Proverbs 14:22-23

The wise and the foolish are often contrasted in Proverbs. The characteristics, reputations, and results are each identified and worth knowing if wisdom is our goal. In verse 22, it states that, “if you plan to do evil, you will be lost…” You will be lost… how terrifying and convicting this last phrase is. To know that I will be count as “lost” if I dare try to do something to someone who wronged me, or if I just plan to do evil in my heart. How many times have you thought of someone in a derogatory manner? Did it affect your attitude? Did it alter how you treated them? It most likely did, and that in itself is evil. Consider this phrase as you go about your day. Do you want to be lost? If not, think before you speak or act.

As you begin to take steps to become a better version of yourself, your wisdom will conquer others’ strength and you will begin to grow stronger in your faith and in how you act. “If you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.” What a precious promise this is to know. Although our works do not save us, it does benefit us. “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.” Our attitude throughout the process is what determines our outcomes. Don’t let gossip, negative relationships, or mere talk get in the way of pursuing a life full of wisdom. Work hard and know that the steps you take to living wisely is benefitting you even when you don’t see it.

Proverbs 13:17-18

Growing up, did you ever play the game telephone? It’s a game you play with a group of people, and one person tries to whisper a sentence or phrase to the person next to them, and that person has to try and remember what they said and whisper it to the person next to them. It’s a fun game to play and interesting to see how mixed up the phrases get. The goal of the game is to keep the same exact message from the first person to the last person. If you have ever played the game, you know how challenging being the messenger is. It’s important to choose your words well and avoid reacting until you clearly understand what the other person means. In Solomon’s day, a king had to rely on messengers for information about his country. The messenger had to be fully reliable and trustworthy because inaccurate information could have lead to death. Reliable communication is vital.

I am not one to take criticism well. I get embarrassed, I feel humiliated, and sometimes I even breakdown and cry. Lately though, I have learned a lot through Psalms and Proverbs, and I have obtained a lot of wisdom from them. One thing Solomon talks about quite often is that accepting criticism makes you an honorable person, but “if you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace…” We are not suppose to get angry or offended when people try to correct us, because they are only trying to help you become a better person. Being open to correction means you have a willingness to grow beyond what you think you are capable of being.

Proverbs 12: 9-10

“Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-important but have no food.”(Proverbs 12:9) The person who is thought little of by their friends and is lowly in their own eyes, if he has a slave to cater to all his wants and needs, they are better off than one who boasts of his rank and family, and are on the verge of salvation. Being self-important doesn’t just mean that you care for yourself, but it means that you go out of your way to make sure YOU have all you need, and it means never thinking of other people before yourself. Where is the good in that? We are fools to think that we wouldn’t be despised if all we cared about was our personal well-being. What Solomon is trying to say is that it’s better to be just a somebody with a servant, implying some means of honest living, than to be well-known and have no food.

“The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.” (Proverbs 12:10) A godly man would not put even an animal to needless pain, but the wicked often speak of others as well used, when they would not endure the same treatment for a single day. The cruel acts of the wicked are ungraciously rendered to the needy. The righteous more regards an animal than the wicked man. In another translation is says, “…but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.” (NIV). What good is our life if we would put down others the same way someone else puts us down? Could we handle being tormented and made fun of the same way we do to others? Most of us get down on ourselves when someone says a joke that discriminates us, how could we handle the cruelness of the wicked Solomon is referring to? I challenge you to think before you say and do. Be mindful of others’ feelings and live a godly lifestyle that people can look up to.