Learning & Growth

31 Proverbs Highlights: #12-How God Sees You

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

Better to be disregarded, yet have a servant, than to act important but have no food.  Proverbs 12:9 CSB

  • God’s view of you has nothing to do with any earthly titles
  • God sees us all the same 
  • God sees past any of our facades
  • God longs for us to be genuine and honest
  • Seeing the person in the mirror how God sees them is the regard that should head the list

31 Proverbs Highlights: #11-City Life

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

When the righteous thrive, a city rejoices; when the wicked die, there is joyful shouting. A city is built up by the blessing of the upright, but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked. Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks sense, but a person with understanding keeps silent. A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence. Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭10-14‬ CSB)

When you think about your city, what comes to mind? When you consider the spiritual state of your city, how do you describe it?

These five verses speak into the health of a city’s life.

  • If a city wants to thrive, wickedness must be overcome by righteousness.
  • If a city wants to thrive, blessings should be given to the upright rather than the wicked.
  • If a city wants to thrive, neighbors must pursue understanding one another rather than showing contempt.
  • If a city wants to thrive, citizens must build trust by respecting one another.
  • If a city wants to thrive, it must have clear direction coming from wise leaders.

31 Proverbs Highlights: #10-Family Conflicts

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ CSB)

Our natural response to an offense is defense. And how we choose to respond shows whether we have chosen love or hate.

This probably shows up most often in family relationships. You’ve witnessed it, maybe even been caught up in it. The families who get offenses right, and we all go through them, practice love. 

To check how your family is doing in the “love covering offenses” category, give 1 Corinthians 13 a read. Then choose love.

5 Actions Showing Title Respect

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(This entry posted April 2016. Entering graduation season, another posting seems appropriate for those receiving titles and for those with titles hiring these newly titled graduates.)

What is Title Respect? Blogger’s definition: working in such a way that shows ongoing respect for one’s title earned through academic achievement or hired position; engaging with coworkers, clients, customers, employees, parishioners in such a way to bring respect to one’s organizational position

Is this easy? Certainly appears to be easier for some more than others. Character plays a significant role in title respect. If you are wondering how you are doing in the title respect category, gauge your efforts in these five actions:

Treating people with dignity

  • How are your “bedside manners”?
  • How often do you say, “Thank You”?
  • Do people leave your conversation feeling heard?

Continuous learning 

  • What’s the last book you read about your field of work?
  • If you’re not reading, how are you striving to learn?
  • If you’ve stopped learning, can you pinpoint why that is and address that issue?

Rolling without Flaunting

  • Do you insist your personal return address labels bear your title?
  • Does everyone have to know what charity you support?
  • Do you always have to sit at the head of the table?

Investing in the next generation

  • Who are you currently coaching or mentoring?
  • What support could/do you give to starters in your field?
  • How do you make yourself available to the 20s & 30s community?

Giving credit where credit is due

  • Who receives credit at the end of the project?
  • How does collaboration get celebrated?
  • How might you encourage someone after their first “win”?

31 Proverbs Highlights: #9-Rebuking

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

The one who corrects a mocker will bring abuse on himself; the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt. Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke the wise, and he will love you. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭7-8‬ CSB)

To be clear, rebuking means to reprove sharply. To be further clear, reproving means to express condemnation for a fault or offense.

The essence of these two verses is a challenge: how do you receive deserved correction?

A wise person loves it. Those who don’t love it, according to these verses, aren’t worth the hurt they will give to any well-meaning rebuker. 

Choose wisely.

Fruity Fridays: 3 Steps to Goodness

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(A series about the Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5)

post by Eric Vorhies

If kindness is the way we act toward others, then goodness is just the way we act regardless of the presence of other people. But like kindness, for me, the struggle is real.

