Applying the Wisdom and Discipline of Proverbs to Everyday Life
The Book of Proverbs is renowned for its wisdom and discipline. One of my favorite passages and one of the most well-known is Proverbs 3:1-6, which states, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Given such readily attainable wisdom, one has to wonder why humankind continues to stumble with repeated missteps that result, in part, from a failure to learn from past mistakes? In particular, why are we not wiser when it comes to conflict? Have we not learned that violence and warfare begets more hostility and heightened aggression? How many more lives must be ruined? How much more heartache must there be? Can we not somehow get back to the basics of righteousness, justice, and equity?
It all seems so pointless and so hopeless, but imagine the peace and prosperity we would enjoy if we were to truly embrace His teachings and keep His commands in our heart. Imagine if we were to let love and faithfulness never leave us, but instead bind them around our neck and write them on the tablet of our heart. Imagine if we were to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding, and in all our ways submit to him. Imagine how straight he would make our paths and how much better our world would be.
The truth is that we don’t have to imagine. All we need to do is to trust, follow, and obey!
Until we meet again, Be Blessed!