Walking with the Wise #467: Proven Reliable

“Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble


is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.”
—Proverbs 25:19 (NLT)

One of the central tenets of Christianity is forgiveness—receiving the forgiveness offered by God through Christ, and forgiving others when they have wronged us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that there aren’t consequences for actions, however. Someone may come to me asking for forgiveness seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:22), and I will give it. Having said that, if they are requesting forgiveness for something for which I was dependent upon them and they failed to deliver when it was fully in their ability to do so, I will still forgive them. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that I will continue to enlist their help or trust them as I once did, especially if they have proven to be unreliable.

Depending on an unreliable person is like trying to eat food with a broken tooth, or walking on a painful foot—it's pointless and will give you nothing but pain and frustration. Instead, find those who are dependable, honest, and trustworthy, and you will find them to be a helpful delight to your soul. Amen.