These are my attempt a writing in the genre of proverbs from what I am learning by reading Wisdom In Israel by Gerhard Von Rad. Please see Proverb-ish #1 for all my caveats and excuses.
You will never have peace of mind
while someone else owns a piece of your mind.Living publicly is living for the public.
Beware of anyone with the audacity to change a definition.
I have been reading Wisdom In Israel by Gerhard Von Rad and have been inspired to see if I might be able to write something in the same genre. I have learned a couple things.
First, it is a little embarassing to blatantly admit that you’re trying to write something wise. In other writing, you can hide behind the interesting phrase or poetic license. There is no hiding your intentions when putting a pen to a proverb. Your intellect tends to be on display. I have found that disconcerting. My intellect is not the worst, but it is not the best. I land comfortably in the middle of the bell curve. Yet, I am still susceptible to the praise of men and the fear of being considered simple or even stupid. However, I have learned that intellect and wisdom are not the same. Wisdom is the application of knowledge to the real world. Therefore, my attempt is to share what I have learned through the years (knowledge) to my understanding of how the world works. I am more confident with this.
Second, this is hard. The whole point is to write a thought-provoking saying that conveys a world of truth in a few words. That is difficult to do. Good or bad, the process is rewarding. Attempting to write a proverb will force you to write in a concise manner. That is a good excercise for anyone working on the craft of writing. So, I will keep at it. Hopefully, they will improve with time.
I have delayed long enough. My disclaimers are hopefully sufficient. There are a variety of proverb styles. Here are my first attempts at proverb writing, presented as opposites:
Opinion rough hewn, set aside as complete.
Thinking continually crafting, refined through time.Quick retorts, snide remarks, talking points, pass for understanding.
Accurate articulation of an opposing view, true knowledge.Division and hurt excused by single-minded purpose.
A wake of kindness, people as primary, purposed defined.Curiousity satisfied by a tweet.
Always more to know, curiousity grows.
“A man of wealth is wise in his own eyes,
but the intelligent poor sees through him”
Position sways responses.
I learned this early in my career as I was in a contracted regulatory role. I was the final gatekeeper for those who wanted approval for their developments. As a result of my position, I regularly had my ego stroked. One would have concluded by the praise that I was a sage. I was not.
I have done this with clients throughout my career. I need a client’s business so I moderate how I interact with them. I try hard not to manipulate but I equally try to stay within a realm of professional client development. This means that I work to assuage unpleasantness in favor of the client’s position. I have worked for clients who are not very good at their job. I would never tell them they are inadequate. It is not my job to change the image that they have of themselves.
I am now President of the company where I have worked for over 20 years. It is strange to witness the change in behavior as one ascends the corporate ladder. People treat you differently. U have learned that just because no one disagrees with you, doesn’t mean they’re in agreement. It is easy to get an inflated image of oneself. It is easy to misinterprete modulated responses for admiration.
One’s position sways how people react to you.
Therefore, those in leadership, positions of authority, have to fight becoming wise in their own eyes. Here are some suggestions for that fight:
I hope these thoughts are helpful, but then I might just be wise in my own eyes.
https://ref.ly/Pr28.11 via the Logos Bible Android app.
“For lack of wood,
a fire goes out,and where there is no whisperer,
quarreling will cease.As charcoal is to hot embers and wood is to fire,
so a man of quarrels is to kindling strife.”
Words are either fuel for a fire,
or salve on a burn.
Sad the number who play strife’s arson
by whispering gossip and quarreling nonsense.
Choice of words are governed from within.
Words obeying their chosen sovereign.
Peace makers or conflict creators, our words will show.
Whisper collector or gossip settler, for all to know.
Repent from your arson ways, your heart cannot hide.
Quenching a quarrel’s ember, quietly glorifying.
When hearts choose a righteous temperature for words,
their Sovereign is always magnified.
A tongue of deceit hates its victim, and a flattering mouth makes ruin. ~ Proverbs 26:28
https://ref.ly/Pr26.20-21 via the Logos Bible Android app.
“A soft answer will turn away wrath,
but a word of trouble will stir anger.”
Imagine we have a difficult hike to make. Our destination is a community of peace on the opposite side of a mountain. This mountain is large and formidable. There are areas of instability, where a rock slide could sweep us away. There are vast stretches lacking any springs for refreshment.
Obviously, the shortest course will be to go directly over the mountain. These routes are poorly marked and likely filled with all the hardship of an ill-advised expedition. Many have tried these routes, but few parties ever arrived at the community of peace intact.
