11 The wise are patient;
they will be honored if they ignore insults. – Proverbs 19:11
Godly people will not “have a chip on their shoulder” nor do they take insults and injustices to heart.
James gives us the New Testament pattern (James 1:19-20). …let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
30 Peace of mind means a healthy body,
but jealousy will rot your bones. – Proverbs 14:30 NCV
Peace and quiet within the soul is foundational to God’s plan (1 Timothy 2:1-4) (Matthew 5:9). He told us to seek the Kingdom first and he’ll take care of the rest (Matthew 6:33). Jealousy then, is wasteful, as it destroys us faster than it motivates us.
Go ahead, set goals, be productive and work hard, but enjoy the rewards of contentment (1 Timothy 6:6)
1 Anyone who loves learning accepts correction,
but a person who hates being corrected is stupid. – Proverbs 12:1 NCV1 Wise children take their parents’ advice,
but whoever makes fun of wisdom won’t listen to correction. – Proverbs 13:1 NCV18 A person who refuses correction will end up poor and disgraced,
but the one who accepts correction will be honored. – Proverbs 13:18 NCV
Disturb Us, Lord
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
– Sir Francis Drake – 16th century English sailor
Our Bible study leads us to think a lot about gracefully facing our daily challenges. Our text leads us down a slightly different path. How can we benefit when we seek correction, or seek to be challenged, or seek to learn more? The selected Proverbs hint at some of the benefits, but look at what the Hebrew writer says:
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? – Hebrews 12:5-7 ESV (Note that he is quoting Proverbs 3:11-12)
Doesn’t a healthy loving household result from the discipline of a godly father? Do the members love each other less because of the discipline?
The poem/prayer attributed to Francis Drake is a very bold request to force us out of our comfort zone. Like Romans 5:3-5 it recognizes that in order to grow, to build patience and hope, we need to be tested. We don’t need to wait on life to bring these challenges to us. It would be much better to dream a little bigger, sail out a little further and be a little less satisfied.
How much more honorable is the Lord’s correction when we ask for it?
5 The goodness of the innocent makes life easier,
but the wicked will be destroyed by their wickedness. – Proverbs 11:5 NCV
The import result of practicing good habits is the momentum we get as a reward. The body gets stronger, the mind gets stronger and the spirit gets stronger. It becomes easier and easier to maintain all three of these parts of ourselves as they improve.
Isn’t this a major teaching point all of the major New Testament players were trying to make? (Galatians 6:7)
22 The Lord’s blessing brings wealth,
and no sorrow comes with it. – Proverbs 10:22 NCV
Solomon asked for wisdom rather than wealth and the Lord blessed him with both.
He learned that sorrow comes from sources other than the Lord, and probably from our own actions. For more information, see the book of Ecclesiastes.
So what do we do in the face of challenges and hard times? Paul says rejoice in them and be glad for the lessons we learn, and the experience we can pass on! (Romans 5:3-5)
13 Foolishness is like a loud woman;
she does not have wisdom or knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house
at the highest place in the city.
15 She calls out to those who are passing by,
who are going along, minding their own business.
16 She says to those who are uneducated,
“Come in here, you foolish people!
17 Stolen water is sweeter,
and food eaten in secret tastes better.”
18 But these people don’t know that everyone who goes there dies,
that her guests end up deep in the grave. – Proverbs 9:13-18 NCV
Living a godly life takes a lot of practice. It is a life lived by surrounding ourselves with good things.
Sinfulness is always present and ready to lead us away from the light. Peter says the devil is a “roaring lion on the prowl” (1 Peter 5:8). Be careful not to trade a lifetime of happiness for a day of fun.