Category: wisdom

Love is the Greatest Motivator

Proverbs 19-21

Every chosen action is a result of a complex combination of a variety of motivations, but each one can be traced back to a source of love. Some form of love is at the base of every decision, as people prioritize what they love most. The recipient of love could be God, oneself, another person, a physical object, or even intangible concepts such as happiness or power. Loving God is a common commandment and suggested motivator throughout the Bible, but not every other object or concept is as desirable to love from a biblical perspective. Wisdom is needed to differentiate between what should be loved, and what shouldn’t be, which will ultimately have a great impact on what decisions are made and what actions are taken. 

Proverbs is known for describing wisdom and contains numerous examples of valid sources of love and others that should be avoided. Wisdom itself is a great concept to love according to the Bible, as Proverbs 4:7 commands to “Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding” (NIV). Wisdom is so valuable that it is worth sacrificing all else. In other words, the love for wisdom should be greater than the love of money, material resources, fame, power, or anything else. All those concepts and objects are discouraged as primary sources of love throughout Proverbs. 

While there are many things not worthy of love, Proverbs and the rest of the Bible offer several suggestions to give one’s love to. Most notably, aside from God, are other people. The command to love others is present throughout the Bible, but it is even more meaningful and impactful than simply being nice to one another. Not only is some form of love at the root of all motivation, but the recipient of that love is commonly love itself. People love to be loved. God designed people to need to be loved, and Proverbs 19:22 claims that “what a person desires is unfailing love”. Many people are willing to sacrifice a lot to be loved. It is the greatest motivator and is often the force causing many actions and behaviors. While it is still beneficial to simply be kind to a neighbor or provide for the physical needs of others, genuinely loving others requires providing what is needed most—love. Building a strong and unselfish relationship on unfailing love increases the impact one can have in the lives of others. It makes it easier to spread God’s word and His Kingdom. 

As with all things, it might require some sacrifices to love others effectively. However, that isn’t a problem if love for others is greater than the love of whatever is put aside. Sacrifices will always be made for what is loved the most. Therefore, carefully prioritize what is loved. Love God and love others to use the natural motivation to encourage godly choices, behaviors, and actions to have the greatest impact in the world.

-Josiah Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. “Some form of love is at the base of every decision, as people prioritize what they love most.” – What do your decisions show that you love most?
  2. What do you WANT to love most? What is getting more of your love now than it deserves?
  3. What sacrifices have you already made for what you love most? What additional sacrifices might be ahead? What sacrifices have others made for you?
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Whatever You Do

Proverbs 16-18

In the book of Proverbs, we find a treasure trove of wisdom that has the power to transform our lives. Chapter 16 is no exception, offering profound insights that speak directly to our hearts and the way we navigate this world. Today, let us take a closer look at verse 3, which encourages us to commit our work to the Lord, knowing that He is the one who establishes our plans.

In a society driven by achievement and self-reliance, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that success is solely dependent on our own abilities and strategies. We may spend countless hours meticulously crafting our plans and pursuing our goals, forgetting that we are called to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and seek His guidance in all that we do. However, Proverbs reminds us that true success comes from surrendering our efforts to the Lord.

Committing our work to the Lord involves recognizing that He is the ultimate authority and the source of all wisdom and understanding. It requires us to approach our tasks, aspirations, and dreams with an attitude of humility, acknowledging that apart from Him, we can do nothing of lasting significance. We are called to submit our plans to His will, seeking His guidance and trusting that He will align our desires with His purposes.

By entrusting our work to God, we are liberated from the burden of self-reliance and the anxiety that often accompanies it. We can rest in the assurance that the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and love, will establish our plans. This does not mean that we will be exempt from challenges or difficulties along the way, but it does mean that God will faithfully guide us, direct our steps, and use our efforts for His glory.

When we commit our work to the Lord, we invite Him to be an active participant in every aspect of our lives. We open ourselves up to His guidance and leading, allowing Him to shape our plans according to His perfect will. Our work becomes an opportunity to partner with God, to be instruments through which His purposes are fulfilled in this world.

As we reflect on Proverbs chapter 16, may we be encouraged to surrender our ambitions, our dreams, and our work to the Lord. Let us seek His wisdom, trust in His guidance, and find peace in knowing that He is the one who establishes our plans. By entrusting ourselves to Him, we embark on a journey of purpose and fulfillment, where our lives become a testament to His grace and faithfulness.

