No offense to my midwestern pig farmer friends, but pigs have a reputation for being ugly. I personally think some pigs are cute, especially baby pigs. But for the most part, pigs are known for being dirty, fat, smelly, and awkwardly hairy. It is ridiculous to think that putting a gold ring in their nose is going to disguise the ugliness. With this observation, Solomon makes an important point.
The point Solomon makes has to do with the ugliness of indiscretion. A woman can be beautiful on the outside, but without discretion, she is compared to a pig who wears a nose ring. Beauty and indiscretion don't go together any more than a pig and a nose ring.
Women in Solomon's day wore nose rings the way women today wear rings on their ears, fingers, and yes, in their noses. They are meant to enhance their natural beauty. But all attempts to enhance their beauty is lost when they act without discretion.
Discretion is needed in what we say as well as in what we do. In other words, discretion is needed in all aspects of our lives. The best way to enhance outer beauty is to pay close attention to inner beauty. Our inner beauty is revealed whenever we allow a chance to gossip to be met with silence. Discretion is practiced when we have the opportunity to say something tacky but then surprise ourselves, and everyone else, by saying something encouraging.
You and I will reveal our inner beauty only by showing discretion in our words and actions. If we fail to do so, we will end up revealing the ugliness of our indiscretion. Just as a nose ring doesn't belong in a pig's snout, indiscretion doesn't belong in the life of God's people.
Indiscretion in word and deed is always going to be an ugly thing, no matter what kind of jewelry we might wear.
Thanks for sharing .. if only I could do this more :)
ReplyDelete