spiritual stuff

Sometimes I get really frustrated when things don’t go my way.  It’s not that my plans were intended for bad.  In fact, many times they’re intended for good.  My inner control freak freaks out and I’m left questioning what I did wrong.  Why am I not seeing the results I hoped for?  Why, even when I work hard, does it not turn out like I thought? Why can’t this just succeed???

Proverbs 16:3 made me ask an even tougher question.  Did I commit my ways to the Lord?

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.

Only when we commit our way to the Lord, is God in the results.  And there’s a difference between feeling like you’re doing something good and doing what the Lord purposes.

Proverbs 16:3 says

All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.

Are our motives to carry out what the Lord wanted or our motives really to carry out what we think is the right path?  Did we seek God from the beginning or only when things didn’t work out?  The wise will commit their plans to the Lord from the start.

Challenge: Is there any area in your life that you feel defeated and ineffective?  Commit that goal, that thing, that blog, that friendship, that marriage, that business, those children, whatever it is, to the Lord and he will establish the necessary plans.

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series

For the last two weeks, I’ve written the 31 Day series the night before.  Last night I had the verse, but felt like I didn’t have the full picture of the post.  Now, I see that God had something very specific from the sermon this morning I need to share.

I’m going to combine two translations to show you Proverbs 14:9.  The first part is NIV and the second is NLT.

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

I see a lot of writing about forgiving.  In fact, if you haven’t checked out this 31 Days series on Forgiveness, you are simply missing out.

The other side of the coin is confession of sin.  Not just to God but to each other.  Proverbs says the wise seek reconciliation.  The wise are driven to make things right after you make it all go wrong.

This morning at church we wrapped a marriage series called You.Me.We. He talked about leaving a legacy with our marriage and how it will be a fight.  Satan is out to kill, steal and destroy and we must put on the armor of God to wage the war.  One defense Ephesians 6 calls for is the belt of truth. 

The armor of God is nothing new to Christians but I think on the surface we translate it as “always tell the truth”.  Or, “believe God’s truth”.  One new aspect I saw today was in relation to Proverbs 14:9.  By wearing the belt of truth, we are called to honesty and transparency.

Why is that part of the armor of God?  Because if Satan has a plan to destroy your relationships, mainly your marriage, then we can ward off any threat by always confessing and being transparent about sin in our lives.  When we leave sin unrepentant and hidden, Satan gets a foothold to cause doubt and even more sin.

Proverbs says the wise take confession and reconciliation seriously.  The wise acknowledge any wrongdoings and then seek forgiveness.  Just as we talked about the wise seeking, or digging, for wisdom, the wise seek reconciliation.  They don’t ignore sin or assume the other person won’t care or gloss over it or hope the person forgets.

Challenge: Can you think of any time in the past where you’ve wronged someone and haven’t confessed and asked for forgiveness?  What open wound do you have with someone today that you need to confess?

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series

Growing up, my mom was super protective about my friends.  At times, I wasn’t allowed at places or with certain people.  I remember on one particular occasion having to wait until she could pray to know if I could go to a sleepover with a new set of friends.

My mom understood the power of friends.

We act like our friends. 

We do what our friends do. 

We form opinions with our friends. 

We go where our friends go. 

We wear what our friends wear.

We like what our friends like.

And if you’re like me, you even start talking like your friends.

Proverbs says if we want to be wise, we need to be with the wise. 

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble Proverbs 13:20

Challenge: Think about the five people you would call your best friends (even online).  Are they wise or have a desire to be wise?  How do you act when you’re with them?  Do they bring out your good qualities or your bad qualities?

If God has put you into someone’s life to be a light, by all means, please do so but other times, we know that person isn’t the wise influence Proverbs suggests.

If you have children, pray for discernment about who they should spend time with. Sometimes they need to be a light but many times, they need protection!  Don’t be afraid to stand up for their future when you sense the need.

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series

Oddly enough, it’s my own husband that insults me the most.  I think he’d say the same about me.  It’s just inevitable, isn’t it, when two people live together for years on end?

