“He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come to him.” Proverbs 28:22
Today’s Christian daily devotional
With my glittery dress draped over my arm, I slam my locker door shut. True to nightly tradition, it refuses to close. Trying once again, I give a hefty shove to the myriad of eight-inch stiletto heels littering the bottom of it. The battle wasn’t easily won but my finally locker closed.
Why did everything about this night seemed like such work?
The customers were heavy on the talk, but light on the tips. And nothing is worse for a stripper than pointless banter with a customer that only wants to stare at your chest–for free.
With the dipping economy, we dancers had to layer on that lip gloss and simply suck it up. Hoping to be one of the ‘lucky gals’. (One that finds a ‘prince charming’ who’s willing to pay cash for her degradation.)
Over the years I’ve heard strippers defend their right to work in this industry. Sadly, I’ve even defended the job myself. All the while ignoring the terrible feeling that came whenever a man would try to grab parts of my body that weren’t his to grab. No words can explain how ‘less than human’ this profession has made me feel.
If it was as ‘honorable’ as I claimed it to be, why did I have to psych myself up every time I stepped foot in the club? Why did I bother lying to strangers about what I did for a living? Why were girls getting so anesthetized that they could barely walk but were still allowed to punch in?
The truth of the matter was: stripping disgusted me. Most of all, I was disgusted with myself for actually settling for it.
Of course, I never actually planned on becoming an exotic dancer. Who dreams of that, really? At first, this job only started out as a temporary gig. It was simply to help me get me by until I finished college.
But, I burned through the money faster than a drag racer burned through diesel fuel. And, before long, I was supporting a boyfriend who refused to work, reducing the hours I spent at school and increasing my shifts to pay for my expanding lifestyle.
After a short while, school seemed like such a waste of time. Why bother with it if I was making two grand a night? So, I quit pursing my education and went for the fast buck.
Thoughts of regret tumbled around my head as I trudged towards the front of the club. Girls were scattered up the back stairs; waiting to turn in their fake stripper money. The dancers only got seventy percent of the value listed on the waxy bill. This industry was merciless to it’s slaves.
Too tired to utter a word, I just sat there soaking in the banter around me. Night after night, I ended up listening to different variations of the same conversations over and over again: “What convention was coming to town next? These customers are so cheap! Men are lame and women are evil.” I wasn’t sure which was more exhausting—the horrible hours or the repetitive loop of useless conversations between the customers and other dancers.
I scanned the tired faces of my painted co-workers. Some of them leaned against the walls, but most of them were slumped on the floor. Not one looked or sounded genuinely happy at all. Yet, when the music was pumping and the liquor was flowing we all did a pretty good job of masking reality.
Proverbs 28:22 says that a person who is eager to make an easy buck has an evil eye. Those are harsh words. But, the fact of the matter is: Those who are slaves to money will be the first who will compromise for it.
Sadly, I have witnessed this truth in my own life. I have seen the depths of how low a greedy heart can take a person.
Many of us dancers wore jewelry that promised to bring wealth and banish bad luck. It was the charm of the evil eye. How foolish for us to believe that a mere trinket produced in China had the power to ward off evil; especially if every one of us was emitting that very mindset in our hearts!
Check your heart. If your actions disgust you, then you’re in the perfect place to do something about it. A humble person will always see themselves as they truly are. Those will be the only ones who are brave enough to repent. And true repentance is the only way a person can change the core of who they’ve become. Save yourself a lifetime of heartache: Keep it REAL–with yourself.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I have been a greedy person. I have justified my greed because I surrounded myself with greedy people. When I did this, my greediness seemed ‘normal’.
After reading Proverbs 28:22, I see that I have had an evil eye for a very long time. I will no longer kid myself into thinking that it is ‘normal’ to be greedy. If you say it is wicked, it is wicked.
I repent of my wicked ways and for my deceitful heart. I want you to show me other ways in which I have been fooling myself.
I realize that you will be bringing up some die-hard mindsets and habits that have been with me my whole life.
I will not make excuses for wicked behaviors. If you want me to change, help me to desire that change as well. Make me uncomfortable with my favorite sins.
As you purify my heart and intentions, I know I will function from a clear conscience. This is priceless. It is worth the trouble.
Thank you for the truth of your word, give me a deep revelation of Proverbs 28:22. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.”
Thank you for reading today’s Christian daily devotional on verses: Proverbs 28:22
Please check back and see what we have for you tomorrow!
Author: Julia Shalom Jordan