Tag: Humility

Person reviewing paperwork at a coffee table as another approaches from the kitchen

Looking Without Looking

Leave a comment

“A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive. Stay away from a foolish person; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them. Fools mock at making reparation, but there is goodwill among the upright. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider shares in its joy.” (Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Have you ever been around someone who loved to ask questions, but didn’t really want the answers. The questions they asked weren’t a means of gaining knowledge or understanding or wisdom, they were a tool for tearing down the beliefs of others. Such a person isn’t going to be able to find wisdom even if they are genuinely seeking it. Mocking can become such a habit like this that you start to miss even obvious chances to grow. This is the kind of person Solomon is talking about at the beginning of this next group of proverbs. Let’s join him as he goes.

Read the rest…
Two women talking in a cozy study beside bookshelves and coffee

Seeking Good Advice

Leave a comment

“Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous never changes. Every sensible person acts knowledgeably, but a fool displays his stupidity.” (Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬-‭16 ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Men are famously bad about asking for directions. It’s a common enough flaw in our programing that it has become its own trope. And when we don’t ask for directions, while we sometimes get where we intend to go, we more likely wind up somewhere we don’t want to be. I remember arriving back at the airport coming home from a long trip late one night with the whole family in tow. We got to the satellite lot to get the car, but I hadn’t written down our stop and got us off at the wrong one…on the complete opposite side of the lot. We had to wait for another bus to come by, delaying our arrival at home by a lot. I still rightly pay for that one. It’s always better to seek counsel than look foolish. Solomon agrees. Let’s talk about it.

read the rest…
Earth colliding with a molten cracked planet in a star-filled space scene

Living within the Lines

Leave a comment

“Arrogance leads to nothing but strife, but wisdom is gained by those who take advice. Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it. Hope delayed makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life. The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded. A wise person’s instruction is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.” (Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

You’ve perhaps heard the phrase, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” The idea is that spending time away from someone can allow petty qualms of the past to gradually fade away, inclining our hearts more and more in their direction where perhaps that wasn’t quite as much the case. An absence like this, though, eventually builds hope in our hearts for a reunion. The longer that hope’s fulfillment gets delayed, the greater the hope grows. But hope like this is a kind of weight. The more it grows, the heavier it gets. Leave it to grow too long, and it can start to wear you down. Sometimes a proverb points you to something you need to do better in life; sometimes they simply describe what is true about it. Let’s talk about one of these latter proverbs in this next group.

Read the rest…
Craftsperson welding a gear-driven metal frame in a workshop

Hard Work Really Is Good For You

Leave a comment

“A wise son responds to his father’s discipline, but a mocker doesn’t listen to rebuke. From the fruit of his mouth, a person will enjoy good things, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence. The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin. The slacker craves, yet has nothing, but the diligent is fully satisfied.” (Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

We used to garden. It was a big garden too. At least it was for two people from the suburbs who had never really gardened before. We had a member who had been a farmer plow it up for us, and then we did everything else. It was a ton of work that we had to commit to doing each day, but we enjoyed it thoroughly. And, after a few weeks, we enjoyed the fruits of our labors with delight. Eventually life got busy enough and kids got big enough that we couldn’t do it anymore, but it was a good season. Solomon said the wise person experiences something like this, but because of her words. Let’s take a look at this and more as we get into Proverbs 13 today.

Read the rest…
Man working on laptop at kitchen table late at night

Choosing Words Wisely

Leave a comment

“A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise. A fool’s displeasure is known at once, but whoever ignores an insult is sensible. Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit. There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment. Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. No disaster overcomes the righteous, but the wicked are full of misery.” (Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬-‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Have you ever known someone who didn’t seem to have much of a filter? Whatever came to mind is what came out of their mouth. Sometimes those kinds of folks can be entertaining to be around—at least when you aren’t in their verbal crosshairs. But more often than not they’ll just make you cringe at best. Although there have been some cultural voices occasionally that have encouraged people to give voice to all of their thoughts and counseled that holding back isn’t good for us, but mostly they are wrong at the very least. Solomon would agree. This next batch of proverbs includes several that counsel bringing a bit more discretion to our words. Let’s dive in.

Read the rest…