Tuesday, January 19, 2016

My Month in Proverbs, Part 3

A quick reminder: there’s still a week left to sign up for my flash fiction challenge if you’d like to. You can find the details here.



If you’ve been following along with me the last few weeks, you’ll know I’ve been sharing some of my thoughts from the time I recently spent in the book of Proverbs. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 to catch up.
Month in Proverbs Part 3
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Pride stands in direct opposition to God, and when that connection to God is blocked, how can we receive wisdom from Him? We block it out when we choose to be proud, to our own great detriment. Pride is destruction just waiting to happen.
Proverbs 12:18 “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 
I am so quick to speak, often without considering the impact of my words. Angry words can’t be stopped once they’re out. Insults, petty jealousies, mindless chatter. They all leave a mark. Guard my tongue; use it for Your purpose.
Proverbs 13:4 “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”
It’s all too easy to sit back and want things without putting any kind of plan in place. I’ve definitely been guilty of this lately. But God wants diligence from us. Instead of mindlessly craving without acting, I need to trust God and take each step faithfully.
Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.”
The world throws so many thoughts and opinions at us. It would be easy to just take it all in. But that is the way of the simple. We need to apply discretion and prudence to our decisions, and that is found only with the Giver of Wisdom. The easy path is to sit back and let things filter in. It’s much harder to apply wisdom. However, in the end, Wisdom is the path of life, and that’s where I want to be.
Proverbs 15:13 “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”
Heartache can be immensely harmful, to you and others. Letting grief fester closes off your heart and makes you useless in God’s service. Joy is one of the greatest things a Christian can give off to the world; it is an immensely attractive force. Properly process your heartache; don’t let it strangle your joy.
So, what do you think about these verses? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

5 comments:

  1. Proverbs 12:18 is my favourite of the group. There are so many good verses in proverbs about the importance of words. I just wish I could remember them while I speak.

    About the Flash Fiction, now. I don't have a blog, but I'm still interested. So I would just share the prompt and the writing via this comment section or e-mail, the same way I'd ask to join, correct?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true!

      So, if you don't have a blog, this is how it works. You would give your prompt to whoever I assign you to on their blog, and you would receive your prompt by some other method (I'm still deciding on the exact method). Then you would email your flash fiction to me and I would post it here as a separate post on the due date. :)

      Delete
    2. If you're wanting to be part of this one, I need you to sign up by noon eastern tomorrow.

      Delete
    3. Yes, sorry. I've been mulling it over, and although this method doesn't sound all that complicated, it doesn't sound overly convenient for you either. Perhaps I should wait for the next Flash Fiction. Lord willing, I'll have a blog by then.

      Delete
    4. It's not really a big deal. I've done it several times. :) But you can, of course, do whatever you want. Just know that, on my end, it's not a problem.

      Delete

Hey, there! I love comments, and I'm always quick to respond. Got something to say?