding things from me sometime in November, I’m much less likely to suspect ill intent than if a stranger seems unusually focused on keeping me from looking back behind me.
Further, different relationships mean different types of trust, different levels of understanding. I know my sister quite well; when I see her up to something, I have a deep trust that it is not malicious. I also know my brother well; when I see him up to something, I have to analyze whether mischief is afoot- loud mischief. Because I know them, in short, I can assess not just their actions but their character, why they tend to do things, what they tend to want. I know their motives.
This step, analyzing motives, is important. If we think about a politician, we can often make sense of actions that appear strange simply by asking which voter it appeals to, which donor parleyed for it, which part of his image it fosters. That’s a form of looking at motives, and it’s essential to life to develop this sort of strategic empathy, the ability to figure out what the other person wants, to consider their actions and what those actions could be aimed towards. With those we are close to, of course, these analyses will be much more accurate.
Second, we should be wary of liars, should mind how small things become large with time. It is not paranoia to be wary of somebody who has lied before; it is recklessness to implicitly trust somebody who has repeatedly deceived you. This proverb gives us the sum: those who use subterfuge, winking to a conspirator or pursing their lips against truth (whether to keep it in or lie by implication), such men tend to have evil motives. Some subterfuges, of course, are without malice. If, as noted above, somebody is persistently hiding the presents they are planning to give on Christmas, that’s subterfuge, but it’s not malicious. In a sense, it’s hardly subterfuge, admittedly, as we all know the motive for the pretense; the Christmas deception is not really a lie.
What makes a lie a problem is when it harms, when it is unnecessary, when it is merely convenient. These lies may be small. I can lie to make sure nobody else has seconds of the soup I really liked; I can deceive everybody into thinking I’m three centimeters taller than I really am; I can lie to avoid admitting I was a minute late because I overslept (rather than because of traffic). Small lies, however, build large habits. A man who lies for a small cause is establishing a skill and a tolerance, hardening his conscience. When the crunch comes and a big opportunity appears, something he needs to lie to get ahold of, he’s much more likely to use that big lie. It’s entirely just, therefore, to watch for small lies and be wary of somebody because of those small deceptions, provided they are repeated (as repetition shows a lack of repentance).
Third, we ought to set a high standard for ourselves: to be clear and forthright with what is right to be said. As we look for from others, so we ought to muster in ourselves. This does not mean just blurting out everything. Tact is still good. No, it means that we ought to be careful that others hear the nothing but the truth in what we say, particularly with brothers and sisters in Christ, that our speech should not be deceptions for our own sake, for our comfort or our interests. Note too that we have no commandment to aid the evil-doer, are called even to thwart him with deception from his evil, though never at the cost of the Gospel or lying beyond the mere necessity of blunting his malice (Josh. 2; James 2:25).
God Himself is our model in all of this. He sets forth His purpose plainly in Scripture, His purpose and the relation He would have with us. In Genesis 3, in Isaiah 53, in the rest of Scripture, He set out the purpose of His Son’s coming. As part of that, He speaks clearly to us, telling us the way we should go: to repent and believe in Him (Mark 1:15), walking by that faith in the righteousness with which He garbs us (Is. 61:10; Ps. 119).
God bless.
Written by Colson Potter
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
