Taking A Proverbial Walk...
Proverbs 10
Some Random Thoughts...
What are people going to remember you for?
When the Proverbs speak of blessings, they refer to eternal blessing, eternal joy, eternal life -- what importance does the end have? Victory comes in the endgame not the middle of the battle; for who gives a crap what your status is in the middle of the battle if you eventually lose the war...? But we already have the victory (yeah, I skipped through and read the end of the book already) and so we press on with every challenge, give thanks for the temporal blessings which lead to ultimate and unending blessing and we do all that we do with the knowledge that victory will be ours...
Be just. Be worthy of a good name. Be good and kind to people. Express the joy God has given you. Make THAT kind of impression on people - especially with people under your guidance or leadership - don't make the kind of impression that leaves them wanting a change or longing to escape. After all, God is not like that...
What God values should dictate our values system. People should know what we value and see us acting in ways that reflect our values. As friends of God, adopted into his family, we should be doing the things he would be doing and living in the way that he would live among us...
What does the Bible say about that? What does it say about the way God lived among us? What about how he treated people and mingled with them? What were his priorities and what did he spend his time doing? (You can read about that between Matthew 1.1 and Acts 1.9 in the Bible, if you really want to know...) How is my life reflecting those same principles and actions?
Being diligent and patient and hardworking will bring blessing in the end. Sometimes we will not see it here on earth; here in this lifetime, especially if our work is for the kingdom of God. Those who work for their riches here on earth will enjoy them for their lifetime here on earth. Congratulations! We get 50-80 years (more, if we're lucky) enjoying what we have earned in this life. There is nothing wrong in that and I rejoice with those who have and can live a good life with what they have. Also, those who work for the riches of heaven and for the kingdom of God will receive their blessing for an eternity, enjoying the riches of heaven. Of course, there is always the chance that you might enjoy both if you've got the right attitude about what you own and how you "own" it and what you do with what you've been given...
WATCH YOUR WORDS -- they can bring life or death to the people around you. Use them for good and for wisdom; to construct and edify and correct in love. Don't let your words be an instrument for destruction or hurt or causing people to look at God as a hater or an unloving and judgemental deity. He is love and uses true words of love to bring people close to him and to know him deeply.
Be generous. The heavens will open for you when you give for God rather than hoard for yourself. Even the poorest person in the eyes of man can be rich in the eyes of God (and the desire of others) because he gives generously of what little he has. God sees it all...
What are people going to remember you for?
When the Proverbs speak of blessings, they refer to eternal blessing, eternal joy, eternal life -- what importance does the end have? Victory comes in the endgame not the middle of the battle; for who gives a crap what your status is in the middle of the battle if you eventually lose the war...? But we already have the victory (yeah, I skipped through and read the end of the book already) and so we press on with every challenge, give thanks for the temporal blessings which lead to ultimate and unending blessing and we do all that we do with the knowledge that victory will be ours...
Be just. Be worthy of a good name. Be good and kind to people. Express the joy God has given you. Make THAT kind of impression on people - especially with people under your guidance or leadership - don't make the kind of impression that leaves them wanting a change or longing to escape. After all, God is not like that...
What God values should dictate our values system. People should know what we value and see us acting in ways that reflect our values. As friends of God, adopted into his family, we should be doing the things he would be doing and living in the way that he would live among us...
What does the Bible say about that? What does it say about the way God lived among us? What about how he treated people and mingled with them? What were his priorities and what did he spend his time doing? (You can read about that between Matthew 1.1 and Acts 1.9 in the Bible, if you really want to know...) How is my life reflecting those same principles and actions?
Being diligent and patient and hardworking will bring blessing in the end. Sometimes we will not see it here on earth; here in this lifetime, especially if our work is for the kingdom of God. Those who work for their riches here on earth will enjoy them for their lifetime here on earth. Congratulations! We get 50-80 years (more, if we're lucky) enjoying what we have earned in this life. There is nothing wrong in that and I rejoice with those who have and can live a good life with what they have. Also, those who work for the riches of heaven and for the kingdom of God will receive their blessing for an eternity, enjoying the riches of heaven. Of course, there is always the chance that you might enjoy both if you've got the right attitude about what you own and how you "own" it and what you do with what you've been given...
WATCH YOUR WORDS -- they can bring life or death to the people around you. Use them for good and for wisdom; to construct and edify and correct in love. Don't let your words be an instrument for destruction or hurt or causing people to look at God as a hater or an unloving and judgemental deity. He is love and uses true words of love to bring people close to him and to know him deeply.
Wow. Words are powerful. I remember that little idiotic mantra they used to tell us in Elementary School; "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me," which is frankly a load of bull-oney.
Nasty words sting, bite, break, devour, conquer and smash to pieces. They can end friendships, destroy marriages, break family ties; cause depression, anorexia, a staggering belief in lies, drive a person to the bottle or worse, to suicide. Self-satisfying for a glimpse, nasty words protrude from the mouth of a person whose heart is filled with bitterness and whose soul battles to know self-worth but finds it in shallow and temporary things. Don't be a reflection of a bitter, self-absorbed and mouldy-innards kind of person. Use words that uplift, encourage and restore. Say things that are kind and gentle, loving, true, and that bring a smile to one who has a difficult time finding joy in life. And if you can't find anything nice to say in the moment, stop, think about how God sees people, and respond in a way that validates, edifies and urges a person to keep drawing close to God and being the beautiful person that he has made them...
I need to work on that last one...
Be generous. The heavens will open for you when you give for God rather than hoard for yourself. Even the poorest person in the eyes of man can be rich in the eyes of God (and the desire of others) because he gives generously of what little he has. God sees it all...
Just some thoughts about the statements of wisdom in Proverbs 10 for today...
Love,
Shannon
Shannon
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