The other route is long. It meanders along the valleys and ravines. The path is broad, following a refreshing stream. Travelers wind past hazards while slowly gaining elevation.
Often, the gains are imperceptible causing travelers to become discouraged and set off on more direct routes. Those routes rarely lead up the mountain. Often, these impatient travelers find themselves once again at the base of the same mountain or a new one.
The patient traveler diligently stays on the long path with his destination firmly fixed in his mind. The goal for these patient parties is not simply to overcome the mountain but to summit the mountain as a group, not as individuals. The long route is the most likely path for the group to achieve their goal and reach the community of peace but it takes uncommon endurance.
I consider conflict a mountain. Conflicts are barriers to peace and unity, just like a mountain separating you from your destination. Conflicts are difficult with a lot of hazards which can result in even more barriers if not handled carefully.
Some refuse to deal with conflict. They are like the travelers that never leave camp. They sit at the base of a mountain and wonder why the conflict never goes away.
Some choose a direct route. They say it like it is. They don’t select their words carefully and rarely listen for a response without an interpretation. These direct routes often include “words of trouble” that only stir up more anger. Many, on a direct route, excuse their course as being part of their nature. As if, they had no other choice but a direct confrontation.
In my experience, directness is not a personality trait. The direct person is usually either impatient or selfish (unloving). Those on the direct route rarely get off the mountain of conflict. It is where they live. They feel like the world is out to get them, never realizing that they are the ones continuing to raise more mountains (barriers).
Gentleness of tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it causes a break in spirit. Proverbs 15:4
The long route is hard, mostly because it involves a lot of self-control. Yet, gentleness takes time. Soft words must be allowed to seep in and moderate the heart of a conflict. Kindness has to be kindled and love often must be demonstrated through long-suffering. Conflict resolution requires consideration, which will rarely be granted when there is a break in spirit.
Travelers of the long route must value gentleness, patience, kindness, self-control, and love. I don’t see travelers on direct routes valuing those same attributes. Is it any wonder that a world valuing direct, powerful, harsh, responses is a world mired in conflict?
Conflict is not fun. However, the mountain will never go away until it is surmounted. If you are ready to deal with your mountain, what route are you going to take? May I encourage you to take the long way?
Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves, each of you not looking out for your own interests, but also each of you for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3–4
https://ref.ly/Pr15.1 via the Logos Bible Android app.
“A worthless man, an evil man,
goes around with deceitful speech.
Winking in his eye, shuffling in his foot,
pointing in his fingers,
perversion in his heart, he devises evil;
at all times he will send out discord.
Upon such a man, suddenly shall his calamity come;
in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing”
I recently had an employee who appeared to be a great “marketer”. He had a big personality; a fill-the-room type of presence. In the world of consulting engineering, it is hard to find people who like to do the cold-call marketing. This guy seemed made for it.
He had a great resume. He had great experience. He had a philosophy for a great cultural fit.
Yet, with all that greatness potential, I fired him.
I fired him because greatness doesn’t trump deceitfulness.
It took me over a year of trying to work with him; trying to get his greatness to flourish without the discord that continued to fester. It took me over a year to realize that there actually was no greatness. His shtick was a deceptive illusion.
I had been deceived by a carefully crafted resume that masterfully gave false impressions. I had been deceived into believing that a person who taught the principles of how I try to manage, would actually practice it.
So, I endured a year of discord. A year of smoothing down ruffled feathers. A year of confronting and encouraging the proper behaviour. A year of scratching my head in hopes that I would not have to give up on someone.
But then came that last straw of deception and I had no choice but to fire him without warning.
Upon such a man, suddenly shall his calamity come;
in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing
I always hope when I fire a person that it will be a wake up call and they will change their behavior. However, I don’t have much hope. I recently saw his updated LinkedIn profile. His description of his work while under my employment is…more deception.
Therefore, I conclude that Proverbs is as relevant today as it was in Solomon’s time. This man has…
perversion in his heart, he devises evil;
This man needs Jesus. Without Jesus, none of us can ever experience the greatness for which we were individually created. Jesus is the only one who can cure a deceitful heart because a deceitful heart comes from a perverse heart, which is a evil heart.
We all need Jesus, every day! Therefore, this man will stay in my prayers for God to do a miracle and change his heart. The same miracle He did for me.
https://ref.ly/Pr6.12-15 via the Logos Bible Android app.
“My son, keep my words and treasure up my commands with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:1-3
This is my attempt to retell the advice of Proverbs 7
in the context of this present age.
My son, I have some advice for you.
Pause for a time;
Hear what I have learned,
That you may receive wisdom and not pain;
That you will be guarded by knowledge and not nature.
