MIDWEEK MEDITATION

The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
 Proverbs 22:13

The lion isn’t real. 

When we can’t face reality, we often turn to our imagination. We imagine all manner of reasons why we shouldn’t go outside of our situation and make the changes we need to make. We justify situations, actions, and inactions to ourselves and others even when the reasons don’t add up. In Proverbs 22:13, instead of naming the problem that keeps him from working and contributing to the community, he deflects: there is a lion outside. 

But the lion isn’t real. 

Reality is hard to face sometimes. But the path of wisdom means dealing with reality as it exists, not as we wish it would be. Take a few moments to meditate on this cautionary proverb. Are there areas in your life that you are unwilling to face? Can you name the lions in your life for what they really are?