Work hard. At times, it feels like hard work is not a very common characteristic in people these days. We see a lot of folks who seem to feel entitled to what they have. In Proverbs 19:12-29, we see in verse 15, an interesting idea about laziness. Apparently, people could be lazy even in Solomom’s time. His advice? Lazy people don’t eat. We should be willing to work to have what we get. We shouldn’t ever just expect someone else to give us things. Are we being lazy? God honors diligence and people who are seeking to be obedient to Him. He has plenty of work for us to do.…

What do we take pride in? In Proverbs 19:1-11 we see several things we should be taking pride and pleasure in. We see several areas where we can be easily tripped up such as spreading lies or taking credit for things that are not ours. Then, verse 11 makes an interesting statement. It is our glory to overlook a transgression. When other people sin against us, we are to take pride in our ability to forgive. We should have the best, most awesome, most complete forgiveness anyone has ever seen. That is what we can take pride and pleasure in. We are very much like Christ when we are forgiving…

Why do we talk and why do we listen? Continuing through Proverbs in chapter 18, we see more contrasts between what wisdom looks like and what foolishness looks like. As I read through verses 1 to 11, verse 2 stands out. A fool doesn’t have any interest in learning more. A fool would rather talk to hear themselves talk, than listen to learn and gain understanding. When we talk, is it just so we can hear ourselves speak?  Are we trying to impress people with our words? There is much greater understanding to be found in listening. If we will take our time to truly listen to the people around…

There is no entitlement from birth. In Proverbs 17:1-9, Solomon continues giving advice about wisdom. Verse 2 stood out to me because there we see a situation where someone was born into privilege, but acts shamefully, so a servant ends up ruling over him. The idea of a servant ruling over a prince is crazy, but its not about birth, its about what you do. Do we get a sense of entitlement because of who we are or who we know? That doesn’t guarantee anything. We must continue to obey God and love Him, for only through Him can He direct our paths where He wants us to go.

We cannot know what is best for us. While that statement is contrary to what most of us believe about ourselves and our ability, God’s word says it’s true. As we read in Proverbs chapter 16, looking at versus 21 through 33, verse 25 really stands out. There is a way that seems right to us, but in the end it leads to death. Our best guesses and our plans are all flawed. There are several reasons for this. One of those reasons is that we are not perfect. We make mistakes and as a result, our plans have those mistakes in them. Another reason that our plans lead to…

Do we love God’s Word? In Proverbs 16:14-20, verse 20 stands out. Most people are looking for the good things in life. They want their life to be filled with all that seems right and is pleasant. What the Bible says here, God’s word is the good in life. God’s word provides and instructs in all that is good. We have only to seek his word and to follow it to find the good in life. We can trust God. The verse actually ends by talking about the fact that the one who trusts God will be blessed. Are we seeking the good things that God’s word has for us?…

Why do we do what we do? In Proverbs 16:1-13, Solomon continus to share about the differences between the wise man and fool. In verse 2, it indicates that God understands our motives and judges us according to those, not just the action itself. In the business world, I talk a lot about business objectives (“what” someone does) and competencies (“how” someone does it), but God is also interested in the “why” behind what we do. We can often fool lots of people with regards to the first two, the what and the how, but we can’t fool God on the why. He will hold us accountable for the why…

How well do we interact with others? In Proverbs 15:17-33, Solomon lists several types of relationships and discusses how we interact with each of those areas. Are we acting in wisdom? Are we slow to respond in anger or judgment? Do we act with humility? The way we respond to others is a reflection of our relationship with God. If we struggle with other people, often we are struggling interacting with God. Do we accept discipline from others? Do we display humility? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the respect of other peope we are around is the demonstration of that wisdom.