Day 17: I pity da fool!

Today we are reading Proverbs 17 and Psalm chapters 81-85. Before you read today, ask God to speak to you. Claim Psalm 81:5, "I hear this most gentle whisper from One, I never guessed would speak to me." The Message version.

-Read Scripture-

I don't know about you, but when I read the Proverbs, I tend to pay special attention to the characteristics of the wise. After all, that is the goal right? We are striving to be and learn to be wise. But the truth is, we can learn a lot from the characteristics of the fool. It can be an indication or a red flag that we are on a wrong path. Those proverbs show us our weaknesses and exactly what we need to work on, so we shouldn't glide past them with out taking some time to address them. It's easy to just strive to be wise, we will always be doing that. It's much harder to face your foolishness. And unless we do that, we will not make it very far down wisdom's road.

So I think it's time we face our foolishness and ask ourselves some VERY hard questions. Because once we recognize when and where we tend to be foolish, we can begin to change and replace those tendencies with wisdom.

(I know it's a funny pic, and I couldn't help myself. But, I'd go ahead and get all your laughing out of the way because we's about to get serious!)

Proverbs Top Seven List: 

You might be a fool if...

1. You perk up when you hear gossip. (Proverbs 17:4) Are you ever in a conversation, half paying attention and then your friend mentions your mutual friend who is going through a rough time and you jump back in the conversation full force? Do you "itch" to know what's going on with a situation even though you are not involved? Confession: This is one of my big fool indicators :(

2. You make fun of or tease the less fortunate. (Proverbs 17:5) Do you make fun of your friend's beater car behind their back? Have you ever quit hanging out with someone because you started making more money than them? Do you secretly feel that people who have less are worth less or are inferior?

3. You celebrate another's misfortune. (Proverbs 17:5) This is the one that no one wants to admit, but look within. Do you secretly celebrate when a friend fails? Are you relieved when once, he didn't get that promotion? Or have you ever hoped someone wouldn't be able to achieve something because you couldn't? I am, ashamedly, guilty of this.

4. You repeatedly recall other's past mistakes. (Proverbs 17:9) Do you have trouble letting things go? Even if you don't bring it to that person's attention, do you keep recalling those mistakes in your heart and mind? Do you keep using those past failures to keep your friend/sibling/spouse in check?

5. You pick fights, or enjoy fighting with others. (Proverbs 17:9) This one is harder to see in yourself. Only because when you are fighting with someone, you are right and the other person is wrong! We want to blame the other person for the fight because, after all, they are the wrong one. But if you tend to get in fights often with your family and friends, chances are YOU are the common denominator.

6. You accept bribes or ignore injustice. (Proverbs 17:23) This doesn't have to be the traditional "money under the table" bribe. It could be as simple as looking the other way when you knew something bad was going down. Do you ignore injustices and wrong doing to maintain your status?

7. The glass is always half empty. (Proverbs 17:22) Do you always fear the worst? Do you always see the negative of the situation? Do you bring joy into an environment or do you drain it? Most people wouldn't associate this characteristic with being a fool, but robbing yourself and those around you of joy is most definitely a foolish way to live!

These are some hard questions. If we are honest with ourselves and take a hard look in the mirror, we see where we are a fool. You are foolish, and I am most certainly foolish. But the good news is that once we see it, it becomes easier to recognize and easier to eliminate those tendencies. Once a flaw is exposed, it is hard to ignore!

I've grown a lot this year by learning and recognizing some pretty deep flaws of my own. And I pray that God continues to reveal my weaknesses so I can begin to work on them and grow. So that slowly, I can become more like my master, Jesus.

I pray this for you as well. That we not be content to sit on our flaws and foolish tendencies or accept them as just "the way we are" or "the way we were made." Bull honky. Jesus has called you to be more than that. He has called us to be like him, and that will take us a lifetime. Let's start today by answering these hard questions and taking a hard look in the mirror. Ask God to expose all the foolishness. Then, together, let's ask him to begin to change us!

Day 10: Vow of Silence.

Today we are reading Proverbs chapter 10 and Psalm chapters 46-50. Before you read today, ask God to speak to you through his word, and to open your eyes and ears to see and hear it!

-Read Scripture-

One day several years ago, my friend Tara and I decided to spend a day at a monastery in central Georgia. We wanted to attend the 7am mass, so we woke up at 5am to drive down there. I'll never forget that day. The sound of the monk's singing echoing through the cathedral, the sweet smile a nun gave me when she noticed my pink hair, eating with the monks in silence, sitting outside under the giant oak tree while reading the bible all afternoon. It was so quiet. It was a day full of quiet reverence. (And for those of you who know both Tara and myself, you know that quiet doesn't come naturally to us!) It was a struggle for us to keep quiet and silent, at first. Then it became easier. Then it became enjoyable. It was a beautiful day that I'll remember for a very very long time. But the biggest thing that I learned about myself is that I found relief in the quiet.

(If you want to learn more about the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, visit here http://www.trappist.net/)

Now I've read Proverbs many times at this point, and if someone asked me to boil wisdom down into the most practical steps I could, I would tell them to live a disciplined life and to measure their words. Today, we are going to be focusing on measuring our words. Why this one? Quite frankly, because I struggle with this more than anything, and if it's a huge part of being wise, then I need to figure it out!

Our key verse for today is Proverbs 10:19, and I'm going to include all of the different versions I read through so as to include everyone! Plus, I love the way they are all worded.

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." NKJ

"Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues." TNIV

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips are prudent." ESV

"The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words." The Message

"The more you talk, the more likely you will cross the line and say the wrong thing; but if you are wise, you'll speak less and with restraint." The Voice

There is absolutely nothing I can add to those verses. So I'll measure my words. ;) Words are powerful and they can build or destroy. They should be measured and handled with care. This is where my prayer for a selfless mouth comes into play. And I'm telling you, I struggle with this SO much. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I'd just shut my mouth, how many times I have regretted my words. I know the less I "chatter" the less likely I hurt someone's feelings, or gossip, or lie, or simply miss an opportunity to hear someone else. The less I speak the more I can hear you, the more I can listen to the needs of those around me.

Most of all, the less I speak, the easier it is to hear God. I love Psalm 50 because God speaks to us directly. If the author hadn't taken the time to listen we wouldn't have been able to read those words. We would have missed it.

When we pray to God, WE are talking. Praying is only half the equation. You've got to allow the silence to hear what God has to say. Next time you pray, allow the silence, allow yourself to hear him. Don't just fill the air with "chatter", allow God to fill it, if he so chooses to.

Abba, give us selfless mouths. Quick to listen, slow to speak and only speaking truth in love. Give us clear minds to remember and recall this very important truth in those times we find our mouths out of control. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us with words, help us realize that this is something we ALL struggle with. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who leads, guides, and directs us. May we honor and glorify you in all we say and do today and the rest of the week.

Amen