Skip to main content

Wednesday... What a difference it makes to be open to practical truth.


Wednesday... What a difference it makes to be open to practical truth.

Look at these two "sterling principles - tested guidelines to live by" (v. 20-21) from Proverbs 22.

First, verses 24-25 (MSG) says, "Don't hang out with angry people; don't keep company with hotheads. Bad temper is contagious - don't get infected." And we have seen this happen over and over, haven't we? Angry people are dangerous, they really are. We can stand for something with deep conviction but being angry and a hothead will head us down the wrong path.

Let me give you an illustration. Take your right hand and make it into a fist and then start pushing the left hand. What happens with the left hand? It starts pushing back. That is not the practical, effective way to get your point across. Anger begets anger and some people are angry all of the time so don't hang out with them; "don't keep company with hotheads. Remember, "Bad temper is contagious - don't get infected."

Here is another one. Verse 29 says, "Observe people who are good at their work - skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone." Now that doesn't just happen. They are constantly striving to get better at their work. They don't take things for granted and they don't take a backseat to anyone." 

There are so many ways that we can get better at what we do but it takes effort, it takes work but it is so worth it.

I love to read. What about you? Just because you've got a degree or you got the job doesn't mean that you don't keep striving to get better. It takes work, it takes effort, it takes drive, it take determination but "skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone."

Proverbs is filled with practical truth that will make a difference in your life. So why not read a chapter every day. Today is the 22nd and I just read Proverbs 22. Remember, "Bad temper is contagious - don't get infected." and "skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone." Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...
Post a Comment
Read more