by Christian Ross | Nov 21, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 11:16-17
16 A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth.
Who do you think of when you read the term “kindhearted woman”? Maybe you think of your mother or grandmother, a sister or friend, the greeters at church, the greeters at Wal-Mart. Many of us probably thought immediately of Mother Teresa. Some people are born kindhearted, but for others of us, it’s a learned trait as we continue in our walk with Christ. Honor, however, is not something we’re born with but something we earn. Honor could be defined as a good reputation or character as judged by other people. We gain honor from each decision we make throughout our days. True, some decisions carry more weight than others, but none-the-less, each decision ultimately amounts to the quality of our character which is measured by honor or lack thereof.
In light of all this, it’s obvious then that ruthlessness might not be such a great trait in the pursuit of honor in this life and right standing with God. Matthew 6:21 (NIV) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Ruthless men gain ONLY wealth, because their ruthlessness is blinding to the good purposes of God. Without a heart after God we lack and lose sight of the wonderfully important things in this life. Ruthlessness might lead to a mansion filled with people, but devoid of love or lead to lacking nothing materially but living like an empty tomb on the inside emotionally and spiritually. Where does your fulfillment come from?
17 Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
We’ve all heard the saying that it’s better to give than to receive. It’s no surprise that this is more than a saying but rather a timeless truth rooted in scripture, straight out of the mouth of Christ. Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.” There’s something so satisfactory when we give of ourselves to someone in need. Money, gifts, time; It doesn’t matter because giving benefits the giver in a way that lines up with scripture making it edifying to our spirits, and maybe even as an act of worship.
The opposite can be said about us when we are cruel. Think about it. Have you ever spoken short to someone out of frustration and felt terrible about it for an extended period of time? Cruelty, in any capacity, makes us rotten from the inside out where as giving is edifying to our spirits and all those around us.
For more reasons than one, be kindhearted with a giving heart. Jesus is our great example. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Secondly, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
by Christian Ross | Nov 5, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 10:15-16
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m living in very fast times. Time is money and if I’m not making money it must not be worth my time. Right? If you’re cringing at the thought of that statement, you and I have something in common! I don’t want to live in the pursuit of money, afraid of what might happen if I were to suddenly have none or by chasing the “almighty” dollar to the point of exhaustion. I want to live my life to its full potential, serving my God, loving people and reaching full force towards the dreams God’s given me. But how often does the week tick by and we look back and think; Wow, where did that week go? What are we chasing? What are we looking for?
15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
In verse 15 we have two contrasting heart conditions. Where are we putting our focus and our trust? 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. We also read in verse 22 of Proverbs 10 that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. If wealth is a rich man’s security and poverty is a poor man’s ruin then where can we put our focus and our trust that’s truly secure? Proverbs18:10 says the name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Whether we’re rich or poor, Jesus is our strength and our security.
16 The wages of the righteous is life,
but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.
We reap what we sow. Proverbs is absolutely full of verses that illuminate the wonderful blessings of rightful living. It’s also fair in its bluntness to point out the consequences of living a sinful lifestyle. God loved the world and sent His son to die for all our sins. This means that we all have the same opportunity for salvation. If you’re reading this and you’re not right with God, know that you are loved and you are welcome. All you have to do is believe in the name of Jesus. Here’s a prayer to get you started: Lord Jesus, I confess that You are the son of the living God. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again on the 3rd day and are now sitting at the right hand of Your father in Heaven. Please, forgive me of my sins and be forever Lord of my life. Thank You for Your grace that is sufficient!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and focus on Him. He will never leave you or forsake you. His love is better than all the money in the world and His fortress will never come to ruin.
Photography: @fordyates
by Christian Ross | Oct 21, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 8:1-11
What is wisdom? Could it be that wisdom is simply making the right choice between two scenarios? Or is it standing up for the “right” cause in the wake of a seemingly important subject matter? Is it measured by the amount of money and success someone has obtained or is it rather a unique ability to be inherently smart? Arguably, all would say that to be wise is a good thing, and that the fruits of walking in wisdom must be good based on principle alone. Instead of asking the question, what is wisdom? Let’s ask the question, who is Wisdom?
1Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
Verses 1-3, to me, seem to be rooted in urgency. Wisdom is not trying to be illusive or play hard to get. Wisdom is actually right in your face. Shouting above the noise of our everyday lives, in every decision, at every turn, Wisdom is desperately trying to gain our attention. All this so that we might listen and make the right choices in our lives, for the sake of building God’s Kingdom and for Christ to be able to continue His good work in us that put our faith in Him.
4“To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.
6Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
Verses 4-8 let us know that Wisdom is not held back for a select few, but extends her council to us all. Our backgrounds and our shortcomings don’t matter in the slightest. James 1:5 (NIV) says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given you.” Wisdom speaks the truth, only what is right and all her words are just. We can trust that these three characteristics, that mirror those of Jesus, will only ultimately lead us to our best life; the life that God has called us to in the first place, if we’ll listen.
9To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
We have a choice. We always have a choice. To be discerning we have to listen. To find knowledge we have to seek it out. This is a call to action. A call to search out Wisdom above money, success, power, etc. It starts by making the choice to follow Christ. Only by His example and discipleship can we learn to walk in the bountiful blessings of Wisdom.
How do you choose to follow Jesus and begin to seek out Wisdom that so urgently calls out to you?
It’s simple. Firstly, pray this prayer; Lord Jesus, I confess that You are the son of the living God. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again on the 3rd day and are now sitting at the right hand of Your father in Heaven. Please, forgive me of my sins and be forever Lord of my life. Thank You for Your grace that is sufficient! All in Your name I pray. Secondly, become a disciple of Jesus and ask Him to give you wisdom. Answer the call to action. Dust off your bible, devour God’s word and seek Him out in prayer. Most of all, listen. Soon you will be filled with knowledge and will become discerning. Then you will start to know what it is like to walk in Wisdom, wisdom that only comes from God.
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