Tagged: humility

Wisdom as the source of honor and more 0

Posted by on in Wisdom

Wisdom leads to honor, riches, long life.

Nothing on earth compares to the power associated with having wisdom.

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor.” (Proverbs 3:13-16 NKJV)

We are told God’s wisdom and knowledge are so vast that with it He created the earth, established the Heavens, and broke up the waters of the deep.

“The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.” (Proverbs 3:19, 20 NKJV)

For all our human knowledge we still cannot fathom how God did these things. We can explain so much, but with all the knowledge we gain, more questions come. Many of our scientific pursuits were birthed out of wanting to know how God put everything together and how it works. Seeking this out is a great way to honor God, by acknowledging His wisdom is greater than ours, and humbly seeking to learn what he already knows and has done.

Why is that humble nature needed? When we become wise in our own eyes, thinking we have all the answers, thinking we are the source of our wisdom and knowledge, thinking we are bigger in intellect than those before us, we become fools.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. … Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.” (Proverbs 3:7, 34, 35 NKJV)

 

Humility as Defined by Solomon’s Sayings 0

Posted by on in Humility

Solomon’s sayings have a refreshing definition of humility.

Today the summary of Solomon’s sayings point overwhelmingly toward one virtue, humility.  From the early portion of the chapter:

6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
or stand in the place of the great,
7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
Part of this thinking just seems to be commonsense pragmatism, something that tends to be missing in our world today.  We are so often focused on letting others know what we are doing, who we are, why they should be thinking of us, how they should look at us, etc.  This perspective instead places the importance of others first, and allows for recognition that is genuine, and comes from a place higher than ourselves.  Of course in most of our democratic societies today, we don’t have a king, but we do have forms of kings in our lives.  Be it your parent, employer, pastor, teacher, or manager, we all have someone in authority over us on a regular basis.  Next time you are in the presence of one of those “kings” in your life, think about their needs, their position first, and ask yourself if what you are about to do or say places them first, or you first.  Solomon gives a sharp warning about putting yourself first before your king:
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.
15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone.
He also indicates that it may take time before you are recognized, patience and humility tend to walk hand in hand.  Today, humility may be the first piece you need to add to your character if you want to eventually have a place in influencing the “kings” of your life.

Quotable snippets 0

Posted by on in Quotations

This chapter has so many quotable snippets. From verse 6 being used all over children’s ministry to financial ministries pounding verses 7 & 26 into your head. The real themes in the chapter are patience, humility, honesty, and coachability. All in all, there are so many applicable take aways for this chapter, but my biggest of the day has been learn to be more open to hearing the wisdom of the wise, and let them coach you.