Imagine ten men in the early 1800s setting out to clear the dense woodlands along the Missouri River as American expansion pushed westward. Ready to build homes, each man carried an axe. One wielded a razor-sharp, pristine blade, while another’s was completely dull, blunted, and cracked. The other eight held axes that fell somewhere in between—some with sharper edges than others. As they worked, the keener the blade, the quicker the cut. Everyone felled trees that day, but some accomplished far more than others—simply because their blades were better prepared.

Life works the same way. It’s always challenging, but those who submit to God’s wisdom navigate it with greater ease. Just as axes exist on a spectrum of sharpness, wisdom is a lifelong process, not a pass/fail test. We all have blind spots and areas of folly. None of us possess the perfect wisdom of Jesus, but Proverbs calls us to sharpen our understanding so life becomes less burdensome.

In Proverbs 6, Solomon highlights three dull blades that make life harder. First, the father-king-scribe warns his son about risky financial behavior. Second, he rebukes the sluggard for his self-destructive habits. Finally, he gives a diagnostic description of a divisive and community-destroying man. If we neglect wisdom in these areas, we create difficulty not just for ourselves but for those around us.

In short, these mini-teachings address how we handle money, how we work, and how we treat others—each lesson is rooted in God's created order. We are made in God's image to steward God's creation, work his land, and build well-functioning communities for his glory. In essence, the wisdom of Proverbs is taking us back to our original design—we flourish under its guidance because it's how the world was supposed to function. We don't live in Eden anymore, and the fall of Genesis 3 has done a number on our world, but this section calls us back to garden living.

As we explore Solomon's lessons, we must remember the sliding scale, because we will recall times we made unwise financial decisions, were lazy about life and work, or were the cause of division in one of our communities. For this, we need the grace of God—it can provide for our forgiveness and our transformation. The Spirit can sharpen our blade, and he wants to use this text, and all of Proverbs, to do so.

So let’s consider these three warnings as positive exhortations: Be a wise steward. Be a wise worker. Be a wise community-builder.

1. Be A Wise Steward (6:1-5)

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Solomon speaks with urgent intensity here, warning his son against a specific financial entanglement—co-signing for someone else’s debt (pledge, security, stranger, neighbor, 6:1). The commitment his son had made with the words of his mouth had caught him in a trap, so he needed to find escape as soon as possible (6:2). It is clear Solomon thought the situation was dire, but what was the situation?

His concern isn’t too much generosity, as Scripture encourages us to care for the poor and give freely. The issue isn’t ethical lending, as Israel’s laws promoted loans as a means of assistance, not exploitation. The problem isn’t even overcommitment, though that’s a factor. The real issue is unwise financial risk—placing yourself in a position of liability for someone else’s obligations.

This isn’t about helping a friend in need; it’s about foolishly putting yourself on the financial hook for someone who has no sure way of repaying you. If you have the ability and the desire to give a gift, do that, but if you don't have the will or the margin to make it a gift, be wise and avoid situations like these. Other Proverbs reinforce this wisdom:

Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure. (11:15)
One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. (17:18)
Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? (22:26–27)

Again, this is not generosity (giving money to those who cannot repay) or responsible lending (reasonably able to expect repayment), but putting yourself on the financial line in an irresponsible way, especially when you don't have the margin to do so.

The issue here is stewardship. Stewardship is a fundamental biblical principle that recognizes God as the Creator and ultimate owner of all things, but who entrusts humanity with the responsibility to manage his resources wisely. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein" (Ps. 24:1). God entrusted his creation and all within it—our time, bodies, and resources—to us so that we might manage it all well. So Solomon urged his son not to get involved in poor management and unfaithful stewardship of the resources Yahweh had entrusted to his care.

Thousands of risky and unwise financial pitfalls await us just this week. Everything from crypto bros to student loan lenders, from credit card debt to paying the bills for your thirty year old, from sports betting to ill-informed day-trading—all of it beckons us. There are cars we cannot afford, mortgages we should not even try to cover, and designer clothes we do not need all inviting us into poor financial commitments. Large personal loans to those who cannot realistically repay, investing in a friend's business out of obligation, or emotionally spending money are the types of things Solomon worried about. These traps and many more are all waiting to keep us from wise stewardship of what God has given us.

And we are advised to save ourselves from these financial nightmares as quickly as we can (go, hasten, no sleep, 6:3-4). In the same way a trapped animal like a gazelle or a bird enters focused panic to try to get free, so we should do everything we can to get free of our unwise financial entanglements. For some, breaking free may take time and sacrifice—paying off a burdensome loan, downsizing a lifestyle, setting financial boundaries with loved ones. It may involve temporary discomfort, but it is better than long-term financial enslavement.

