Hasty Mistakes

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 29:20

One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given came from a lovely lady named Gail Grimstone through my father.  “Never make a decision until you have to.”  While there may be some truth to the general idea that “He who hesitates has lost” my problem is more frequently the latter.  The snap judgment is the enemy of wisdom.  It is interesting that we often portray our “wise men” culturally as listening, taking long pauses, and responding thoughtfully and intentionally.  Our desire to get our opinion out there is rarely a wise.  

Temper, Temper

A fool always loses his temper,

But a wise man holds it back.
Proverbs 29:11

There is an important biblical distinction between anger and “losing one’s temper.”  Just as there is a distinction between desire and lust.  In both cases the transition comes when the feeling moves from being present to one that controls our behavior.  Jesus himself grew angry at multiple points in his ministry, but that anger never cause Him to sin.  Things like anger and extreme desire are natural acceptable feelings for humanity.  When those become the driving influences on our thoughts, words and behaviors then we have a large problem.  It is at this point that we begin to act as the fool – the practical atheist – the one who seeks to be God of our own lives.  Wisdom, on the other hand, can consider the reality that our feelings are only a part of the equation of how we ought to behave.  A wise person is not lead by those strong emotions but by the Spirit of God within him – and thus has that much less to apologize for later.

How's your Heart?

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But he who walks wisely will be delivered.

Proverbs 28:26

This is an uncomfortable message. The world system is constantly at odds with the truth of the word of God, and this is an example.  The world puts forth hundreds of books, plays, essays, and movies about the person who “follows their heart.”  Heart, in this context, is a word that encompasses a person’s thoughts, will and emotions.  While the heart may be the best guide for the unbeliever, those who know the Lord have a far greater standard by which to walk.  We know that, as Jeremiah wrote: "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Far better than our own perception and intuition the believer has the privilege of walking by the Word of God, which is a lamp to our feet (Psalm 119:105) as illumined by the forever indwelling Holy Spirit of God.  We can heartily praise the Lord that we have so much more wisdom by which to walk than just our own thoughts, emotions and perceptions – we have His Light by which we may walk.

The Pleasures of Staying Sharp

As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17

Hearing the clang and zing of two iron implements being rubbed together is a sort of conflict.  If the there was no friction between the two, the process would be doing very little for the sharpening of the blade.  This proverb is more than just a warning to have friends about – it is an injunction upon every believer to have people around who lovingly and faithfully challenge you.  There are ways that we can safeguard ourselves from all but the slightest levels of conflict and opposition to out viewpoints.  Even if our viewpoints and attitudes are totally correct (an incredible unlikelihood) surrounding ourselves with no one to challenge us to think critically and question makes us as useless as a dull blade in battle.