24 The path of life leads upward for the wise
That he may keep away from [r]Sheol below.
25 The Lord will tear down the house of the proud,
But He will establish the boundary of the widow.
26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
But pleasant words are pure.
27 He who profits illicitly troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 [s]Bright eyes gladden the heart;
Good news puts fat on the bones.
31 He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.
32 He who neglects discipline despises himself,
But he who listens to reproof acquires [t]understanding.
33 The [u]fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.
There is a lot of talk about self-esteem and self-worth in our culture. At this point, it isn’t even a new thing anymore, and while it may be well-intentioned, it misses the mark. But there’s something in this passage, verse 32 especially, that gives us a nudge in the right direction.
With that in mind though, as we look back through this passage, there are more “nudges”. In v. 25 we see the danger of being too proud, and in v. 27, we see that ill-gotten gains bring on trouble instead of security. The latter echoes v. 32, that if we value our own safety and the security of our family (house), then we ought to avoid dishonesty at all costs.
That also means we shouldn’t be putting on a show, trying to “keep up with the Joneses”, which is the same sort of dishonest and pride-filled mindset. Verse 33 reminds us that humility comes before honor. Don’t build yourself up or put yourself on a pedestal, but graciously accept any honor that might come your way.
Going back to v. 32 one last time though, we see the reverse, and a truer way to measure our self-esteem. If you neglect discipline, then you don’t think much of yourself. But if you really value yourself, if you truly see your worth as God sees you, then you’ll listen to instruction, reproof, and especially God’s correction.
There’s no way around it, God values you, and has given us “instructions for life and godliness” (2 Tim. 3). To ignore those, is to ignore the very foundation of our value in the eyes of our Creator. You are valuable, because God has a plan and instructions for your life. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Ps. 34:8)