Skip to main content

Advice, Short & Sweet

The chapters I've read and reflected on for the past couple of days had good advice that stood out to me here and there. I noticed an overriding theme that wisdom comes through controlling our hearts, reactions, and in checking how we relate with other people. Below is a list of verses that were key for me.
  • Proverbs 16 gives good instruction on having wisdom over your emotions and spirit.
    • 16:2: This verse tells us that the Lord weighs our spirit. It's not enough to do the right things. God wants our motivations to be pure and righteous too.
    • 16:20: Here we see that using wisdom to handle the issues we face will bring about good results. We also learn that trusting in God, will bring us happiness.
    • 16:32: Here is encouragement to temper our anger. Don't let it fly off the handle. God tells us that controlling our angry emotions and spirit makes us strong.
  • Proverbs 17 gives good instruction on having wisdom in how we treat each other.
    • 17:15: We should treat each other with justice. It is evil to justify the actions of wicked people and speak negatively about the actions of good people.
    • 17:26: Similarly, we should not punish people and leaders who do good.
    • 17:28: There is wisdom in remaining quiet and just listening. When we rush to provide answers (because we want to be helpful) we can come to wrong conclusions. We are reminded here to take our time.
  • Proverbs 18 gives us a push for relating with people in a positive manner.
    • 18:12: This verse reminds and encourages us to see the value of accepting instruction and correction. With a humble heart, we become teachable and God lets us know that with this attitude, we will receive honor.
    • 18:16: Here is encouragement to allow your gifts to flourish. The gifts/talents you are blessed with will be your gateway to important opportunities and influential people.
    • 18:24: We are made for community - so don't go through life alone! Be friendly and you will have good friends. It's an admirable goal that reaps a lifetime of benefits.

Proverbs 17:28 has been a revelation to me especially when it comes to my work life. I've learned that I come up with great ideas after having a day or two to marinate on an issue. I've learned to be comfortable with the discomfort of not rushing forth with a suggestion on how to fix things right away. I'd love for you to share in the comments the verse or verses here that speak to you too!

Thank you Lord for providing us with specific ways to practice wisdom. Help them become simple and easy and ingrained in our everyday lives. Amen.

Comments

  1. 16:32 Always a good reminder to control my temper and to think about the situation before reacting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Absolutely! So easy, yet so hard. Thanks for your comment!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts and reflections spurred on by this post. :)

Popular posts from this blog

Comfort in Discomfort

Our small group chatted recently about a comment our pastor mentioned a few Sundays ago. The comment left some of us scratching our heads and trying to understand how we really  felt about it. Our pastor said that he's noticed a common thread stated by people who experience hardships. They all said they would not change their bad experiences because they now value the good lessons they learned following their trials. The common sentiment was that the pain and hard lessons were worth it in order to grow. I intellectually understood this point, but my physical and emotional, pain-understanding being, disagreed! Do I want to experience hurt and discomfort just to learn how to lean into God and understand that He is my shelter and Comforter? The answer is no , not really. I'd rather just know it. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works. We live with our human nature, ripe with opportunities for exercising freewill. This freewill can positively and negatively impact our live...

The Wisdom Walk

I'm reading Proverbs 4 and 5 and some of the takeaway points were: (1) learn about wisdom and instruction, (2) let your whole body be in submission to wisdom, and (3) embrace correction Proverbs 4 implores us to get wisdom and understanding. We learn from this chapter that King Solomon's "father" taught Solomon the value of gaining wisdom and the dangers of ignoring it. ( Proverbs 4:3-4 ) "Wisdom is the principal thing" which sets you up for promotion, honor, grace and glory. ( Proverbs 4:7-9 ) If we want all of these good things, we need to be given wisdom and shown the right paths. We need to be teachable. Proverbs 4 is written in a dual way where it's implied that Solomon was taught by his father King David. We can also read Solomon's words and see him speaking metaphorically as a "father" to us. This writing style was oddly soothing because it helped me get past the thoughts of - well, what should people do if they don't hav...

The Expanse

I participated in a Zoom prayer call tonight with other women at my church and at the end I just had that feeling of loveliness. It felt good, it felt connected, and it made me want to connect with God even more. I opened my Bible and read Jeremiah 2:2 .  Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.” My thoughts after reading this was: Lord increase my wonder of You.  When things are brand new we have a strong urge to learn more, seek more, engage more. When the shine wears off, we become complacent and less interested. Maybe it’s because we feel we’ve learned all we need to know. Maybe it’s because we are too comfortable in the now. Maybe it’s because we can’t see the possibility of there being so much more for us to gain.  When it comes to my spirit and You, God, please open my eyes to see the expanse of all that you have for me to...