“Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
What you decide is valuable to you also decides what will make you happy and satisfied with life!
Life is “better” when you only have a dish of vegetables to eat than when you have a sumptuous banquet with beautiful thick, juicy steak; but only if you value loving relationships more than luxury living. You see, if you value a wealthy lifestyle more than you value relationships, then you’ll be willing to damage relationships for the sake of personal gain. You might gain wealth, but what good is wealth if your life is filled with relational stress and conflict?
Here the Lord is reminding us of two things we should value very highly, because they make life truly better. The most important He gives us first: “the fear of the Lord”. Always act out of a healthy respect for who God is and how much your life flows from your relationship with him. Put him first in all things.
The second thing we should value very highly is our relationships with those we love. Even if your financial situation leaves you only able to eat a dish of vegetables, you’ll be satisfied with life if your relationships with those most important to you are good.
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