by Priscilla Bowin | Nov 14, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 11:1-3
1 The LORD detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.
The Lord finds dishonest business practices extremely offensive. He in fact detests them! In today’s world, they tend to make light of “little wrongs,” the water muddied of what is right and wrong, but God’s word quickly brings us back to the basics . . . God’s truth. He delights in our honesty. Wow!
2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
God says it is wise to be humble. I love the amplified bible version of this verse, “When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame, but with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.
As we choose to walk humbly with our God, the choices of right and wrong are clear. We can make decisions by walking in the wisdom from above. In James 3:17 we read “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.”
3 Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.
What an awesome privilege to bring God pleasure and joy by our good decisions! Honesty and humbleness is God’s delight!
Photography: @bdebard
by Morgan Lunsford | Nov 13, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 10: 31-32
Our words have so much more power than we realize. Even the smallest, most insignificant sentence can hold so much meaning for someone. The things that come out of our mouth, whether they are encouraging or degrading, can have an impact on the people around us. We must always be aware of the kinds of words that we let roll off of our tongues. Are we going to speak words that are lifegiving and full of good intention, or will we speak words that are insulting and discouraging?
We must consciously make an effort to share the Gospel and live like Jesus by lifting others up and encouraging them with the words that we speak. This can be especially difficult when we are frustrated or angry. It is so easy to speak rashly and say things that we may later regret. The bible tells us we must be slow to speak (James 1:19) in order to ensure that our words are meaningful and not harsh.
We must also be careful not to offend others with our language or use words that might deter their thoughts away from the Lord. We have a responsibility to use this gift of communication that God has given us to reach out to the lost and share the love of christ with the world.
by Dan A Thomas Jr | Nov 12, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 10: 28-30
A question that I’m asked frequently is this, “How do I know its God testing me versus the devil tempting me?” My answer usually goes something like this, “Normally, when it’s God he will give you pain first and pleasure later. If it’s the devil, he usually gives you pleasure first and then pain later. God is not interested in making you comfortable, he’s interested in conforming you to the image of his son Jesus Christ. On the other hand Satan will tempt you with your greatest desires and entice you to gain it by any means necessary.
28 The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
At times it seems that living godly is not worth it. It is difficult to understand why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Oftentimes it is easy to compare your situation to someone else’s situation in a moment of time. You look at where they are and where you are and we have a propensity to judge our end based on current circumstance. This verse admonishes us not to lose our hope for in the end it will not be dashed, but will be fulfilled in happiness, whereas the plans of the wicked will fail.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.
Everyone who sees and knows the way of the Lord does not prosper. For an honest person who desires to please God and make God smile, God’s ways are not a chore and they are not grievous. They are life to him and he delights in the way of the Lord. The way of the Lord has an opposite, antithetical effect on the wicked and causes destruction rather than blessing. How? God’s ways are not a desire of his heart and because of that what should be life becomes a tedious internal struggle that can destroy him.
30 The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.
There’s something to be said for longevity. Longevity proves stability and that anchor has been set that cannot be moved. Godly people are those whose roots have been planted by rivers of waters. (Psalm 1) Wicked people and their schemes, plans, and strategies may look prosperous today, but are soon gone tomorrow.
by Maison Tiradoegas | Nov 11, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 10: 26-27
26 Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
Proverbs 10:26 (NLT)
My hope is that my story can speak to you. I’m always amazed at how the Lord orchestrates events to fit His specific purposes. Sharing on Proverbs 10:26 is not an accident. Please know that these words are inspired by God to encourage you TODAY.
I’ll back up now. The biggest sin I struggle with is laziness. I always see the need, but I rarely respond. This started in 6th grade. Prior, I had made straight A’s, been a state-champion athlete, and gave every task 110%. It was who I was. BUT that all changed in 6th grade. The first time I slacked off was on my finals for Science class. I had an A so I felt I didn’t need to study. I remember playing basketball instead of memorizing the Periodic Table. When I received the results I got a 43%. That was the lowest grade of my life, which resulted in me getting my first B. Here’s the problem: getting a B wasn’t ALL THAT BAD. I didn’t get in trouble, nobody treated me different; I learned that day that I could be lazy and get away with it. I learned that half effort was actually GOOD enough. I ultimately learned how to accept the “B.”
Six years later, I was one-month away from graduating High School. I got called into the counselor’s office and she told me that if I didn’t get my History and English grades up from a “D” I wouldn’t graduate. At this point of my life, everything I did was tainted by laziness. Accepting the “B” turned into, “As long as I passed.” This attitude didn’t just affect my grades—my relationships, my sports, my goals were all poisoned by lazinesses. I was placed on the “potential” shelf. Nobody really took me too serious.
