Category Archives: Proverbs

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(Un)Common Sense

How To Develop Your EQ

SYNOPSIS: There are plenty of people in every age, including this one, who don’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain. They’re not stupid, mind you. Some are even very intelligent, well educated, and in some respects, quite successful people. IQ is not the problem; it’s EQ—they lack emotional intelligence: They don’t do very well in relationships, mismanage emotions, lack impulse control, fail to master delayed gratification, and habitually steer into the ditch with decision-making. But you don’t have to be one of those, because the Bible promises that God grants a treasure of common sense to those who are honest, live out integrity, display fairness, and are faithful to him.

Article: Uncommon Sense

Moments With God // Proverbs 2:7

Lord grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

The 18th-century French philosopher Voltaire wrote, “Common sense is not so common.” I wonder if he was thinking of our age when he offered that social critique. Probably not! My guess is that every age could claim that title.

Unfortunately, common sense has rarely been all that common.

The thing is, there are people aplenty in every age, including ours, who don’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain. They’re not stupid, mind you. Some are even very intelligent, well educated, and in some respects, quite successful people. IQ is not the problem; it’s EQ—they lack emotional intelligence.

These are people who don’t do very well in their relationships, mismanage their emotions, lack impulse control, have not mastered delayed gratification, and habitually steer right into the ditch in their decision-making. Again, they lack common sense.

Do you know anyone like that? I’m sure you do; images are probably flooding your mind right now! So how about you? How’s your EQ? In reality, there’s not a whole lot you can do about how others do life, but you can work on your own emotional intelligence. How? Go to God. That’s what Proverbs 2:6 says:

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

That’s where you start. The Bible says God is quite liberal in doling out wisdom to those who lack it and are willing to ask him for it. James 1:5-8,

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Now, asking alone doesn’t guarantee a continual supply of Divine wisdom. God expects your cooperation in the attainment of emotional intelligence. The very next verse, Proverbs 2:7 says,

Lord grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

That means the spigot to God’s wisdom will stay fully open to you if you will walk in honesty—with others, with yourself, and with the Lord, and if you will walk in integrity—the congruence of what you believe and how you behave. Furthermore, Proverbs 2:8 adds that God expects you to treat others fairly and to walk faithfully before him,

He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.

As those conditions are met—honesty, integrity, fairness, faithfulness—the Lord himself has promised to not only give you wisdom but to wrap you protectively in that wisdom. Among other things, and most importantly, that means his wisdom displayed in you will protect you even from yourself.

I like what George Barnard Shaw said: “Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius.” When enough of God’s wisdom gets absorbed in your core to where common sense becomes your natural response to all of life, you will be known on earth and celebrated in heaven for the best kind of genius—your uncommon sense.

Take A Moment: For the next seven days, discipline yourself to stop before every decision, every response to people, and every emotional reaction to first ask, “what would wisdom have me to do?” Then do it. It might be clumsy at first but stick with it until good sense becomes common for you.

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Doing Life Well

Make the “Fear of the Lord” the Center and the Circumference of Your Life

SYNOPSIS: Whether you are doing life as a parent, or you are simply doing life as a child of God, remember that holiness is a far better attribute than happiness and the fear of God outshines feeling good every time. So, learn to lean into the Lord’s discipline, and help your children to embrace it, too. Put wisdom at the top of your wish list—for you and them. And if you desire for you and yours to do life well, make “the fear of the Lord” the center and the circumference of your home.

Make “The Fear of the Lord” The Center and the Circumference of Your Life

Moments With God // Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

“You ignorant outfit!” If I heard that scathing remark from my red-faced-vein-in-the-forehead-about-to-explode father once when I was growing up, I heard it a couple dozen times. Obviously, my childhood home wasn’t one of those touchy-feely places where mom and dad gave a whole lot of thought to my self-esteem. They were determined not to produce an offspring who turned out to be a fool—someone who is, as the Bible defines it, morally deficient.

The older I get, the more I appreciate their old-school approach. As columnist George Will writes,

“Modern parents want to nurture so skillfully that Mother Nature will gasp in admiration at the marvels their parenting produces from the soft clay of children.”

Not my parents; they were more concerned that one day I would stand before God, at which point all three of us—dad, mom, and child—would hear, “well done, good and faithful servants.”

Whether you are doing life as a parent, or you are simply doing life as a child of God, remember that holiness is a far better attribute than happiness and the fear of God outshines feeling good every time. So, learn to lean into the Lord’s discipline, and help your children to embrace it, too. Put wisdom at the top of your wish list—for you and them. And if you desire for you and yours to do life well, make “the fear of the Lord” the center and the circumference of your home. Solomon said it this way in Proverbs 1:7,

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

My friend, the fear of the Lord is what enables us to do life courageously, confidently and flourishingly well—and by the way, it’s the only way that produces the kind of esteem worth having: Not self-esteem but God’s esteem!