For all that is shapely is not trim;
And not all that is buxom is natural.
Hear the truth in my words;
Value the understanding of experience.
A day will come when you will doubt the relevance of old men.
And dismiss advice as uninformed.
Therefore, settle the matter in your mind.
Decide if truth will be the foundation of your principles;
Be as familiar with her as of your sister’s image;
Know your principles as well as any intimate friend,
To keep you from the temptation of seduction.
The familiar story, you have heard.
A young man, full of naïve confidence,
Convinced of his own resolutions,
Purposefully pursues an avenue without sense.
Foolish boy who plays with indwelling fire,
Without an ability to extinguish.
He closes the door, beyond the eyes of elders.
A singular face illuminated by a screen;
Fully aware of the call echoing within;
Lying in wait.
Harmless browsing, bannered by advertising;
Images unsought sponsor a search;
Articles of the alluring allure;
Lists of the hottest ignite heat;
News of the attractive attract;
Only the simple ignore the sequence.
A swing of the door leads to a click on something dormant;
A scroll through the dormant germinates to a click on scantily cladded;
A scroll through the scantily cladded sprouts to a click on the claddless;
A scroll through the claddless blossoms to a click on the corrupt.
A slide starts with a solitary swing.
And now, O Son, listen to me,
And be attentive to the words of my mouth.
Do not believe those who claim no harm in pornography;
Do not value the famous who belittle the value of morality;
Do not credit bondage as freedom;
Do not confuse forgiveness with relevance.
This sin is written with a cursor of steel;
With an icon of diamond it carves cravings into the soul.
Cravings create a crack;
Cracks create a cleft;
Clefts keep one from the power of the One.
Everyday, you train your mind to either,
Seek the pleasure of God
Or the pleasure of flesh.
Let not your heart be turned by a door and swing;
Do not illuminate your face in privacy,
For many have been trapped
And their morality harvested;
Countless convictions have yielded to this call and compromise.
Pornography is a house along a path leading from God;
Those who travel it will never find Him.
Do not think that there are no consequences
To actions behind swinging doors.
PRAYER: Lord, I pray for all those caught in pornography. Father, I ask that your healing and restoration will abide on all those caught in this sin who call upon your name. Lord, keep me and my son from this hidden sin. I ask that you will grow in us this fruit of your Spirit, self-control. Help us to rely upon you in all things. Help us to be aware of the danger. Help us to be careful to love you with all of our heart, soul, and strength. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
“The plan of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weights the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:1-3
I cannot resist a laugh at the irony implicit in a “No Regerts” tattoo.
The irony does not lies in an individual’s declaration of regret freedom becoming yet another regret.
I do not know of anyone who wants to live with regrets. No one starts their day with a desire to fill it with regrets. Being without regrets is not a matter of determination. A life without regrets is a life never lived.
A statement that you will not feel sad, repentant, or disappointed about circumstances that have not worked out, the loss associated with poor decisions, or the indecision of a missed opportunity, seems naïve. It might seem possible for a twenty-nothing to think that life can be lived without regrets but as a forty-something I cannot imagine a life free of regrets.
The denial of regret simply creates a regert – regret in disguise.
Regrets are an inevitable part of the human experience. A life without regrets requires perfection. I am far from perfect and as a result my life is full of regrets.
I regret responses to criticism…victory…conflict…praise…rejection…
I regret selfish treatment of people.
I regret a failure of leadership in the Church and business.
I regret working too hard and not hard enough.
I regret misplaced trust placed in key people.
I regret starting and never finishing.
I regret never starting.
I regret not being the husband I want to be.
I regret not being the father I want to be.
I regret not being the friend I want to be.
The majority of my regrets can be traced to the sin that still dwells within me. My life is full of regrets because I am a sinner. To deny my regrets is to deny my sin. The denial of sin will only result in another regret, which makes it a regert.
Regrets are not an emotion to deny. Regrets are a reminder of our continuing need of a savior. The acknowledgement of regrets leads us to the gospel. I trust God; that He has a plan. I trust He will take all that I regret and make something good out of them. I trust that there will be a day when I will see all my regrets for what they are in God’s plan.
However, that is an act of faith because I currently cannot see His plan.
Therefore, I find freedom from regrets by faith and a refusal to change them into regerts.
I glorify God in my regrets.
I have been forgiven through Christ of the sin associated with my regrets.
I praise God in my regrets.
His plan is not dependent upon my perfection.
I hope in God because of my regrets.
I look forward to the day when I will be truly free of regrets and regerts.
