“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11)
Growing Dominion, Part 131
“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up” (Prov. 21:20).
This is also a commonplace in Proverbs. The ability to say no to yourself is an ability to enjoy. The inability to say no is an inability to enjoy—because you don’t have anything on hand to enjoy any longer. In the house of a wise man, there is plenty to enjoy and it is enjoyed in moderation. In the house of a fool, the larders are empty, and everything good is long gone. This is a simple function of the ratio between consumption and production, and is not necessarily a matter of how much money is involved. If you earn a hundred dollars a week and spend 98, you will do all right. If you earn ten thousand and spend eleven thousand, you are not doing all right.