Remember those old balance scales? Put the weight on one side and the
item you are weighing on the other. Add to or take away enough of the
item so that it equals the weight and the two sides balance.
We had one in our home growing up – it was just for decoration. My sister and I played with it and we understood how it worked. I’ve learned since then that businessmen who also understood how it worked used the balance scale to cheat their customers and fellow entrepreneurs.
This is how they would do it. The unfair businessmen had two bags of
weights, one for selling and one for buying which were kept out of sight
of the customer. Let’s say a woman who had grown lavender to sell at
the market presented her product to the dishonest businessman. He would
get out his bag of heavy weights, the ones for buying. He would put the
one-pound weight on one side and she’d put her lavender on the other.
His one-pound weight weighed 17 ounces, though, because he had added a
dab of clay to the bottom. In the transaction, he receives 17 ounces of
lavender and pays for only 16 ounces. The woman is paid for one pound
of her product, but she used up 17 ounces of her wares. The deceitful
marketer gains an ounce.
When a customer would come to his market stand to buy lavender, he would
then get out his selling weights, the lighter ones. He would put his 15
ounce one-pound weight on one side of the scale, and the customer would
put the lavender on the other side until the two sides balance out. The
customer pays for a pound, but is really only getting 15 ounces of
lavender. Again, the dishonest businessman gains an ounce.
Sometimes us parents have transactions like these with our children in
character qualities. If we aren’t living out who we say we are, we
aren’t weighing properly on the balance scale. We may be selling our
children short by not being the example they need to grasp what honesty
truly is, or what dependability truly is, or what integrity truly
is,…you get the idea.
This analogy is a gentle and Christ-centered call to choose the ways of Christ over your own, be authentic and genuine. Leave behind those hindrances that muddle the qualities of Jesus in your person so you can be the best representation of all Goodness to your children.
Take a look at these illuminating verses:
·
Proverbs 11:1, “The Lord hates it when people use
scales to cheat others.
But he is delighted when people use honest weights.” (NIRV)
·
Proverbs 20:10, “False weights and unequal measures,
the Lord detests double standards of every kind.” (NLT)
·
Proverbs 20:23, “The Lord hates weights that weigh
things heavier or lighter than they really are. Scales that are not
honest don't please him.” (NIRV)
·
Proverbs 16:11, “A just balance and scales belong to
the Lord; all the weights of the bag are His concern.” (NASB)