PRAYER: Father, you know all of my regrets. You know all of my wanderings. You know all of my sins of omission and commission. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for freeing me from my past and all that I regret. Thank you for giving me hope. Thank you for preparing a day in the future when I will truly be free of all regrets…and regerts. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.” Proverbs 4:18
I don’t like my shadow!
I have been spending a lot of time running. I am still building up my running miles for the Boise Ironman 70.3. I ran 10.6 miles (17.06 km) last night with two more weeks left to top 13 miles before starting to taper down prior to race day. As a result, my shadow and I have been spending a lot of time together on the lonely rural roads of my running routes.
Running is far more mental than you might think. It is very easy to fall out of form. I try to concentrate on a high cadence, feet landing under me at mid-sole, chest forward, arms pumping like a gun-slinger, and deep breathing. It feels great when it all comes together.
I feel like an athlete when I hit that rhythm in form. Images of my favorite triathlon videos play in my mind:
Bevan Docherty – Super-human Triathlon Sprint Finish
Crazy sprint finish between Javier Gomez & Jonathan Brownlee
My imagination paints the course of my impending race over the abandoned fields. I can envision myself running with long, fluid strides trailing behind me, speeding me to the finish line.
At a glance, my shadow crushes these delusions. When I look about me, I will catch a sight of my shadow. My shadow does not remind me of the runners in my favorite videos. It reminds me of Forest Gump and not the young Forest Gump but the desert shuffling Forest Gump. My strides look short and my torso looks fat as my shadow mockingly shuffles beside me.
I don’t like my shadow because it conveys a truth that is not helpful to dwell upon – I am sliding to 50 years old; I’ve been running (inconsistently) for less than 3 years; I can still lose another 10 pounds; and I am slow. Dwelling upon what I am, does not deliver me to what I am becoming and does not let me enjoy how far I have come.
Therefore, I prefer to run into the sun. When I run to the sun, my shadow falls behind me and out of sight. I still am who I am – a middle-aged guy trying to stay in shape. I know that I will never be an elite athlete, but that reality does not need to steal the joy of being a triathlete and participating in the race.
Many people don’t realize that we cast a similar spiritual shadow. As Christians, we are being transformed from one degree to another into the image of Christ. We travel down our God-ordained paths of righteousness with the light of Dawn shining upon us; the Son illuminating our lives as we follow Him. However, the enlightenment of the Spirit will cast a shadow from all the areas of our lives that remain sinful and disobedient.
We can see who we were in our spiritual shadows. We can see all those areas of our lives where the righteousness of Christ has not cast away all darkness. I get discouraged by glimpses of my spiritual shadow – those plaguing sins; those inconsistent disciplines; those worldly loves; the slow pace of my sanctification. In the past, I have become so discouraged that I questioned my salvation. Focusing on my spiritual shadow resulted in a joyless religion. Dwelling upon my sin never delivered me to what Jesus is making me and never raised praise in how much I have been transformed.
Therefore, I prefer to travel the path of righteousness with my face toward the Son. When I consciously focus my mind on the things of the Spirit, my spiritual shadow falls behind me and out of sight. This is not to minimize sin and the need to faithfully follow Christ, but that work is in front of us. What we have been or who we are, does not dictate who we are transformed into when our lives are illuminated by Christ. I might never be an elite man of faith. I know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I also know that I am a Child of God with a seat at His table and that is more than enough to motivate me to continue in the joy of my salvation.
Don’t allow the joy of your salvation to be stolen
by focusing on your spiritual shadow.
Focus on the Son and enjoy the work of the Spirit in your life.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for redeeming. Thank you for sanctifying me. Turn my eyes toward you and away from all my continued failings. Father, keep my face turned towards, you as I walk in the light of your Son as I continue along the path of righteousness that you have laid before me. Keep me from being discouraged by my spiritual shadow. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30
With one last pull of my arm, I glided to the end of the pool, my other arm extended in front of me. Now, that was a good swim. I had just completed 2,000 yards of swimming without stopping. I had considered doing some shorter sets due to how I had started my day.
The days have been getting shorter, which has affected by workout routine. The sunrise no longer quick enough in chasing the night away for me to squeeze in a morning run before I have to leave for work. Therefore, my wife and I have returned to Jillian. We are back to doing the Jillian Michaels 90 day Body Revolution.
Doing an upper body, weight training workout in the morning is not performance enhancing for a lunch hour swim. My satisfaction in my 2,000 yard swim stemmed from overcoming this new workout schedule. I felt the effects of Jillian’s super-sets, 5 laps into my swim. I could feel the energy drain from my shoulders on every pull. The tightness in my triceps made keeping my elbows high a challenge. I wanted to quit at 10 laps. I was very glad that I pushed through for another 30 laps. I did not have a great time but that was not the point.