Take A Moment: Find an opportunity as soon as possible to talk with your children about 1), what the fear of the Lord really is, and 2) the important distinction between eternal holiness and temporal happiness.

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If You Play With Fire …

Some Things Will Burn Us Beyond Remedy

SYNOPSIS: “Adultery will reduce you to a loaf of bread; sexual indiscretion will prey upon your very life,” according to Proverbs 6:26. In other words, you mess around with sexual immorality (or any immorality for that matter), you’re toast! God never intended for our sexual needs to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. Our brain was meant to occupy that position, and our moral core was meant to be our navigator. If you are facing a temptation today, get your brain and your moral core together and let them do their job!

If you play with fire

Moments With God // Claim Proverbs 6:27

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?

“If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned!” That’s what my father used to say to me, and I’m sure his father said to him, and his grandfather said to his father. The reason fathers the world over have to say it is that it seems there is just an innate curiosity little boys seem to have with fire. I’m sure even before matches were invented, back when man lived in caves, wore animal skins, and first discovered fire, some troglodyte dad was telling his son, “Trog, you poke fire with stick, you get bad burn!”

Okay, maybe it didn’t happen quite that way, but around 3,000 years ago Solomon mused in Proverbs 6:27, “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” Of course, Solomon’s point is that what is true of physical fire is also true in the spiritual realm—we’re drawn to the very things that can burn us beyond remedy. This chapter in Proverbs mentions three of the biggies:

An unspiritual pursuit of wealth: Specifically, Proverbs 6:1-5 warns us about one of the riskiest, and therefore worst kinds of financial transactions of all: entering into a business partnership without prayerful and careful planning. Solomon doesn’t care whether the business opportunity has great potential or not, he just says agreeing to it apart from God’s wisdom is the height of foolishness. This is particularly true if the business deal is a get-rich-quick scheme, which seems to be the implication here.

If you’ve entered into a deal without doing due spiritual diligence, chances are, you’re going to get yourself burned! The wisest thing you could do would be to quickly and graciously extract yourself from your foolish partnership and chalk it up to a lesson learned the hard way.

If you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger…Don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess! (Prov 6:1, Message)

An irresponsible approach to success: Perhaps the most common way we play with fire is by rejecting the common sense approach to work and wealth that simply rolls up its sleeves, sees the responsibilities before it, doesn’t over-think what needs to be done, just seizes the day and gets after it.

Solomon describes this approach to life in Proverbs 6:6-11 by illustrating the work ethic, of all things, the ubiquitous ant. More success stories are birthed from the ant’s I-work-hard-for-the-money life philosophy than any other. Far too many people in our day, lured by lust for quick fame and easy fortune, are waiting for their ship to come in. The problem is, they’ve never put their ship out to sea. God will reward you with the good life, but he expects you to get up in the morning, grab your lunch pail, put on your hard hat, and get to work!

A day off here, a day off there, sit back and take it easy—Do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life! (Prov 6:10-11)

An uncontrolled sexual appetite: Need I say more? Solomon knew from first-hand experience what we have observed in the lives of countless high-profile people—men and women—in our lifetime who have crashed once-promising careers and have burned sterling reputations by allowing their sexual drives to do just that: Drive their behavior.

God never intended for our sexual needs to be in the driver’s seat of our lives. Our brain was meant to occupy that position, and our moral core was meant to be our navigator. As strong as our sexual drive is, and as susceptible as it is to temptation, just mark this down: If you give in to your sexual desires apart from God’s plan for sexual satisfaction within marriage, you’re toast man! That’s what Proverbs 6:26 says,

The adulteress will reduce you to a loaf of bread, sexual indiscretion will prey upon your very life. (Prov 6:26)

Well, there you have it. You keep poking your stick in those three fires and eventually, you’re going to get burned. There’s nothing really profound about Solomon’s teaching here; he’s just telling it like it is. And like that little ant in verses 6-8 which doesn’t need anyone to help it discover the deeper, hidden meaning of life, neither do you. The ant just does the right thing. I hope you will, too!

Now, as someone famous has said, go do the right thing.