How does this stewardship message square with Jesus' teaching on radical generosity? He told us to give our cloak after they take our tunic, to freely give and lend without expectation, and to care for the needy (Matt. 5:38-42, 6:1-4, Luke 6:30-35). He also encouraged wise investment, the cultivation of our talents, and the use of our finances for kingdom expansion (Matt. 25:14-30, Luke 14:28-30, 16:1-13, 19:11-27). Is Jesus at odds with Proverbs? Not at all. In the same way ten dollars is good but a hundred dollars is better, Proverbs is good but Jesus' full blast of God's wisdom is best. He encouraged generosity-fueled kingdom investment, not as a balance to stewardship, but as the most certain and best investment one could make—the best stewardship. We want to be wise stewards so that we can live the way Jesus modeled and taught us to live. So if you are trapped in a financial snare, take Solomon’s advice in a Jesus direction: move urgently, escape quickly, and commit to a life of wise, kingdom-minded stewardship.

2. Be A Wise Worker (6:6-11)

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

Solomon shifts from a fatherly warning to a direct rebuke of the sluggard (6:6). He may not be speaking to his son here—this is an open call to anyone who will listen. If he was talking to his son, he wouldn’t be the last father to call his son lazy. But this is more than laziness. In Proverbs, the sluggard isn’t just unmotivated—he is failing to live as God designed. He is contrasted with the righteous and upright (15:19, 21:25-26) and described as an excuse-maker, a procrastinator, and someone who starts but never finishes (22:13, 26:15).

Solomon’s prescription to the sluggard is a bit of entomology—study the ant (6:6-8). The only positive character in this chapter, the ant is self-motivated and diligent. Ants are indeed a fascinating species that use pheromones, vibrations, and touch to communicate and build large underground societies, complete with highways, side streets, storage facilities, and garbage dumps. Ants always be hustling, and Solomon wanted the sluggard to consider them.

See how they are self-starting and self-motivated—they don't need a chief, officer, or ruler policing them to work (6:7).
See how they are forward-thinking and do the hard things—they work in the heat of the summer and store up food during harvest (6:8).

But the sluggard is unlike the ant—he does not arise from his sleep (6:9). He says, "What's the big deal about a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest?" (6:10). Sleep itself isn't the problem—the Bible tells us God "gives to his beloved sleep" (Ps. 127:2). The issue is that the sluggard is self-deceived. He always thinks he needs just a little more. He’s using sleep the way an addict uses drugs—as a means of escape.

The sluggard exists in every society on the planet—wealthy or poor, developed or developing, every culture has its share of sluggards. This is reality, but Scripture encourages us to image God by working well. Man was placed in the garden paradise to work the raw material God had given him, showing us that work is not the result of the fall caused by sin. Our work is often much harder than God created it to be—the earth yields its share of thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:18)—but we are made to work. This is one reason many people feel so good after an honest day's work, and don't feel as good if they fritter their work hours (and employer's money) online shopping.

As believers, we want to model a redeemed work-ethic to the world around us. Paul even gave us frank directions for church members: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thess. 3:10). He thought of the church as a gospel outpost meant to broadcast Jesus, a city of light beaming out from a hill, so he hated the idea of churches slogged down in their mission by sluggardly church members. Each one of us in Christ has a high calling to "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Col. 3:23). Not everyone will join us, but that's fine, we are God's special people, called to a higher standard.

I want to point out how the sluggard "loses by small surrenders."[^1] Just a little sleep and slumber, just a little rest—but these small losses and failures are building a life. Picture a massive brick building—as each brick was laid, the structure was formed. But what you must recognize is that each time the sluggard gave this little speech, he was forging a self-perpetuating cycle of inactivity. After a while, you can sit back and virtually guarantee what the sluggard will do tomorrow. There is little to no chance he will suddenly work wisely—the habit has been formed, the groove has been engraved, the life has been built. It's the little things that build a life, so believers commit to the little habits of faithfulness to God that will establish a better life and rhythm.

I know work today feels different—it’s hard to stay motivated when jobs feel unstable, housing feels out of reach, AI threatens careers, and distractions are endless. The world is changing fast, but wise, faithful work is still God’s good design, not just a means to survive but a way to partner with him in shaping the world (Gen. 1:28).

Character, creativity, and integrity will always matter (Col. 3:23). Your work—whether in an office, a trade, a creative field, or something unconventional—matters to God when done with diligence and purpose. Even when it feels small, unnoticed, or frustrating, it is forming you into someone disciplined, dependable, and equipped for bigger things.

3. Be A Wise Community-Builder (6:12-19)

12 A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, 13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, 14 with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; 15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing. 16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

What we have here is a description of a wicked man who continually sows discord, followed by a Hebrew poetic device where the last line—that God hates the one who sows discord among the brothers—is emphasized (6:14, 19). Solomon is really hammering home the point that God withholds his life-giving presence from those who create division—they are an abomination to him (6:16). So the summary of all the things the Lord hates in this poem, and the description of the worthless person, is that this is strong language designed to warn us about those who destroy communities. Solomon started this section with a fatherly warning to his son, followed by a plea to the sluggard, but this is simply a statement of utter condemnation of wicked people who ruin others.

