A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. —Proverbs 15:1 Gentle words defuse explosive situations; harsh words light the fuse. Caustic words inflict wounds that heal slowly, if ever. Eric Idle said it well: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will […]
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. —Proverbs 14:30 What osteoporosis does to the body, envy does to the spirit: it cripples its victim. “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” (Prov. 27:4). The
I had a delightful meal at one of my favorite restaurants last night. Back home, emptying my pockets I discovered my credit card was missing. It hadn’t been stolen; I had just left my brain and my plastic behind at the restaurant. As I drove back to retrieve the orphaned card, I began thinking about
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. —Proverbs 13:4 John Erskine’s music teacher counseled him to grab a few minutes of practice whenever he could, rather than waiting for big
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A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. —Proverbs 11:13 Gossip is a sweet treat that is hard to resist: “Gossip is so tasty! How we love to swallow it! (Prov. 26:22 TEV). That’s too bad, because its aftertaste is fractured relationships: “a
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. —Proverbs 11:2 At the time of this writing, the public’s assessment of the U.S. Congress is at an all-time low—a negative 95%. You would think that politicians with a dismal 5% approval rating would hide. Instead, they
If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. —Proverbs 9:12 Punctuating thought and speech with negative “ifs” will dump you in the company of losers: If the teacher hadn’t had it
Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. —Proverbs 4:23 Your heart is the size of your fist, weighs only a half-pound, pumps five quarts of blood a minute, and beats 37 million times a year. It’s a vital part of your physical equipment; if it malfunctions you’re in
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom. —Proverbs 3:13 Not all wisdom is cut from the same cloth. There’s a worldly wisdom that is driven by envy and selfishness. “Such ‘wisdom’ … is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.” It bears the fruit of “disorder
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Lean not on your own understanding. —Proverbs 3:5 It isn’t easy to trust God when you’re neck-deep in problems you don’t understand. But that’s what trust is—confidence in God, not in your own understanding. Trust is certainty that God is in control when it
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