Proverbs 18:1-24

Life is full of choices.  We make choices all day everyday about how we are going to live our lives and the path that we are going to follow.  There is a path that leads to destruction and a path that leads to great blessing.  There are wise choices and there are foolish choices.  Discernment is a key for us to be able to choose the right path, make the wise choices and find the path of blessing that God intends for us experience.  There are some characteristics that mark the wise choices and others that describe the foolish ones.

WISE COMMUNICATION WITH OTHERS: All wisdom does not rest within ourselves.  We desperately need the insight that others can give us in order to make wise choices in our lives.  Isolation will usually end up causing us to falter along the way because we lack sound judgment.  The foolish will talk before he thinks but the wise will always give great consideration to his words.  Our words represent great danger as well as great blessing depending on how we choose to use them.  When we use harsh words we stir up strife and will usually bring great harm to others and ourselves.  These thoughtless words lead to destruction of both our body and our soul.  It is so tempting to whisper gossip they seem like juicy little tidbits but they are very destructive.

WISE CONSIDERATION ABOUT OURSELVES: Pride is one of the most destructive choices that we can make as we build our character.  We must be very careful to guard our consideration of ourselves.  Our refuge must be in the Lord and not in our own strength.  We cannot trust in our own wealth or imagine that we have sufficient power to keep ourselves safe.  Pride will always take us down a path that ends in destruction.  When we have too high of an opinion of ourselves we will jump to conclusions that are not right without hearing both sides of and argument.  Pride is like a disease that eats at our soul and crushes our very spirit.  It is far more dangerous than any illness.


WISE COMPANIONSHIP WITH BROTHERS: Our companions and how we treat others is one of the most important choices we will ever make.  Peace in our relationships with those around us is a great blessing.  Easily our choice in a spouse is the most important companion apart from our relationship with God.  Our spouse should bring great delight to us and pleasure to the Lord.  When it comes to companions we should be careful not to invite too many people into that circle.  There is a balance that we must achieve.  Many companions can lead to much ruin whereas no companions can lead to destruction.  Without a doubt the most important companion that we can ever choose in the Lord.  He is always faithful and will be more of a blessing to us than even our closest brother.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more