Solomon's description of this guy sounds like a smooth operator at first—winking, pointing, doing something with his feet—but he's got a perverted heart that is constantly scheming evil plans (13-14). To modern readers, this might sound like comical character who is a little over the top in the way he works the room, but this isn't the case; this is ancient language for a man who is in some way gesturing and signaling his evil plans to his conspirators. He's not shooting his finger pistols, laying on the charm; he's sending coded messages to others to backstab and plot against others, and he is destroying the community in the process.

This guy uses his whole body—eyes, tongue, hands, heart, and feet to do his destructive work (6:16-18). Even his breath is involved—he breathes out lies (6:19). He is not just an individual troublemaker—he is a community destroyer, using deception, manipulation, and division to fracture relationships and sow discord.

Today, the same destructive tendencies exist in churches, workplaces, families, online communities, and even nations. Gossip and slander—the lying tongue—ruin workplace cultures, split churches, ruin reputations, and turn families inside out. Digital malice, online rage, and spreading false information are ways to breathe out lies. Knowing looks, coded language, and side conversations are modern forms of this eye-winking, finger-signaling destroyer. Narcissism and entitlement are found in proud, haughty eyes and perverted hearts.

As believers, our goal is to become wise community-builders. We don't want to destroy with our words and attitudes, so we instead pursue Jesus' call: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matt. 5:9). We want to be bridge-builders whose careful and gracious approach propels the community forward.

But some people seem custom made to arouse tensions. Everyone sins foolishly, but some people sin aggressively. There are those who stumble into sin and division out of immaturity or ignorance, and then there are those who actively cultivate discord, drawing energy from the conflict they create. These individuals are not merely careless with their words—they are intentional, strategic, and relentless in their destruction.

To build true community, the gospel must be the defining reality of your heart. If the gospel is just a starting point, a basic doctrine you move past, you will eventually build a community on all the wrong things. If the gospel is just the finish line, something people must “clean up” to reach, you will gatekeep people out of Christian community.

But if the gospel is the point, then you will recognize that Christ has already torn down the walls of hostility and created a new people by his blood (Eph. 2:14). When the gospel is the point, community isn’t built on shared preferences, cultural backgrounds, personality types, or moral performance—it’s built on Christ himself and what he has done and is doing to forgive people, set captives free, deliver us from oppression, release us from shame, and mature us in him. If we minimize the gospel, we will either wrongly prioritize secondary issues or block people from entering at all, but when the gospel is central, it humbles the proud, lifts the broken, and creates a new kind of people—a gospel-shaped community.

Conclusion

From the beginning, God created us to steward, work, and build (Gen. 1:28). We were made to manage his resources wisely, labor diligently, and foster thriving communities. But sin distorts this: instead of wise stewardship, we pursue reckless gain; instead of diligence, we chase comfort and ease; instead of building, we divide.

Proverbs 6 warns against these pitfalls—financial folly, laziness, and divisiveness—because they erode God’s design for us. But Christ redeems our failures. He is the perfect steward, the faithful worker, and the true peacemaker. Through the gospel, he restores our original calling, empowering us to walk in wisdom, work with purpose, and build communities that reflect God’s kingdom.

So let’s reject financial recklessness, apathy, and division—not just because they bring ruin, but because they are beneath the high calling of God’s people. Let’s embrace wisdom, diligence, and peacemaking—not as burdens, but as ways to live out the image of God in a broken world.

And above all, let’s keep the gospel central. Without Christ, all our efforts crumble. But in him, our work is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). In him, we become who we were made to be—wise stewards, faithful workers, and true community-builders for his glory.

[^1]: Kellers on Proverbs

Study Questions

Head (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

1. What are the three major areas of life that Proverbs 6:1-19 addresses, and how does Solomon warn against pitfalls in each?

2. How does the analogy of a sharp and dull blade illustrate the role of wisdom in handling life’s complexities?

3. What does the passage teach about the consequences of financial irresponsibility, laziness, and divisiveness?

Heart (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

4. In what ways have you experienced the benefits of wise stewardship, diligent work, or peacemaking in your own life?

5. Which of the three warnings—financial folly, laziness, or divisiveness—do you find most convicting personally? Why?

6. How does seeing Jesus as the perfect steward, faithful worker, and true peacemaker shape your desire to grow in wisdom?

Hands (Actions, Commitments, Decisions)

7. What specific steps can you take this week to practice better financial stewardship or avoid unwise financial commitments?

8. How can you develop a more diligent approach to work, whether in your job, ministry, or personal responsibilities?

9. What practical ways can you commit to fostering peace and unity in your relationships, church, or community?