Proverbs and Things

I was reading Proverbs 11 (today's the 11th...go figure), and a couple of verses stuck out to me. One is pretty funny, the other a little sobering. The latter: "The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight." Proverbs 11:1
This verse, the first of my quiet time for the day, reminded me that God judges everyone the same. Sometimes I find this concept comforting, as when I'm feeling down it's usually after I've sinned and I am caught up in remorse--usually at those times I start thinking I'm not good enough for God's love. And the truth is, I'm not. But he does anyway, like he loves everyone else, and will continue to love ALL of us no matter what. God loved Hitler.
The other side of the coin is the internal battle with scales: how we look at others, and subconsciously compare ourselves with them. I do this all the time! My point here is, it's unfair to look at someone else tripping up and condemn them for their imperfection and think, "At least I'm not ___________." It's also unfair to think, "Look how great she is. Why can't I look like that, or do what she's doing?" I'm not her, and she's not me, and no amount of wishing will make that true.

The funny verse I read: "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." Proverbs 11:22
The same verse in the Message: "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful face on an empty head."
Isn't that great? I don't want to be the ring or the pig...such a weird simile! Still, the basic meaning gets through (even though the imagery is kind of crazy). Don't use your beauty for gain, or for any reason other than to glorify God. As a barista, it's easy to use being cute as a way to try for more tips, so some days I have to shake myself out of that mindset.

Wow, blogging is fun! Maybe when life slows down, I'll do it more often. Britney, I don't mean to invade your Proverbs space, it just came to me. :)