Proverbs 31:5For when they drink they forget justice and ignore the rights of those in need, those who depend on them for leadership.Proverbs Daily is a reader and listener supported program. Every post is free, but if you’d like to help spread the message and make the sacred positively contagious consider being a free or paid subscriber. Just look for the word upgrade or subscribe and click on that. Thanks in advance!Proverbs 31:1-9 is Solomon recalling the words of Bathsheba—his mother—who fiercely impressed upon him in verse 5 that the poor, the vulnerable, the oppressed were depending on him to make right decisions. In other words,“Son, don’t get drunk and lose the plot of why you’re even sitting on that throne.”Leadership is never just about you—it’s about who’s depending on you, who’s leaning on your decisions, and who’s affected by your choices.“I was listening to a conversation between two amazing journalists, Allison Gill and Heather Cox Richardson, and Heather said something that lit me up.She drew a straight line between right now and the Reconstruction era into the early 1900s—pointing out that America is caught in a cycle we’ve seen before.A cycle of deep inequality, rising oligarchs, voter suppression, political intimidation, and violence that stripped rights from people—especially Black Americans and immigrants. Lynching’s unleashed a reign of terror in the South, while Chinese immigrants were excluded by law and attacked in western cities. The worst of times…sound familiar?But at the same time, it was also a season of incredible creativity and reform.Black journalists like Ida B. Wells refused to stay silent, labor unions rose up to protect workers, and women fought for—and eventually won—the right to vote. Yet out of the chaos rose the Progressive Era.The best of times…Yeah. A mixed storm of creativity and chaos.And here’s what grabbed me: she mentioned what we’re seeing now—the privatization of government, federal troops in the streets, voter intimidation, even AI being used to decide who gets healthcare, although it looks like it's mad and chaotic, it's actually an old, familiar system of control.Leaders are power-grabbing & numbing themselves with the intoxication of this power, forgetting about justice, making it all about ‘just us’.Ignoring the rights of those who depend on them, and weaponizing the sense of waning privilege into rage against the very neighbors they should be protecting!Isn’t that exactly what Proverbs is warning us about? Getting drunk on power ain’t new…in fact power might be older than any fermented drink we’ve ever concocted.And you thought Colt 45 was bad liquor—this Cult 45 and that new Cult 47 is devastating!Leaders are “drunk” when they choose power plays over people. They’re numbed out to the cries of the vulnerable. They shrug off responsibility while stumbling into policies that cut lives open like broken glass underfoot.But when leaders numb out, the people suffer. When they forget justice, the neighbor is deported. When they ignore the rights of the needy, healthcare is cut, communities are left exposed, voters are silenced, and those who need help the most are forgotten.And here’s where the prophetic relevance lands: leadership is not just for kings and presidents—it’s for you and me. Somebody depends on you. Somebody is counting on your sobriety, your clarity, your willingness to ‘not get drunk’. Your kids. Your community. Your neighbor. YOURSELF.Over a century ago, when the "Fugitive Slave Act passed, and people were being 'snatched up by militias deputized on a national basis, one major argument against that atrocity was: “The fundamental civic unit in our nation is: NEIGHBOR.” That is kingdom talk. That is Gospel truth. Jesus himself said, love your neighbor as yourself. When power intoxicates rulers, it’s neighbors who suffer. But when ordinary people wake up and refuse to be numbed, neighbors rise together.So today, the call of Proverbs 31:5 is this: don’t numb out. Don’t get drunk on distractions, denial, or despair. Stay awake. Stay clear. Because someone depends on you.Bottom Line: A numbed-out leader forgets justice. An awake people bring justice back.🙏🏽 PrayerLord, keep us sober, awake, and faithful for our neighbors.💡 Today’s Challenge: So what's been numbing you out? Endless scrolling, avoiding hard conversations, distracting yourself from what really matters. Name it. Lay it out. Then take one real step toward a neighbor who's depending on you today, and help outAbout the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!
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