Take A Moment: Think carefully about this and answer honestly: Are you playing with fire by the unspiritual pursuit of wealth, an irresponsible approach to success, or an uncontrolled sexual appetite? Being truthful and accountable in these three areas may mean the difference between a blessed or a cursed life

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The End

The Way that is Right: Living with the End in View

SYNOPSIS: Just a friendly reminder: the end is near! Hate to break this to you, but it’s coming faster than you think. In light of that, what if you lived every day with the end in view? What if you fast-forwarded the film of your life to the end, to that day when another will speak at a memorial service to eulogize your days on earth? What if you transported in your mind to that day at the end of all ends when you stand before God to give account for the breath of life He had loaned you during your earthly pilgrimage? What you want another person, and more importantly God, to say of you in the end means that you must rewind the tape to the present and begin now to live with the end in view! You see, the end is nothing more than a compilation of the motives, thoughts, attitudes, habits, words, and actions that issue from your head, heart, and hands moment by moment throughout all the days of your life. Yes—there is a way that seems right, but in the end, it produces only death. (Prov. 14:12) On the other hand, there is a way that is right—right in the sight of God—and in the end, it leads to life. We are all headed for the end, that’s for sure, so just make sure the reputation that precedes you will be celebrated by both God and man. Do that, my friend, and in the end, you will be found among the wise!

Moments With God // Claim: Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Just a friendly reminder: the end is near! Hate to break this to you, but it’s coming faster than you think!

So, what if you lived every day of your life with the end in view? What if you fast-forwarded the tape of your life story to the end, to that day when another will stand before a crowd at a memorial service to eulogize your days on earth? What if you transported in your mind to that awesome and fearful day at the end of all ends, when you, along with all humankind, stand before the Righteous Judge to give account for the breath of life He had loaned you for the 70, 80, or 90 years of your earthly pilgrimage?

What do you hope will be said of you then—in the end?

Here’s the thing, my friend: What you want another person, and more importantly God, to say of you in the end means that you must rewind the tape to the present and begin now to live with the end in view! You see, the end is nothing more than a compilation of the motives, thoughts, attitudes, habits, words, and actions issue from your head, heart, and hands moment by moment throughout all the days of your life. They add up. They count. They form a pattern. They create the trend that is your life. They tell your story. They are your destiny. So be careful with the material you give them because it will come out in the end.

Yes—there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it produces only death. On the other hand, there is a way that is right—right in the sight of God—and in the end, it leads to life.

We are all headed for the end, that’s for sure, so let’s just make sure the reputation that gets there ahead of us will be celebrated by both God and man.

Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

The end!

Take A Moment: If you knew that you had one week to live, what would be the first five things you would put on your “To Do” list? Why not go ahead and do them?

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Faithfulness—The Truest Success

It Takes Stick-to-it-iveness

SYNOPSIS: What is faithfulness? Simply put, it is to follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty. It is to be steadfast, especially under duress. It is to have convictions—and then to live them out no matter what. It is to exhibit relational fidelity—stick-to-it-iveness in relationship—which is arguably the most practical and meaningful faithfulness of all. It is to say, “I will not quit. There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be inconveniences, but I will not quit. I will do what love and faith require of me.”

Project 52—Memorize:
Proverbs 2:7-8

“He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”

Jamwa Sizoo writes, 

Let it never be forgotten that glamour is not greatness; applause is not fame; prominence is not eminence. The man of the hour is not apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle, but that does not make it a diamond; people may have money, but that does not make them a success. It is what the unimportant people do that really counts and determines the course of history. The greatest forces in the universe are never spectacular. Summer showers are more effective than hurricanes, but they get no publicity. The world would soon die but for the fidelity, loyalty, and consecration of those whose names are unhonored and unsung.

As we yield to the Holy Spirit, this same fruit of faithfulness that is at the core of God’s character will be evident in our lives, too. The more we are led by the Spirit, the less fickle, the less vulnerable to discouragement, the less easily distracted by temptation and the less prone to inconsistency we will become.

Plus, the more others will find in us reliability, trustworthiness, and staying power through both good times and bad—a faithfulness the world doesn’t witness all that often. As serious followers of Jesus, we have been called to faithfulness!

What is faithfulness? Simply put, it is to follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty. It is to be steadfast, especially under duress. It is to have convictions—and then to live them out no matter what. It is to exhibit relational fidelity—stick-to-it-iveness in friendship—which is arguably the most practical and meaningful faithfulness of all. It is to say, “I will not quit. There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be inconveniences, but I will not quit. I will do what love and faith require of me.”

Faithfulness is simply, sticking to it, especially when it would be easier not to.