-Austin Kizer

(originally posted for Seek GrowLove on May 16, 2023)

Reflection Questions

  1. In what areas of your life would it be wise to surrender your plans to the Lord? What does that look like? What thoughts and feelings does it create? Pray for help in doing so.
  2. What does true success look like? Is it possible apart from God and His plans?
  3. What will God reveal to you about Himself in your Bible reading today?
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The Real Right Thing

Proverbs 13-15

Have you ever found it easier to see the right thing for someone else to do than for yourself?  There is a reason for that.  We often times can tell someone what to do but can’t seem to do it for ourselves.

For example:

25 A truthful witness saves lives,
But he who utters lies is treacherous

In this proverb we see that lying only brings destruction.  We ourselves hate being lied to.  We hate seeing people live a lie. We know how much damage it can do.  We know this but I bet if I asked if you have ever lied or lived a lie you would probably say yes.  I bet if I asked you if you knew how to correct that in someone else’s life you would have an answer almost immediately.  It is so easy to see the foolishness in someone else.  It’s easy to know what to do to correct their wrong behavior.  But I bet it is harder to correct in yourself.  Why can we see the answer to foolishness in others easily but have such a difficult time correcting it in our own lives? 

   The answer is we have no emotional ties to their sin.  We won’t have to deal with the consequences of trying to correct our behavior.  I can tell you how to correct your behavior all day long because I don’t have to do it.  I don’t have to deal with the mess.  But if I have to correct a sin I know what that will take, and often times I don’t want to deal with the pain and hurt that comes with going back and fixing issues like lying bring about.

Read Proverbs 14 and see if you can see any foolishness in your life that you need to correct.  Are their verses in this chapter that really resonate with you?  Can you see the foolishness in those verses?  Can you recognize the wisdom it takes to realize that some of these verses apply to you.  Are you willing to recognize the wise thing to do and apply it to your life?  Your foolish ways become harder and harder to stop the longer you wait. 

The very first verse illustrates this perfectly:

The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

Are you tearing your life apart by not recognizing wisdom?

I’m praying for you.

Andy Cisneros

(originally posted here on August 15, 2017)

Reflection Questions

See Andy’s suggestions and questions in the last full paragraph.

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    Love Covers

    Proverbs 10-12

    I was looking through the Proverbs in today’s reading, trying to decide what to focus on. There are just so many good ones! Proverbs is one of my favorite books, and as I meditate on different verses that hold meaning to me, I like to add artwork to them. When I look through my Bible, I’ve noticed that the ones I have marked up the most seem to have a common theme: they all have to do with how we treat others. 

    I wish that was more of a focus in the world. The internet is full of comment sections heaped with insults and negativity. I’m forever grateful that my kids are homeschooled with a smaller group of Christians because my heart breaks at the stories of bullying. Videos abound of people being cruel to others in stores, on sidewalks, in restaurants, even at home with their families. Even in our churches, people can be unkind. 

    The book of wisdom has a lot to say on how we treat those around us. Being kind, honest, and dependable is not only godly, but wise and leads to many benefits. 

    Verse 11:10 tells us how others feel about those who are righteous and those who are wicked. Proverbs 11:13 warns against gossip, 17 teaches us that kindness to others benefits us, 22 talks about how we should be modest around others, and verses 24-26 give us the benefits of being generous. Chapter 12 speaks on how our own poor words to others can destroy us in verse 6. Verse 10 is actually about how we treat animals. Verse 16 talks about overlooking insults and not becoming immediately annoyed with others, and 25 tells us one of the benefits of using kind words. 

    But I think my favorite verse about how we should interact with others is 10:12. “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” There are many types of people in this world, and we are bound to clash. I only have three children in my house, and they definitely don’t always get along. They don’t hate one another at all, but they sure do have some conflict. However, they also love each other. So, unless they are having a particularly bad, rotten kind of day, they aren’t purposely going out of their way to create issues. 

    I don’t think many of us reading this are likely to have a lot of hatred in our hearts. I’d like to think that most people don’t. So I feel like the most important part of this verse is actually the second half. I also think it’s the most difficult. Love covers over all wrongs. Have you ever tried to love someone who has really wronged you? It’s not easy. But how much better would the world be if we covered up the wrongs done to us with love and forgiveness? 