I was feeling pretty good about myself as I bobbed at the edge of the pool. I was the only lap swimmer in the pool. I shared the pool with a group of intellectually disabled (ID) swimmers who come to enjoy the pool once a week. After a short recovery, I pulled myself out of the pool. My upper body was shot but the benefit was that I had a pretty good pump going.
I admit that I was being rather vain as I admired my muscles. I had pretty good definition in my shoulders. I could see a distinct diamond in my triceps and I could discern a shadow of a vein in my bicep. The excavation of my abdominals, while still incomplete was showing the ripple of a couple ribs so that was encouraging.
I probably peacocked a little bit as I headed into the shower. I had just got all sudded up, still enjoying vainness of my pump, when I noticed someone walking through the shower. I was in the process of washing the soap off of my head when this interloper spoke. The water flowing over my head prevented me from hearing him clearly but it sounded like he said something about the Olympics. “Well that is cool, he must think I’m of Olympic quality”, is what I thought but in my heart I knew that could not be.
I swiped the water from my head with a back of the head to chin motion. My lack of immediate response motivated my admirer to repeat himself, only louder. This time his question echoed through the shower, “Are you in the Special Olympics?”
Lost in vanity, my immediate response was a surge of indignation rushing up my spine. In a flash, my mind raced through all the implications of this obvious insult. Why would this guy think I was in the Special Olympics? He must have meant, “Am I WITH the Special Olympics” maybe a coach, but that is not what he said. He said, “Are you IN the Special Olympics?” Where is he going with this? Regardless of his motivation, I squared up to my intruder in a move of unreasonable machismo.
I took one more swipe across my eyes to clear my vision as I blurted out, an incredulous “what?” In an instant, I felt rather foolish. Standing across from me was a man in his mid-twenties. He was over-weight with stooped shoulders that shrunk his 6’-3” frame. He repeated himself again, “Are you in the Special Olympics?” with an innocent and sincere face that acknowledged that he was intending to compliment me.
I laughed to myself as I said, “no.” I asked him if he had been in the Special Olympics because I now recognized that he was part of the ID group that I regular shared the pool. I was quickly awash in his effusion of words explaining that he indeed was a Special Olympian and that he had won several events. I smiled at his joy of participating in the Special Olympics and realized that, for him, there was no greater accomplishment than to be a Special Olympian. My vanity vanished in the delight of this Special Olympian as I praised him of his accomplishments.
This little experience reminded me of how much we can miss due to our vanity. I could have dismissed this young man based on a misunderstanding of an unintended insult. I would have missed the blessing of his joy. He would have missed being encouraged. We both would have lost if my vanity had won.
Vanity emerges in so many aspects of our lives:
Preoccupation with our image,
Demonstrations of strength for the sole purpose of strength,
Bound to the home with the chains of imperfect make-up,
Demanding the fashionable,
Shouting to be heard,
Spewing sarcasm to be witty,
Logging deserved praise and inadvertent slights,
Relegating hospitality to a dust layer.
What are we afraid of? Are we afraid that someone will view our Olympic caliber efforts as “Special”? No one can withstand the relentless pressure of public opinion. Living for the opinions of peers is like sitting in a pressure vessel at the bottom of the ocean. The slightest crack in our façade allows all of those feared opinions to rush in and crush a fragile and vain self-image.
Everyone will eventually succumb to the pressure.
No matter how hard I work out, age will have its way with my physic. My hair will eventually gray and fall out. My skin will wrinkle and sag. My world will fall apart if it is based upon other people’s opinion of my appearance, intelligence, abilities or anything else. If I allow people to get too close, they will eventually see that I am not perfect.
Consider what has to be sacrificed to the pressures of vanity and the fear of human opinion.
God’ opinion is so much more important than any man’s. Therefore, it is God whose opinion we should be concerned about. Freedom from the pressure of our peers comes when we remember that we don’t need to worry about other people’s vain opinions.
We cannot please God and man.
Everyone must pick who they will live to please.
Everyone must decide whose negative opinion they will fear.
PRAYER: Lord, forgive me for being so vain. Forgive me for often letting my vanity keep me from blessing other people. You are the one whose displeasure I fear. Help be to remember who I am in You. Help me to value what you are making me into more than what the world wants me to be. My hope is in you and not the opinions of my peers. May all I do be pleasing to you. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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A DEVOTED LIFE
A DEVOTED LIFE 