Here are some of the ways the Bible says God has called us to faithfulness:

  • 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 challenges us to be faithful in stewardship.
  • 1 Timothy 5:9 speaks of being faithful in our marriage.
  • Revelation 2:15 speaks of being a faithful witness.
  • Romans 12:12 says we are to be faithful in prayer.
  • Colossians 1:7 speaks of being faithful in ministry.
  • Revelation 17:14 says we are to be faithful in following Christ.
  • 3 John 3 says we are to be faithful to the truth.
  • Revelation 13:10 speaks of faithfulness in times of persecution.
  • Revelation 2:10 says we are even to be faithful unto death.

God, who is faithful and true, wants to cultivate in you his very own faithfulness.  I hope you are ready for that, because the world is perishing for want of those who are mostly un-honored and unsung, nevertheless are faithful, loyal and consecrated.

“I have known many happy marriages, but never a compatible one. The whole aim of marriage is to fight through and survive the instant when incompatibility becomes unquestionable.” ~G.K. Chesterton

Reflect and Apply: How is your relational faithfulness? If you were somebody else, would you want to have you as a spouse or friend or a partner?  Ask the Lord to develop you into a faithful person.

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Seven Things That Really Tick God Off

If You Are Sowing Discord, Fair Warning!

SYNOPSIS: Make no mistake, the God of love and grace we know expresses hatred – yes hatred – even toward people who claim to know Him, whose hearts are habitually inclined toward the kinds of destructive behaviors He specifically identifies in Proverbs 6. Among those detestable things is sowing dissension within His family. Fair warning: God will set Himself against both those who foment disunity by persuading others to their divisive side as well as those who tolerate them!

Going Deep // Focus: Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

One of the first social interactions we experience as human beings is in the sandbox. And the first words of that interaction go something like this: “Mine!” Then we grab our toy and clutch it tightly to our chest. From then on out, we get pretty good at being selfish, which is no surprise since we get a lot of practice at it throughout the rest of our lives. The reason for this is that being self-focused was rewired into our DNA at the fall. You see, the essence of sin is to tend to what self wants instead of what God wants. And of course, that leads to selfishness in every area. It is just the drift of the natural man. That is why David prayed,

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. (Psalm 119:36)

Hate! Detest! Those are words we don’t normally associate with God.  After all, God is love.  Right?

Well, the fact is, God is love, and yet he experiences the emotions of hate, abhorrence and even anger toward chronic disobedience toward his expressed will without having his goodness or graciousness diminished in the least. In fact, God’s capacity to become incensed over certain things, even among his people, is an appropriate and vital part of love.

Love, for instance, demands the emotion of anger, even hate, over injustice, neglect, abuse, or chronic and willful disobedience. Goodness gets upset over evil. Grace presupposes the need for itself, recognizing the need to compensate for disgrace. So the hatred and disgust of God should not be surprising to anyone who truly understands God’s character. Rather, it should be expected and even appreciated.

What is it that causes God such deep displeasure? Seven things, according to this proverb:  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, bloody hands, wicked schemings, evil ambitions, false witnessing and divisiveness. (In these types of numerical six/seven sayings, the final one receives the most intense attention.) Interestingly, the seven things listed in verses 16-19 are a recap of Solomon’s warnings given earlier in the chapter in verses 12-14:

  1. “Haughty eyes” is referred to in verse 13, where Solomon speaks of one who “winks with his eyes.” It refers to someone who has a proud heart, or is prideful.
  2. “A lying tongue” is called a “perverse mouth” in verse 12. Since lying is prohibited in the Top 10 List of Divine Prohibitions (Exodus 20:16), it is no wonder that God detests lies and liars.
  3. “Hands that shed innocent blood” that is referred to in verse 13 refers to “fingers” that slyly signal deceit, showing that bloody hands can also refer to one who personally, deliberately and strategically profits at the expense or misfortune of another.
  4. “A heart that devises wicked schemes” is one who “plots evil with deceit in his heart” in verse 14.  It is a conniving person who is completely out of step with the loving heart of God.
  5. “Feet that are quick to evil” is “one who shuffles his feet”in verse 13.  This is a person whose first inclination is toward evil.  Their initial tendency is always and aggressively sinful.
  6. “A false witness that pours out lies” is the “corrupt mouth” of verse 12. It is one who violates the ninth commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
  7. “One who stirs up dissension among brothers” is talked about as one who “always stirs up trouble” (NLT) in verse 14. This one is an agitator who thrives on discord.

Make no mistake, the God of love and grace we know expresses hatred toward those who hearts are habitually inclined toward these kinds of wicked and destructive behaviors.

But this list of seven things God hates is also interesting in that it tells us quite a bit about the character of God.  If you know what someone passionately dislikes, you know a lot about that person.

What does God’s hatred tell us about his character?