    Society would say that this type of reaction would make you a doormat or a pushover. This is a lie. Nothing takes more strength than loving those who harm you. That kind of strength comes from God. He allowed his only son to die for a lot of people who held no love for him or others. His love is that deep. Christ was willing to die for those who hated him. His love was that deep. 

    As you read through the Proverbs, seeking out wisdom, I hope you see the wisdom in this: actively loving those who wrong you will make your life, and the world itself, better. My prayer for you is that you will practice treating others with patience and kindness, and that those you interact with will do the same. I pray that you see the wisdom in covering wrong with love. 

    -Jenn Haynes

    Reflection Questions: 

    What verses speak to you today in these passages? Where is God trying to place wisdom into your life so that your path is easier? 

    Think about some of your interactions with others lately. What were the best ones? How can you go and bless others the way that you were blessed? What were the worst ones? Was your reaction one of love? How can you forgive the offences and react with love? 

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    The Voice of Wisdom

    Proverbs 7-9

    Do you ever find yourself looking at someone else’s situation or decisions and think, “I would have done that completely differently”? Of course you have. We all have. The world is full of armchair quarterbacks and side seat drivers. It’s so much easier to look at someone else’s situation and evaluate it as an outsider without the pressures of personal consequence. 

    In the heat of the moment, standing at our own crossroads, however, we get wrapped up in the “what ifs” and the worries about whether or not we are making huge mistakes. So how do you know when you’re doing something wise or foolish? 

    Chapters 7 and 8 of Proverbs personify danger/foolishness and wisdom as two women. The first woman is the strange or adulterous woman, luring in a simple youth. She uses “smooth talk” and “persuasive words” to seduce him. I feel it’s worthy to note that sexual sin is being used in this personification, probably because it’s the most common and most dangerous. And her opposite is wisdom, who doesn’t use tricks or wordplay, but speaks plainly. She promises no shortcuts, but offers instruction, knowledge, and truth. 

    Both women have some similarities though. They are both crying out to those around them, trying to persuade others to follow them. They are both offering up benefits to listening to their words. So how do we know which to listen to? 

    It seems obvious when we read the chapters, right? It’s less obvious in our own realities, though. Less obvious, but it’s still possible to make the correct choice. As in all decisions, we should test our options against scripture. If you want to know if your actions are wise or dangerous, test them against God’s word. Discernment, the ability to judge well, is a skill that everyone can, and should, develop through practice. The more we know of God’s word, the better equipped we will be to look at the paths before us and choose the wise one, the one that aligns best with scripture. 

    When wisdom calls out to you, don’t you want to be familiar with her voice? 

    My prayer for you is that you become so familiar with the voice of wisdom, the words of God, that you are not easily fooled or led astray. I hope you will love instruction so that you will continue to grow in wisdom and righteousness. I pray that you find the benefits of wisdom listed in chapter 9: “For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you.”

    -Jenn Haynes

    Reflection Questions: 

    What decisions do you face right now? Have you placed your options up against scripture? 

    How is your scripture study? In what ways can you make yourself more familiar with God’s word, and the voice of wisdom, so that you can easily recognize it?

    Are there any voices of temptation in your life right now that are trying to call out to you? Take a moment to honestly analyze and reflect. Often we want to shy away from facing the hard truth that there are likely things in our lives that we enjoy but that we should give up because they are unwise. Does that hold true for you? 

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    Heart Protection

    Proverbs 4-6

    My husband and I went to an amusement park last week with our three kids. Though I suffer from motion sickness in a major way and I’m terrified of heights, I still love roller coasters. Going on them with my kids has been a fun, new blessing, and I love that they are all big enough to ride them with us now. But I’ve also noticed that they are slightly less enjoyable in another way. I now do something on coasters that I’ve never done before.

    I pray. Like constantly. Through the whole thing. The second we start going upside down all I can think is, “God, my entire family is on this contraption, please hold us safely in your hands!” I spend the entire ride begging for God’s protection. It eventually just turns into a long stream of silent pleas of, “Oh God, oh God, oh God pleeeeeeeease keep us safe!” All I can focus on is my family’s safety.

