Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 373 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Don’t Be Stupid – Proverbs 12:1-16

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 373 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday on our trek, we will dig for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the first part of chapter 12.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As I continue to work in and around The Big House, Paula headed south to Charlotte for a few days to collect the mail, meet with her quilting group, and take her mom to a doctor’s appointment. She should head back to Marietta on Friday if all goes according to plan. I have finished sanding the upstairs and downstairs hallways and both flights of stairs. I am working on cleaning up the dust and getting ready to start applying polyurethane to the woodwork and floors. We continue on our trek of life, one day at a time.

As we head up Wisdom’s trail today, let’s start digging for those nuggets that, if applied to your life, will truly make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. We will explore Proverbs 12:1-16 today, and the title of this trek is:

Don’t Be Stupid

One thing that I really like about the wisdom nuggets in Proverbs is the compare and contrast element of most verses. Solomon does not mince words in most of the passages, so it is easy to understand and apply to our lives. So let’s start right in with verse 1.

¹ To learn, you must love discipline;
it is stupid to hate correction.

One area that I don’t think is taught well at home or in school is that if you desire to learn, it is required that we integrate discipline into our daily lives. In fact, we should love that discipline. Most of us would not describe discipline as something that we love, but just as love for another person is a choice, we must choose to love discipline if we desire to learn. If we instead hate discipline and correction, then we will be considered stupid. There is little difference between someone who cannot learn and someone who will not learn.

² The Lord approves of those who are good,
but he condemns those who plan wickedness.

We all like approval of others, and it is even more crucial that we are approved by God. If we live according to His Word and precepts, then we will have that approval. In contrast, those who habitually plan wicked deeds will not have the same approval from God.

³ Wickedness never brings stability,
but the godly have deep roots.

A life that that is lived contrary to God’s Word will be shallow and have no substance to it. This is a foolish person who builds his house on sand. A life that is grounded in God’s Word will have deep roots and a solid foundation, just like a person who builds his house on solid rock.

⁴ A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

Speaking from my own experience of having a worthy wife, I can certainly agree with this proverb. Paula is a shining crown in my life. On the other hand, I have seen marriages where a nagging and complaining wife eats at the core of her husband. Of course, an unloving husband will also be cancer to his wife.

⁵ The plans of the godly are just;
the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

When you are able to obtain counsel from those who have high moral integrity you will know that their advice and plans will be fair, both to you and the person giving advice. This is not true of a selfish, proud, and wicked person. Beware of accepting their advice, or you will be tricked by their schemes.

⁶ The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush,
but the words of the godly save lives.

Wicked people cannot be trusted.  When you least expect it, their words of advice will turn on you, your plans, and cause you harm. On the other hand, you know when someone has your interest in mind because it will be life giving.

⁷ The wicked die and disappear,
but the family of the godly stands firm.

This verse is at the very heart of creating and living a legacy each day. If you lack integrity and moral goodness, then you leave nothing positive for future generations to carry forward. Contrast that to a person who has integrity and moral goodness, and those traits will be integrated into their family and will stand the test of time throughout eternity through the generations that follow.

⁸ A sensible person wins admiration,
but a warped mind is despised.

If you desire to be respected and appreciated, then it is also required that you be kind and sensible when dealing with others. You cannot demand or force people to admire you, it is something that you earn over time by how you treat them. On the other side of that is a person who demands respect and admiration. That person will be despised.

⁹ Better to be an ordinary person with a servant
than to be self-important but have no food.

This situation was true in Solomon’s day and probably more so in our western cultures. We see those who spend borrowed money on things to make them look better in the eyes of people who really don’t care or matter. In the end, they end up in debt, barely able to take care of their basic needs. It would be much better to live the modest life of an ordinary person and yet have the ability to obtain those things that have true value in life.

¹⁰ The godly care for their animals,
but the wicked are always cruel.

Those who honor God will treat all living creatures with care and respect. Those who do not honor God will not only be cruel to their own animals but also to their family and friends.

¹¹ A hard worker has plenty of food,
but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.

There is no substitute or tradeoff for working hard. If we consistently work hard over a long period of time, do not spend money foolishly, or borrow money for that which is not a necessity, then we will always have the ability to pay for those items that are life’s necessities. When you really analyze your spending, you will realize that very few things we spend money on are really necessities. If a person chases every get rich scheme on the market, he is not only senseless but also poor in so many ways.

¹² Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot,
but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.

When you attempt to obtain wealth through illegal or unethical means, then you will always be jealous of someone else who has slightly more. The good and godly person remains on solid ground, realizing that the only lasting wealth is obtained by planting and harvesting during the correct seasons of life.

¹³ The wicked are trapped by their own words,
but the godly escape such trouble.

A common trait of those who practice evil is that they talk too much. In doing so, their evil intents will be found out, and they will be trapped by what they said. A wise and godly person only speaks when they have something worthwhile to say. They also speak the truth, so they are not trapped by lies.

¹⁴ Wise words bring many benefits,
and hard work brings rewards.

A wise person will speak few, but wise words. They will benefit both themselves and others through this discipline. The same wise person realizes that there is a direct correlation between working hard and the rewards that can be obtained by doing so.

¹⁵ Fools think their own way is right,
but the wise listen to others.

Foolish people are usually talking so much that the only one that they really convince is themselves. A truly wise person will spend most of his time listening and analyzing what is being said and will only speak when it is appropriate to do so.

¹⁶ A fool is quick-tempered,
but a wise person stays calm when insulted.

A foolish person is immature and impatient. He will get angry because he does not get his own way. In contrast, a wise person will listen, consider the source, and remain calm. The person has enough confidence in who he is that he doesn’t need to express anger when insulted by foolish people. 

The nuggets on today’s trail are plentiful indeed. If we will take the time to listen to them, have the discipline to learn their lessons, and speak only when appropriate, then indeed we will be on the trail to gaining more wisdom. What do you struggle with in what we learned on today’s trek? Take some time to apply these truths to your life.

One great way to do this is to remember to be faithful in the Proverbs 31-day challenge. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Our next trek will be Philosophy Friday where we will continue on the trails of the Cycles and Seasons of Life. I have some great information to share, you won’t want to miss. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person and invite them to come along with us each day.

If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you on Friday!