Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Proverbs 17

Lord, lead me to you and away from my sin. Help me to be the woman I was meant to be and the mother I desire to be.

Proverbs 17:14 "The beginning of strife is like releasing water;Therefore stop contention before it starts."
I see this as when I get upset with my kids or when they begin to fight. If I were to prepare and head off the beginning of the fight then they wouldn't get into a physical altercation or I wouldn't say things that I shouldn't.

Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones."
They say happy people live longer. That laughter is the best medicine. I believe that that is true and now the Bible confirms it. Isn't God good?

Proverbs 17:27-28 "He who has knowledge spares his words,And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."
Do you ever notice that smart people don't have to prove they're smart? They don't boast and go on and on with how much they know. (at least REAL people with REAL wisdom don't do this.) The man who KNOWS he can win a fight is normally the one willing to walk away from a confrontation. See where I'm going with this? Smart people know they're smart and it doesn't matter what other people think.
The last verse reminds me of an old saying, "Better to remain silent and let people think you're stupid then to open your mouth and prove them right."
In other words, keeping your mouth closed could be the smarter thing to do.

1 comment:

Evelyn Mayfield said...

Oh, Shelly, there was so much of worth in this post that I don't know which to thank you for first. Being a peacemaker is important to me, but I also notice that I "infect" people with my mood. If I am sour, they pick up the mood and they are, too. So, it makes sense for me try a little harder to be at peace, at least with myself and God. Then, maybe I can infect people with serenity.
I also appreciate the thoughts about keeping one's mouth shut. Even if I know the answer, if it is not important for me to say so, I need to just keep my silence. Who knows? Maybe I really didn't know what I thought I did, and if I open my mouth, I'd prove how wrong I was.
Thanks for your insights, my friend. I need to keep coming here, to keep on track.
God Bless.
Evie