    I know that the older I’ve gotten, the greater my anxiety has grown. This especially holds true with my kids. They are all running around in this world like nothing can harm them and all I can think is that literally EVERYTHING can harm them. And I want so badly to protect them. We’ve invested a great deal into several devices all designed to help us care for our kids’ medical needs. We have an alarm on our house to alert us to danger at night. Smoke alarms in appropriate rooms, and carbon monoxide detectors as well. Our family is precious to us and we want to guard it with all we have. 

    But we also want to guard our hearts in the same way. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” EVERYTHING we do flows from our hearts. Just as we all do certain things to keep our bodies safe, we should be protecting our hearts as well. Over and over in Proverbs, the importance of wisdom is repeated. If our hearts are filled with wisdom, love, truth, and righteousness, then these are what will come forth in our actions. Hearts full of wisdom will not only keep us on good, straight paths, but will also be a light for others to see as well. 

    -Jenn Haynes

    Reflection Questions: 

    What is attacking your heart right now? What is badly influencing you? How is this showing in your actions and your words? How can you better guard your heart from those things? 

    If you are a parent, how can you help your children protect their own hearts? 

    Is everything you are doing showing others a path toward God? 

    My prayer for you today is that you continue to find wisdom and instruction in these proverbs and use them in ways that will protect your precious heart. Fill it with all that is good and holy!

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    The Root of Learning

    Proverbs 1-3

    I’m a homeschooling mom. I never meant to be one, it just kind of happened. It happened in such a weird way, actually, that I know it was God speaking into our lives. That being said, we follow what is known as a classical model of learning. I won’t go into details about it, but when you dive into homeschooling, or if you’re an educator, you have probably become familiar with pedagogy – the study of learning. Or, as most people think of it, the study of how to instruct. We’ve developed many different ways of learning over the years, trying to help people in various situations learn in different ways that speak to them more clearly. We require different methods because we are different people with a beautiful variety of brains. 

    But the root of learning is not teaching. It’s not the brain, nor the instructor. It is knowledge and wisdom itself. And behind all knowledge and wisdom is God. 

    God did an interesting thing when he created us and the world we live in. He placed a tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then told us not to eat from it. What a crazy thing, right? Why place the tree there at all? But to be completely free, he had to give us freedom of choice. And that means we have to have options to choose from. Humanity chose poorly. We continue to choose poorly. 

    How do we choose wisely? Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The fear of the LORD means showing God the respect and awe that he’s due so that we long to obey him in all things. When we obey the instructions of the loving Father who wants only the best for us, then we are led to knowledge and wisdom. 

    As you start through the book of Proverbs, take note of how this wonderful book is not only trying to grant you wisdom and knowledge, but also moral guidance. Let these Proverbs speak to you in a way that helps you see how much God loves you and wants to guide you and protect you. I hope you start to see the benefits of wisdom, as they are beautifully outlined in chapter 2, show up in big ways in your life. 

    -Jenn Haynes

    Reflection Questions:

    What are some of the ways that God’s guidance has kept you from trouble? In what moments of your life do you feel you would have avoided trouble if you HAD followed God’s instruction more closely?

    Proverbs 2:10 says, “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” What wisdom have you gleaned from scripture that has given you that sense of pleasantness in your soul? 

    My prayer for you today is that you will experience the truth in Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

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    My Hope is in His Word

    Psalm 119:89-176

    I don’t think that any child would say that they love rules. And yet, they subconsciously crave them. Rules from a loving parent show a child that someone loves them enough to guide them. Structure makes them feel reassured and gives a sense of stability. Without those directions and guidelines, children become stressed and tend to feel out of their depth. 

    Even as an adult, I like to have rules and guidelines that make logical sense. Structure eases my mental burden because it removes some of the many options that exist. In fact, research says that too many decisions and too many options are harmful to our mental health and can lead to mental fatigue and anxiety, causing us to either avoid making decisions or make harmful decisions that don’t align with our life goals. 

    If I know that by following wise guidelines I will avoid many mistakes, my mind and soul feel more at ease. How blessed are we, then, that we have a loving father who cares so much about us that he has set boundaries for his children to keep us safe? 

    The author of Psalm 119 clearly knows the value of God’s laws. His gratitude to God for providing wisdom and guidance is clear. When I first read through this passage my initial thought was, “How can someone go on this long about laws and rules!?” But the truth is that these verses aren’t proclaiming the glory of guidelines. They are testifying to the everlasting love God has for us.