My struggles with laziness continued in college and I dropped all but 2 classes my first year. I was close to dropping out and I tried to figure how I could manage without school. In my last hope, I applied to Southwestern Assemblies of God University and there I did better. So I was doing “better,” but still was operating in a “B-” mentality.
One day, one of our school leaders met with me and I asked him, “what was one thing I could work better at?”
He made the most perceptive observations someone had ever made about me and his words changed my life.
He told me: “Maison, you’re a leader. Your problem is that you’re not leading anyone anywhere.”
Sad face emoji.
My laziness was robbing my potential. I wasn’t leading because I was LAZY. I didn’t want to take the extra effort to step up in leadership.
Here’s the problem:
God is calling YOU to change this planet, but how many of us are sitting back and watching SOMEONE ELSE do it because we’re too lazy to step in and do it?
That conversation happened when I was 20. I’m 25 now, and it’s 2015. this is the first year since 6th grade that I’m LAZY FREE. I want to surround myself with the most hardworking people I can find.
That was the super super abridged version of my journey through conquering laziness, but I want to quickly share with you the three most important lessons I learned since that initial conversation.
Here’s what I learned:
- Your age doesn’t determine your responsibility threshold.
I was lazy because I thought I was too young to be responsible. I thought that if I didn’t report my taxes, didn’t pay my bills on time, didn’t give full effort, took a lazy approach getting to know people, it would somehow work out with minimal consequences. I thought that if I spilt my drink, someone else would still clean up the mess.
On my 25 birthday, God prompted me to go to a cemetery. It was my one of the powerful times I’ve ever had with God. The rows of gravestones reminded me of how fragile my life is. How quick my life can end. I began to cry. All at once, I was reflecting on the last 15 years of not fully honoring God with efforts. I was just coasting through everything He had given me: my wife, my family, my career. Everything were “C’s” or “B’s” but they could’ve all been “A’s!” I wasn’t giving God or my family EVERYTHING I HAD. I was cheating God of what He could be doing through me.
- I was tired of seeing people with HALF as much doing TWICE as much.
One of my closest friend’s made an unsolicited observation about my life: “Maison, the biggest pain you’ll see in your life is watching people with half as much talent as you, go twice as far.”
Another sad face emoji.
How many people do you know that make the team, achieve the grade, become the better parent, accomplish their dreams, live out their purpose, that have half as much talent as you?
ITS BECAUSE THEY TRY! it’s because they’re not lazy. They give every ounce of effort. They leave nothing on the field. These kind of people are unstoppable magnets of purpose! These people squeeze every ounce out of life and take action to live out the plan that God has crafted for them.
- Urgency. Focus. Persistence.
Anyone who knows me well, knows that these are the words God has spoken over me for this stage of my life. These words together create a very powerful, hardworking, intentional human being. An individual who applies these words cannot be stopped. This person is the gasoline God uses to ignite a revolution of change!
——-
So will ask yourself these questions. Fervently pray about your response, and conquer this demon.
- Am I allowing laziness to rob my potential?
- Am I cheating God from what He wants to accomplish through my life?
- What letter grade would I give myself TODAY?
by Taylor Adams | Nov 8, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 10:24-25
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear. As believers, we have a hope and security that all things will work for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes. We have the unique ability to never let fear control us again because of the hope that has been placed within us. We empower that which we fear, and in turn our fears often become our realities. It is one of the most prevalent tactics of the enemy to disempower those who love God and those who don’t alike. But we never have to let this become our reality again.
In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath uses fear and intimidation to try to defeat the Israelites. Hoping that when someone finally steps up to the plate, that the insults hurled not only at the army, but at the God that Israel places their trust in will leave them paralyzed with fear. Questioning whether the God of angel armies was truly able to deliver them, and in-turn leaving them unable to fight back and making them an easy prey.
What if David listened to this fear? What if David never stepped up to the plate? What if he never had a revelation of perfect love that drove out every ounce of fear? Goliath may have never been defeated, placing the Israelites under Philistine rule and changing the course of history forever… But instead, David placed his hope in the Lord. And Love drove fear away, and into the enemy camp. Suddenly, the righteous were empowered, and the wicked were frozen in their tracks, unable to retaliate against the boldness that comes with knowing who stands at your back. The victories of the Godly become the enemy’s worst nightmare.
The fears of the wicked will become realized when the fears of the righteous are placed in the hands of God and exchanged for hope and love. When the storms of life come, the wicked become paralyzed by their own fears and doubt. But those who place their trust in God have a security that He will stay true to His word and turn what looks like our dark and scary roads into gold behind us.
Photography: @jacobnnorris
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