“A good name is more desirable than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold.” – Proverbs 22:1 (BSB) This proverb speaks quite plainly of the value of a good reputation. But don’t think for a moment that it refers to the necessity of hiring a good publicist or spin doctor to manage the way that others perceive you. Nope. It refers to the importance of an impeccable life, lived publicly and privately in accordance with the highest values. It’s said that “you are who you are when no one is watching.” This is the very definition of integrity. Integrity contains not only the idea of moral strength, but…

“The plans of the diligent bring plenty, as surely as haste leads to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5 (BSB) What are you planning? We’ve all heard the old adage, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Is that what the writer is really getting at here? Plans are good. They are a terrific use of our God-given imagination. We envision for ourselves what a better future could look like. What does that mean for you? How would you define a better future for your life? What steps can you take to make your future better? These are all great things to ponder. But dreaming only goes so far. The…

“It is honorable to refrain from strife. But every fool is quick to quarrel.” – Proverbs 20:3 (NRSV) We live in a divided world. We are each so full of our own opinions, we can barely recognize those who disagree with us as human. Society, as served up continually to us by our devices, will only show us data intended to reinforce our already tightly held viewpoints. Families and friends are divided by party lines. People are losing their jobs over political statements. Peaceful protesters are being arrested and having their bank accounts frozen in previously free countries. The most extreme radicals are even willing to kill anyone bold enough…

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) So how is your day going so far? How’s your year? Is it living up to your expectations? Have you managed to keep those optimistic resolutions you started out with on January first? Most of us find that things don’t always turn out as we plan. So you do you react when that happens? Disappointment? Frustration? Resignation? Anger? I have nothing against planning and goal setting. I believe they’re both important to our progress, whatever the endeavour might be. I’ve worked a good part of my life as a music…

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions. – Proverbs 18:2 Two Ears, One Mouth Just a few days ago I was at a meeting where someone brought up the old saying about having two ears and one mouth for a reason. That is, so that we can listen way more than we speak. The same point is made here in Proverbs 18:22. We need to listen in order to have the wisdom to know how to speak. Those who are mostly interested in voicing their own opinions lose many valuable opportunities to learn from those around them. Consequently, their own opinions might not…

The Power of a Cheerful Heart A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22 This encouraging proverb has been around for thousands of years. Taking it at face value, it states that our attitudes can affect our health and the power of cheerfulness affects us physically. Can having a cheerful heart really influence a person’s physical well-being?

All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. – Proverbs 16:2 Actions are important. The things that we do in our daily lives show who we are. People judge us by what we do. With God though, our actions aren’t the bottom line. God has the unique ability to see beyond our actions to the motives of our heart. What does God consider to be more important? Our motives! You might ask why our motives matter so much, since other people have no way of knowing what is in our hearts. The reason is that the unseen things that motivate us will always…

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. – Proverbs 15:14 We are confronted everywhere in the media with conflicting advice about how we should feed our bodies. Should we enjoy the feast of whole grains for their mood enhancing B vitamins, or shun the deadly gluten they might contain? Is coffee killing us? Or giving us life and energy to face the day? Are dairy foods only for calves, or are they suitable for a child or an adult human? I am not a scientist, and it is pretty obvious that the scientists can’t agree completely on what we should or shouldn’t feed…