    We live in a sinful world that is full of deceit, pitfalls, and endless opportunities for mistakes. But Psalm 119:113-114 offers reassurance that though the world is wicked, our God loves us so much that he has provided all of the guidance we need to navigate life. 

    “I hate double-minded people, but I love your law. You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”

    What a beautiful reminder to bury ourselves in God’s commands. I pray that you find love, peace, and reassurance in his words written for you. 

    -Jenn Haynes

    Reflection Questions

    What are some decisions you are facing right now? What would God advise? 

    Many people find rules restricting. How do you feel about some of God’s rules for you? If you find them restricting, do some reflection to find out why. Is what God wants for you clashing with what you want? 

    Take some time to thank God for some specific rules he has set forth for you that you have found helpful. Revel in his love for you! 

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    A Discerning Heart

    1 Kings 3-4, 2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72                                   

    In these accounts (1 Kings 3 & 2 Chronicles 1), we see Solomon following the LORD and God coming to him in a dream to ask him whatever he wants.

    In the start of his reign here, Solomon presents himself with humility before God in his answer.

    1 Kings 3:7-9 says

    7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

    He could have so easily asked for more, yet what he wanted was to be able to do the job that God had appointed to him well.  I really appreciate this and want it to be an example to me to want to do my job(s) well.  I am thankful that for the most part, I enjoy my job, which makes it easier to work hard at it.  But I know that is not always the case.  For those jobs that I am maybe not fully equipped for, or maybe especially in the ones I think I am, I want to be reminded to ask God for wisdom in how I work or lead so that I can do it well.

    As we continue reading, we see the wisdom of Solomon here, and we see how he became a great king, but seeing this positive start here also saddens me when we read how he fell and how he turned away from the God who gave him this great wisdom, wealth, and honor.  You’ll read about that later, but I just wanted to note that again (from earlier in the week), we can’t let pride get in the way – even those viewed as some of the “greats” have fallen when led astray.

    ~Stephanie Fletcher

    Reflection Questions

    1. How would you define wisdom?
    2. What is one decision you have made that showed a lot of wisdom? What is one decision you have made that lacked wisdom?
    3. In what jobs/roles/areas of your life should you pray for a more discerning heart to distinguish between right and wrong?
    4. How does pride mess with wisdom?
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    Wise & Unwise Counsel

    2 Samuel 16-18

    In these chapters we read about a struggle between a King and his son, Absalom. I know from being raised in a family with 8 children that there are struggles within the family as the children try to assert their independence. In this story Absalom asks for advice from 2 friends. Ahithophel encourages him to go into his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel, to show the disdain that he had for King David. He also told him to choose 12,000 men to pursue King David. Then Absalom calls Hushai to ask his advice. He tells him that the advice that Ahithophel had given him was bad advice. He reminds him that his father, King David, was surrounded by mighty and valiant men who were loyal to King David and would fight and die for him. Absalom decides to take Ahithopel’s advice, to his detriment. In Proverbs it says a lot about taking advice from others and to listen to wise counsel. I recently heard someone say that he could tell you what your future holds by the friends you surround yourself with. If they are foolish, we will make foolish decisions, as well. We need to make sure that we are listening to that Godly advice.

    Hushai also shows his loyalty to King David by going and warning him of Absalom’s plans. King David was surrounded by people who were loyal to him, down to the servant girl who hid 2 of his friends in a well to keep them safe.

    Even through all this, one of the things that stands out is the fact that King David loves Absalom and asks the people to treat him gently. This is his son that is trying to kill him.  In 2 Samuel 18:5, David says “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” The last verse of chapter 18 is King David mourning for his son, after he heard of his death.

    This is the type of love that God shows to us. He is constantly wanting the best for us. He grieves when we turn against him. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” He is just waiting for us to turn back to him, like the father in the Prodigal Son parable.

    -Sherry Alcumbrack

    (originally posted October 23, 2016 for Grow16 which later changed names to SeekGrowLove)

    Reflection Questions

    1. Who have you surrounded yourself with and have they helped you make wise or unwise decisions?
    2. Who are you loyal to? How do you show loyalty even in difficult times?
    3. What do you find admirable about David?
    4. How would you describe God’s love for you?
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