Proverbs 13:19

Proverbs 13:19 "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil."

The first half of this proverb is the motto of Marthas all around the world.  Doers love these words. The check-list champion is all about this phrase.  Given all that he accomplished as king of Israel with his extensive building projects, chiefly the Temple, I think it quite appropriate to conclude that Solomon did indeed know how good it feels to get things done.  That being said, we must ask, was he really just pointing out the pleasure that comes to the diligent who follow through on their intentions?  If that was what he was primarily trying to communicate, it would have seemed more fitting for him to contrast the first part of the proverb with a sluggard or a procrastinator.  He didn't put an opposing person or practice that had anything to do with work ethic.  Instead, he chose to contrast this sweetness with a fool and his vehement opposition to quitting some evil behavior.  Fueled by Heaven's wisdom and inspired by God's Spirit, Solomon wrote about something even better than work ethic or follow-through.  He wrote about the wisdom of Seeing beyond the Senses.

By putting a desire on one side of the proverb and an abomination on the other side, we can rightly see that our actions come down to what we want to do.  If we desire to lose weight, we'll pursue weight loss.  If we hate the idea of limiting our consumption of food or changing our diet, we will not pursue weight loss.  We have to want something bad enough to attempt achieving it.  We have to really want a relationship or a friendship in order to put the work into getting one.  We have to really want a better job in order to get more education or to do what’s necessary for a possible promotion.  We have to really want victory over sin if we’re going to make the decisions necessary to experiencing that victory.  While the wise aren't mentioned by name in this proverb, they are definitely linked to the first part of the proverb since the fool is mentioned in the second part.  The wise understand that what we want should be founded in what brings genuine satisfaction.  The wise have enough foresight and insight to know that lasting satisfaction is founded beyond the senses and in the soul.
 
Fools hate the idea of forfeiting gluttony because they think they'll be miserable not appeasing their tongue.  They  loathe the idea of quitting drinking or smoking or prescription drugs because they know their bodies will be very unhappy.  Fools can't think about giving up their sexual immorality because they can't think about losing that physical pleasure.  To a fool, it's an abominable idea to depart from evil because his or her senses are the source of satisfaction.  Fools can't see beyond their eyes, ears, nose, tongue and fingers.  Fools, by definition lack the spiritual understanding to realize that our bodily senses can only provide temporary satisfaction.  Food only satisfies the tongue for moments.  Sounds only appease the ears as long as the sound keeps sounding.  Scents only make the nose happy for the length of the wick or the lifespan of the fragrance.  A beautiful person or image only makes the eyes happy for a short time.  The pleasure of touch is only satisfying as long as the object or person remains touchable.  A fool is short-sighted and can't see beyond the surface of the senses.  Without wisdom, a person hates the idea of stopping an evil vise that gives them sensory satisfaction.  This is why young boys angrily respond to a parent's command to turn off the video games and why young girls tearfully resist a parent's decision to restrict time with a boy.  Without wisdom, we can't see beyond the fleeting satisfaction of the senses.

Wise men like Solomon learn at some point in life that when the soul is satisfied, it generally remains satisfies.  For example, making the sound decision to deny the temporary satisfaction of adultery satisfies the soul permanently.  At no point in life does a soul regret saying "no" to adultery.  The body and its insatiable sense of touch will regret saying "no" adultery but the soul will always be satisfied that it doesn't have to exist with the guilt and regret of that poor decision.  When a person accomplishes the holy desire to read the Bible from cover to cover, the satisfaction that soul experiences is long-lasting.  When a man accomplishes the appropriate desire to take his family to the right church, he never regrets that nor wishes he did it differently - there is genuine and fulfilling satisfaction in the soul.  Wisdom helps us see beyond the senses.  It helps us appreciate and then deny the temporary satisfaction of the body's senses in order to experience the sweet satisfaction of the soul.  Wisdom is that virtue that pits the satisfaction the tongues enjoys for ten minutes after eating a half gallon of ice cream against the satisfaction the soul experiences the next morning for not being a slave to food and gluttony.

This proverb is less about doing and more about seeing.  This proverb is less about follow-through and more about see-through.  This proverb is less about the satisfaction of checking boxes and more about the satisfaction of keeping the senses in check.  Sweetness in the soul is sweeter than sweetness on the tongue.  Sugar on the tongue dissolves quickly and disappears into the belly in a matter of seconds while holiness in the soul stays sweet forever.  Denying the senses in order to please God brings an inner satisfaction that never turns sour or regretful.  At the end of our lives, no one will wish they had committed adultery or gotten drunk.  At the end of our lives, no will be disappointed that they didn't curse God or that they didn’t rob a bank.  At the end of our days, no one will regret spending hours of their lives attending church, reading Scripture and serving God.  There is a sweetness in the soul that lasts when accomplishing righteous desires.
 
If you can't fathom giving up some evil because you can't imagine any pleasure in life without it, Solomon calls you a fool in this proverb.  If you hate it when your parent, pastor or friend suggests you stop doing something or stop seeing someone or stop going somewhere, you sadly can't see beyond your body's five senses.  Get wisdom and see beyond your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and fingers - they're not worth obeying because they're never truly satisfied.