Buyers vs Sellers
The concept of buying and selling is inescapable in our culture. There are shops set up everywhere we look, trying to entice us with items we may (or may not) need. Radio, TV, and internet commercials are strategically placed to get a product in front of those most likely to be persuaded to buy them. Even if you can’t afford to pay for something at the moment, there are traps…I mean, offers…to help you instantly increase your purchase ability.
But when you get right down to it, everything has an associated cost. Even if we’re not talking about money, we view our time and effort in terms of being “spent” or “sold”. We judge ourselves based upon how well we believe we have “spent” our time. That’s also the concept behind getting paid for doing work. I agree to “sell” you my time and efforts in exchange for $10/hour, $20/hour, or $100/hour…all depending upon the value you and I agree to for my labors.
The exchange of money or time or effort for something else comes down to a question of value. And what we, as individuals, place value on will vary greatly. How we perceive the value of an item or an experience is inherently subjective…and then throw in the clamoring of the marketplace, the influence of social media, on top of our own inner monologues…it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all of our choices and options.
As always, God has stepped in to give us direction. Toward the end of the book of Proverbs, we find this statement:
Proverbs 23:23
Buy – and do not sell – truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
The proverb has a genuine wisdom-feel to it, does it not? Whether you read it or hear someone say it, it’s one of those statements where we can all solemnly nod in agreement…and then move on with our lives…
But how do we actually apply this concept of buy and selling when it comes to these elements?
The easier of the two is the idea of buying. So much so that you can probably answer right away. The first way we can buy truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding is with our time. Do we spend our time securing the truth, seeking wisdom and instruction, or prioritizing understanding? Another piece of purchase power we have is our finances. Would our spending habits reflect the pursuit of these things?
The idea of selling can be a bit of a head-scratcher until we remember that the act of selling is just like buying – it is an exchange of something we have in order to obtain something else. Looking at our actions, do we find times where we’ve decided that life would be a little more convenient if we glossed over the truth? Have we ignored wisdom because we really want the shiny object in front of us? Have we replaced instruction and understanding with so-called “blissful” ignorance?
Additionally, whatever we would exchange truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding for would not be worth as much as those elements. Could money or fame or more shiny stuff really make you better off if they were purchased at the cost of our truthfulness or good judgment? In the long run, I think not…
The worst Biblical example of selling something valuable comes in Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome. Paul is stating that those who reject God and His truth are living under His wrath now, in this present life. In the midst of his discussion of those who make self-centered, unchecked-passion-driven choices, Paul gives this selling analogy:
Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator…
What we prioritize and how we spend our time, talent, and treasure matters greatly. Solomon wants us to recognize it and make choices accordingly:
Proverbs 23:23
Buy – and do not sell – truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Keep Pressing,
Ken