I know what it looks like though. We all have that one friend that would totally shock us if he/she did anything wrong — I’m looking at you, Jacob Zerkle. And, just in case you don’t, you might be that friend…or you might be really bad at choosing friends.
Frankly, I don’t know how Jacob does it. It is as if bad, mean, hateful, or selfish thoughts don’t cross his mind. But with me, horrible and nasty thoughts pop up so fast that I have to play a type of mental whack-a-mole to avoid utterly destroying my life. So, today, I want to share how I battle to be good. (Spoiler Alert: it’s by the Holy Spirit)
Okay, we have established that I have many thoughts that directly conflict with my relationship with God and my sense of morality. But as I reflect how I have changed over the years, I can narrow it done to three concepts that I believe are rooted in Scripture.
1. Take Every Thought Captive
The nature of a thought is that it is a thought. That’s it. But what we do with that thought is important. During the sermon on the mount, Jesus starts each topic with a law regarding an action, such as “do not commit adultery.” Then he called out our thoughts by letting us know that even lusting after someone is the same. In James, it says that “each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…” Be aware — having a thought is not wrong. What we do with it is where we can cross the line.
The remedy – “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Have a thought, give it to God. Ask Him to get rid of it. Ask Him where it came from. Ask Him what you should have been thinking. He will reveal to you what you need to hear. And over time (as long as you keep this discipline), those stupid thoughts will become fewer and your thoughts will be more in tune with the thoughts of God.
2. Stop Comparing
Look, let’s be honest, we all know someone who is a better Christian than you…and me. And that’s OK. There will always be someone better…there will always be someone worse. But goodness in your walk with Christ has nothing to do with the goodness you have or don’t have. Phil. 3:16  — “In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.” When you look around and see people are better at “being” Christians, don’t beat yourself up. Also, when you see people who are worse at it, don’t pat yourself on your back. Stop comparing with others.
The only comparison that needs to be made is the one between what you know you should do and what you actually did.
Think about that for a second.
It’s like exercising. You add weight and intensity based on where you are. You are able to achieve things that are actually obtainable. You are about to grow. More importantly, your relationship with Christ becomes more focused on your relationship with Christ and not others’ relationship with Him.
3. Grow
Lastly, never stop improving. Let’s stick to the exercise comparison. If you go to a gym for three years and can’t lift any more than what you did at the beginning, then what’s the point? Don’t we want a stronger relationship with Christ? A more meaningful and deeper relationship? Then never stop growing.
Eph. 4:15 — “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head — Christ.”
Goodness isn’t something we have. It is something that God is. And through the Holy Spirit, we can grow in it…we can grow closer to God.

31 Proverbs Highlights: #8-Wisdom

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

Doesn’t wisdom call out? Doesn’t understanding make her voice heard?…”For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.” (‭Proverbs‬ ‭8‬:‭1, 35-36 CSB)

5 Truths from these verses:

  1. The search for wisdom should never end.
  2. Our ear should be bent to her call, much like the sheep attentive to their shepherd.
  3. Life is found in making wise choices.
  4. Choosing to listen to wisdom rather than refusing is choosing to live rather than dying.
  5. To reject wisdom is to reject yourself.

31 Proverbs Highlights: #7-Marriage Boundaries

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the books of Proverbs)

Chapter 7 is another focus from Solomon on instructing his son about the wayward woman. In his story, he quotes her saying the following:

My husband isn’t home; he went on a long journey. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭19‬ CSB)

In a marriage, either spouse can go wayward. One proactive step for the couple to take to keep on the same path is to create boundaries about time-protecting their time together and their time apart.

Traveling spouse, do your marriage a big favor:

  • Have a boundary talk before you book your next flight. 
  • If your boundaries are already in place, consider how you can help other couples do the same. 

Waywardness can be avoided. Check your boundaries and stay on the same path.

31 Proverbs Highlights: #6-God Hates

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion:

  • eyes that are arrogant,
  • a tongue that lies,
  • hands that murder the innocent,
  • a heart that hatches evil plots,
  • feet that race down a wicked track,
  • a mouth that lies under oath,
  • a troublemaker in the family. Proverbs 6:16-19

Yes, God loves.  But, according to these verses, God hates also.

This paraphrase from The Message states very clearly what he hates.  And what God hates, we should hate also.

31 Proverbs Highlights: #5-Immorality

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(A simple series highlighting verses from each chapter of the book of Proverbs)

Solomon takes several portions of this book to warn his son about the lores of immorality and adultery. Chapter 5 is his instructions about an immoral woman.

“She doesn’t consider the path of life; she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable.”‭‭ Proverbs‬ ‭5:6‬ ‭HCSB‬

She doesn’t know. That description is thought provoking. 

Why doesn’t she know?

  • Could it be she is just trying to survive?
  • Could it be no one has ever tried to show her a better path?
  • Could it be her hand is raised but it’s unnoticed, maybe even slapped away by judgment?
  • Could it be she wants to come into the light but is terrified of the powers of the dark?
  • Could it be that she could know if we would stop long enough to consider that she doesn’t?

    These aren’t thoughts Solomon is concerned with. However, they crossed my mind as I pondered the why.