Obvious Isn’t Always

(Proverbs 11:15 KJV)  He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.

On the surface this would seem obvious.  Who would co-sign on a loan with someone they don’t even know?  I am too smart for that.  But wait a minute.  How would I be supporting a “stranger” (2114a)?  Ignore for a moment that this word often refers to adulteresses and prostitutes.  That also should be obvious.  Where would our equity be put to support people we don’t know?

One area I can think of would be in the stock market.  How many of us could even begin to know the people in charge of these giant funds?  Once we put some money into a “limited partnership” at an interest rate that was higher than average but not extreme.  We lost it all.  The strangers running the business lived very well until new money ran out.

Another area would be groups we join.  I am constantly asked to join groups like the PTA or buy Girl Scout cookies.  In these organizations, as much as I like and know the local people, I know that the national level is working against the values of Christ.

So?  Hard questions.  Difficult answers.  Each of us has to make our own decisions.  The key is to think and pray about the limited amounts of time and money we have to invest in the world around us.  Be aware.