A little less talk, a lot more action

Proverbs 27: "1 Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow. 2 Don't call attention to yourself; let others do that for you."

This one reminds me of the song that has the lyrics "A little less talk, a lot more action".

We are defined by what we do much more than by what we say. Set goals. Move forward. Demonstrate results.

Tears dried by the years

Today I have a meeting downtown and I rode my bike to a coffeehouse downtown. For some reason, this morning as I made my way downtown I was struck more than usual by the faces of the people who tend to populate Colfax. I saw the temp agency full of workers getting ready to start their day, hoping for a good job with a good day's pay. I saw people standing in the street, and I passed by people walking nowhere.

I spend a lot of time on Colfax, but this morning for whatever reason, these things stood out to me much more than usual. Some words came to mind as I rode, so I opened my computer to write them down, then read today's chapter of Proverbs, which tied right into what I was thinking.

I stopped today to see people instead of see through them.
Behind vacant stares I see a life lived through many hard years
I see hope drained away with streams of now dried up tears.

Regret and scars remain as stains.
Sharp pains dulled by time
Joy is a distant memory covered by pain

Life is now about surviving.
About making memories go away.
Of making it through the night and living again for another day.

Proverbs 19:7 When you're down on your luck, even your family avoids you—
yes, even your best friends wish you'd get lost.
If they see you coming, they look the other way—
out of sight, out of mind."

I don't know about you, but I often "look the other way" to avoid possibly making eye contact with people who are down on their luck. Why is this? Are we afraid of what we will see? Are we afraid it will jolt us out of our comfortable reality?

19:17 Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

This verse is a promise and a challenge to us. It reminds me of the work Isaac and Brit are doing in Sierra Leone. God will surely bless them richly.

What are you doing to show mercy to the needy? Who are the needy in your life? Your city's homeless? A friend? Family members? What do you have to offer? Is it money? Gifts? Time? Or is it just eye contact and a smile?

Check your motivation at the door

Proverbs 16:2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

How often are you honestly critical of your own motives?
Do you assess this during conflict?
Prior to a confrontation?
Before making decisions?

Prayer: Lord, please help me to see clearly when my motives don't align with your Truth.

Happy Father's Day!

It's been said that "any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad." Today is Father's day, and I wanted to use this post to share a few thoughts on the topic. More specifically, about my dad, whose desire to instill a desire for wisdom in his sons is the reason for this blog

Today I read in Proverbs 15:20 "A wise son brings joy to his father..."

Well Dad, I hope that we have and will continue to bring joy to you. You have done so much for Isaac and I and I am sure I can speak for him when I say that I hope we are both able to be the kind of father you have been to us.

You have been there for us all the time. You taught us to value and seek wisdom. You taught us how to be men. You showed us how to be loving fathers.

As I write this, I'm sitting beside Grace, and I truly hope I am able to instill the same things in her as she grows up as you did in me.

Happy Father's Day!

Wisdom got your tongue?

There is a lot said in Proverbs about self control, and specifically about controlling the tongue.

Proverbs 11:
12 A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret."

1) Think of recent times at work or elsewhere when you could have held your tongue but didn't. What would have happened if you had exhibited this level of self control?
2) How well do you keep secrets? Can you be trusted?
3) When are you challenged with betraying confidence or gossiping?

Don't waste your breath on fools

I spent the week doing training with a great group of leaders. It was refreshing to see their desire to learn, grow and develop throughout the week, as that level of passion and interested that is not always there in people I have worked with.

When I saw this verse today, it stuck out to me.

Proverbs 9;: "7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you'll get slapped in the face;
confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don't waste your time on a scoffer;
all you'll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
that's different—they'll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they'll be wiser for it;
tell good people what you know—they'll profit from it."

Our CEO says that we look for people with three qualities: 1) Intelligence, 2) Integrity, and 3) Passion... the rest can be taught. I think this approach is backed up by this passage.

1. As a leader, are you focusing your efforts on building up people who will truly be better for your efforts?
2. How do you make that distinction and know when it is really worth your time?
3. How do you keep this advice from turning into elitism, pride and condescending attitudes?

The beginning of Wisdom Class

Today as I read Proverbs 3, I thought I'd make a note of the verse that started Wisdom Class.

The verse is Proverbs 3:21: In the Living Bible paraphrase, it says "Have two goals: wisdom, which is knowing and doing what's right, and common sense."

Here it is in some other translations:

NLT: 21 Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don't for a minute lose sight of them.

NIV: 21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;

Anyway, this is the foundation for this blog, and according to much of Proverbs, this should be the focus of our lives, pursuing common sense and the understanding of how to "know and do what is right" (Wisdom).

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