Proverbs 25: King James Bible
Being a Burden – Daily Devotion of Proverbs chapter twenty five, Verse 17
17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
Daily Inspiration from This Verse – Being a Burden
This verse would run well together with a devotional that we tackled earlier in this chapter called “Be Lifted.” That devotional talked about placing ourselves in a position of honor without the consent of anyone else. The verse above is referring to being a burden to our neighbors.
Though they seem to run along the same vein, the intentions of the offender are poles apart. Someone imposing themselves pridefully is acting out in a selfish manner, whereas someone being a burden to a neighbor due to overstaying their welcome might simply be oblivious.
I’ve never met anyone who sets out to go over a friend’s house, with the intentions of overstaying their welcome. Have you?
However, I know all kinds of people who have overstayed their welcome to the point of being a burden to their host. The more I think about it, I’m fairly certain that I am guilty of this also.
I find the verse above to be rather refreshing. Being a burden to others as described above isn’t one of those die hard lessons from the Lord. Instead it is one of those loving sound pieces of advice from our Father.
He doesn’t want our friends family, or neighbors to grow weary with his children. He wants others to think well of you, and to be inviting toward you.
None of us want to be “that person” who is known to wind up being a burden to their hosts at a gathering of whatever nature. We’d all rather be warmly invited and enjoyed while being around, right? Thus the Father gives us advice above.
To avoid being a burden to people in this nature, you don’t have to make sure you’re the first one out the door at a gathering. But think of your hosts, and place yourselves in their shoes.
The idea is, to keep them in mind, and consider others before yourself. When doing this you may realize that just because your hosts are still hanging out with you on the couch after the rest of the company has left, doesn’t mean they don’t want to hit the sack. That’s a rough example, but you get what I’m trying to say.
One thing about this verse that we may overlook. The Lord is telling us more than what it takes to avoid being a burden. He is sharing with us a piece of his very own nature. Think on that for a moment.
He first loved us. We’re supposed to love our neighbor. He comes when invited, as do we. But he’ll also back off during certain situations. He never outstayed his welcome to any of us who believe in him, and wills for us to be like him.
The world will hate us just because we don’t belong to the world. That is being a burden in a manner that is outside of our control, in fact, Jesus tells us over and over again that the world will hate you for it. But let it hate you for the gospel’s sake, not for any other reason such as having poor manners or etiquette toward your neighbor.
Rejoice in knowing that the Lord wills to think well of us, and wants others to do so as well! What a wonderful Father we have in the Lord!
Related New Testament Scripture
Matthew 5:
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Matthew 11:
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 22:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Romans 13:
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
2 Corinthians 11:
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
Prayer
Father,
Thank you for this heart warming lesson, not that the instructions alone warm the heart, but understanding your intent behind the instruction gives us joy. Help us to do better as it relates to loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Stir us to place others ahead of ourselves, and to have the ability to place ourselves in the shoes of others, to gain understanding into how we can avoid being a burden to them. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen
Question
Have you ever realized that your outstayed welcome was being a burden to your host?