Tag: Christian living

Playing Nice with Others

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“Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks sense, but a person with understanding keeps silent. A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence. Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance. If someone puts up security for a stranger, he will suffer for it, but the one who hates such agreements is protected. A gracious woman gains honor, but violent people gain only riches. A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel person brings ruin on himself.” (Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

In middle school I was getting picked on by a bully. On day I told my table partner in drafting class that I thought I could probably take him if his ever-present goon didn’t jump in. I was not looking for a fight by any stretch. I was simply expressing frustration with who I thought was a friend. He was not a friend. He wanted to see a fight. So, he promptly went and related to the bully my expressed confidence. My bully soon thereafter gave me the opportunity to test my claims (in the locker room after gym class just to keep things as cliched as they could possibly be). I talked my way out of getting my face pounded in…and I never shared anything with my table partner again. Solomon’s proverb in this next batch proved true. Let’s take a look at the rest.

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Two hikers helping each other climb a rocky mountain ledge

Exercising Your Advantages

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourself. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 CSB – Read the chapter)

I haven’t watched a whole lot of TV content lately, and as a result, I haven’t been doing the media reviews I normally do on Fridays. Actually, of late, these Friday posts have been a bit of a grabbag. Some days, I’m not sure what I’m going to write until pretty late in the game. Today is no exception. But God is faithful and life manages to keep churning out things worth talking about. In any event, I was having a conversation about marriage last night. We were talking specifically about the roles husbands and wives play and should play in the relationship. One of the statements we were reacting to was this: “I think we will be happier if there is an even balance of power in the relationship.” In a culture that is obsessed with power and who has how much, that’s a pretty significant statement to consider because your reaction is going to have a pretty significant impact to how you pursue your relationship. Let’s talk about it for a few minutes.

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Man sawing a tree branch while park visitors look up

Creating a Path Safe for Moving Forward

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“Dishonest scales are detestable to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight. When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them. Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death. The righteousness of the blameless clears his path, but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness. The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires.” (Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

There have been a number of particularly devastating wildfires in the last couple of years. There are nearly always wildfires burning somewhere in the country, but several recent ones have torn through populated areas. When a fire like that burns through, while having a lot of money can make recovery easier on the backside, it doesn’t do a thing to prevent the fires from consuming everything in their path. There are many things money can cover, but not everything. Solomon talks about something from this latter category in this next batch of proverbs. Let’s take a look.

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Senior women learning computer skills during a digital literacy workshop

In Which Direction Are You Heading?

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“The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the honorable, but destruction awaits evildoers. The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not remain on the earth. The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate, but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse.” (Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Jesus once described the person who heard His teaching and put it into practice to be like a wise person who built a house securely on a good foundation. When the storms of life arose and brought all their chaos to that person’s life, they were not moved because they had a secure foundation. As well versed in the Scriptures as Jesus was, I suspect He had the proverb in the middle of this last set from chapter 10 in mind. Let’s see what else Solomon has to say here about wise living.

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Three adults discuss community matters beside a “Community Event” sign and “OUR VOICE” mug.

Getting Our Priorities Straight

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“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’ Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?” (Matthew 23:16-17 CSB – Read the chapter)

I have been working through the Gospel of Matthew with my church on Wednesday nights for nearly three years now. We’ve taken a break here or there along the way, but mostly it has just been Matthew for a while now. And I’ve got to say: it has been good. I know that I’ve never taken such a deep dive into a single book from the Scriptures, and I’m sure none of them have either. Taking time to meditate so long and so deeply on a single, Spirit-inspired author’s work has yielded much in terms of applicational rewards for us. We are currently in chapter 23 where Jesus blows up the scribes and Pharisees for their religious hypocrisy and bad spiritual leadership. It is one of those chapters that’s easy to ignore because at first glance Jesus is just berating His enemies for religious practices and traditions that are long gone. But a bit closer of a look uncovers volumes of uncomfortably relevant critiques for modern church members to consider. Let’s take a look at one of them together today.

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