Proverbs gives a glimpse about the wise response:

Foolsshow their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult.

Many times regrettable words are said in anger.  The same is given in return and then it’s all a mess.

What would our relationships look like if we just stayed calm when someone lashed out instead of slinging the best comeback we could muster? 

What if we took 30 seconds to gather our thoughts before we responded?

What if, instead of slinging a comeback, we could just be honest and say you just hurt my feelings.

It’d be tough but I dare say it’d be good. 

Challenge: Give yourself 30 seconds to respond to an insult and then respond with honesty, not another insult.

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series

Feeling down and out?  Bottom of the barrel?  Need a vacation?

Proverbs 11:25 says the wise thing to do is refresh someone else.

A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Send a card to a friend.  Like a real, stamped envelope and everything. You send it but somehow you will feel like you got a gift too.

Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru.  The first time I did this, it put me in tears.  It was so right.

Getting a massage or manicure or shopping will bring temporary happiness, but the way to true joy is in refreshing others.

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series

1 A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Verse 1 in Chapter 10 perplexed me. 

Why does it mention joy with the father and grief with the mother? 

Am I not supposed to try to bring joy to my mother? 

Does it not matter if I grieve my father?

I have a hunch. But first, family dynamics. 

I know family dynamics are quite varied but traditionally, this is how families work:

Mom is the hub.  She has a pulse on the kids.  For many, because she stays at home.  When Johnny or Jane get in trouble, Mom correct and disciplines.  When Jane REALLY gets in trouble, Dad is called in to help discipline.

Now, when Jane does well, Mom congratulates Jane.  Dad doesn’t hear about small victories but when Jane is REALLY successful, Mom shares with Dad and it brings him joy. 

So. What do family dynamics have to do with verse 1?

Well, Solomon is saying don’t do anything that even your mother, who sees everything, would need to correct you about.  And furthermore, live in such a wise way, that your dad gets to hear A LOT of great highlights.

Sure, bring joy to your mother, but it probably means you are living even more wisely if your father is hearing about it.  In the same vein, don’t grieve your father, but it probably means you are living even more wisely if you don’t grieve your mother to start with.

Challenge of the day: make yo momma happy!

And all the moms said amen.

Remember, chapter 10 was addressed to Solomon’s sons, so it may not seem applicable to us as grown adults.  However, the general call to such a level of wisdom is understandable and applicable.  

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series

1 Wisdom has builther house;
she has set upits seven pillars.
² She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
³ She has sent out her servants, and she calls
from the highest point of the city,
⁴ “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
⁵ “Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
⁶ Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.”

I admit, I was struggling with this chapter.  We have yet to get into the very practical section of Proverbs. Chapter 9 is the last chapter of the first section of Proverbs where it’s laying the foundation for the goodness of wisdom. 

I dug up some commentary on the verses 1-6 listed above and I’m so in love with the imagery now.

Chapter 9 describes wisdom building her house, setting up a feast and then calling out to those to come in to live. This preparation, feast and invitation is a picture of Christ himself. 

The house is a picture of heaven, built with pillars, which we know to be on a sure foundation.

The table is set out as Christ is preparing a feast for us.

Wisdom sends out servants, just as Christ sends out his disciples to invite others to the feast.

At the feast is food and wine, which is Christ himself as the sacrifice.  The invitation is to eat and to find life.

This passage to me is another example of how the Old Testament points to Christ and how the New Testament points back to the Old Testament in agreement. 

We are invited to wisdom but the real invitation is to Christ himself.

We must see that it is in Christ we are offered life and freedom.  These instructions in Proverbs are not to condemn us or restrict us but to experience that the Lord is good.  Obedience is not burdensome when we know He loves us and wants us to have life and life abundantly.

Wisdom, through Christ, will bring us abundant life here but the eternal life these verses allude to get me pumped!

In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jac0b in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11

We get to eat dinner with Father Abraham, ya’ll!

This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series