That he is a God who values true humility (clearly demonstrated in Jesus, who being in very nature, God, humbled himself—Philippians 2).  He is a God of truth (God is not prone to human weakness that he would lie—Numbers 23:19).  He is a protector and advocate of the downtrodden and disadvantaged (He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing—Deuteronomy 10:18). He is a God whose motives are pure (with him there is no shadow of turning—James 1:17).  He is quick to do good (How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts—Matthew 7:11.  He is a God of justice (The Lord is known by his justice—Psalm 9:16).  And he is a God of unity (Jesus’ most urgent prayer was that his followers would be one, just as he and the Father were one—John 17:12).

Living in God’s pleasure means more than avoiding his anger and his wrath, particularly by avoiding these seven no-no’s. It is also understanding his character and cultivating his qualities in our lives until we are conformed to the very image of his Son. When we truly understand what God hates, we will hate it too, and will avoid those kind of behaviors with a passion. And when we truly understand what God loves, we will passionately pursue those qualities.

A love-hate relationship….hmmm…maybe there’s something to it!

If you are weak in any one of these seven areas, take a moment to prayerfully write down an action plan to eliminate that weakness from your life.

Going Deeper With God: Honestly ask yourself if any of those seven sins are habitually present in your life. Ask someone who knows you if they are characteristic of you in any way. Be ready to listen to their honest answer. And be humble enough to sincerely repent, apologize to God and to those you hurt, and to change your ways!

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Finding God’s Will

It's About A Relationship

SYNOPSIS: In the final analysis, pursuing God’s will is not so much about a technique, a method or a litmus test. The will of God is not about a formula; it’s about a friendship. God’s will is not to be found in not a rule, but in a relationship where you invite the Creator of the universe to walk with you side-by-side, moment-by-moment, opportunity-by-opportunity to show you what he wants for your life at each step of the way. And that is where life gets really exciting!

Project 52 – Weekly Scripture Memory // Proverbs 3:5-6

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.

One of the most fundamental questions we ask in life is how to discern God’s specific will in the decisions we face.  In his book, Take Another Look At Guidance, author Bob Mumford offers this helpful illustration,

“A certain harbor in Italy can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between dangerous rocks and shoals.  Over the years, many ships have been wrecked, and navigation is hazardous. To guide the ships safely into port, three lights have been mounted on three huge poles in the harbor. When the three lights are perfectly lined up and seen as one, the ship can safely proceed up the narrow channel. If the pilot sees two or three lights, he knows he’s off course and in danger. God has also provided beacons to guide us…these lights must be lined up before it is safe for us to proceed.  Together they assure us that the directions we’ve received are from God and will lead us safely along his way.”

Allow me to give you some harbor lights, as it were, that I believe should become a litmus test for determining if the decisions you are making, the guidance you are receiving and the direction you are taking is really God’s specific will for our lives:

The first guiding light is the teaching of Scripture in its entirety.  Honestly ask yourself, “does my decision line up with the will of God as revealed in his Word? Does it align with Scripture? What does the Bible say about this?”

The second guiding light is the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit that come through prayer.  Not only should you align your thinking process and decisions with God’s Word, but you must also ask, “have I adequately devoted myself to prayer regarding this issue? Have I asked God about this—and listened?”

The third guiding light is the God-shaped circumstances of life. Ask yourself, “do the events, circumstances, open doors and closed doors I am currently experiencing indicate this desire or direction is of God?  Is God at work here?”

The fourth guiding light is the counsel of wise, godly people.  You need to ask, “have I submitted this plan to people to whom I’m accountable? Have I given permission to someone I trust to speak truth into my life about this?”

And the fifth guiding light is congruity with God’s unique design for my life.  Here is where you ask quite frankly, “is this consistent with my unique spiritual thumbprint—my spiritual gifts, my God-given temperament, my natural talents, and my spiritual passion?”

If you are to find God’s specific will for your life, then each of those harbor lights need to align.  If they do, you can be confident that a Greater Hand is guiding your steps. If they don’t, pause!

But in the end, pursuing God’s will is not so much about a technique, a method or a litmus test. The will of God is not about a formula; it’s about a friendship. God’s will is not to be found in not a rule, but in a relationship where you invite the Creator of the universe to walk with you side-by-side, moment-by-moment, opportunity-by-opportunity to show you what he wants for your life at each step of the way.

And that is where life gets really exciting!

“To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement!” ~George W. Truett

Reflect & Apply: Are you facing an important decision? Go back and think through these harbor lights—and make sure they’ve aligned before you take the next step.  Most of all, do it in relationship with the One whose will for you means a bright and successful future.