Proverbial life: being intentional

We’re taking a topic-focused tour of the book of Proverbs.  Although Solomon was commenting on life roughly 3000 years ago, his observations ring loud and clear in today’s modern times.  In this blog post, we’ll be looking at a topic that determines the success or failure of the resolutions so prominent this time of year: how intentional we are.

New Year’s resolutions are full of nice goals.  I want to eat better, exercise more, read more, and spend less time on my phone…but unless I am intentional about these things, not much is going to change in my life.  When we look at the book of Proverbs for advice on these life-change topics, Solomon’s focus isn’t looking at our feelings of what we’d like to see happen; rather he’s more interested in the results of our actions (or lack thereof). 

Our first proverb looks at a clear, stark contrast:

Proverbs 13:4
The slacker craves, yet has nothing,
but the diligent is fully satisfied.

We automatically assume that the slacker craves the “bad things”, like sweet foods and a life of ease.  However, the slacker’s desires are likely for good things…but without the intentionality demonstrated by those who are diligent, the slacker ends up with nothing to show for his good desires.

Our second proverb continues the thought:

Proverbs 14:23
There is profit in all hard work,
but endless talk leads only to poverty.

I have been guilty of this many times.  I’ve wanted to learn a new hobby, or read a stack of books in a year, or spend more time with my wife and kids – and I’ve talked endlessly about doing each of them.  But since I did not intentionally schedule time to learn the hobby, read each day, plan a date night, or plan a family game night…those things did not happen as I had hoped.  I experienced poverty in those areas because I didn’t do the hard work necessary to make them a reality.

Our third proverb tells us about our plans:

Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.

Plans become profit when diligence connects them.  We have to intentionally execute our plans, or else we’re back to being full of endless talk.  Planning helps us stay the course to reach our desired destination.  Planning is what keeps us from being reactionary and reckless, because those two traits will keep you from succeeding.

Our last proverb reminds us what we should be intentionally pursuing:

Proverbs 21:21
The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love
will find life, righteousness, and honor.

When reading Proverbs, if we read the words diligent and profit, but only think about career and money, we’re narrowing the ability of God’s word to impact our lives.  We were designed to partner with Him and successfully represent Him in all parts of life, not just the way we bring in income.

So for your 2023 resolutions, consider pursuing righteousness and faithful love – because right here, we see that God says we will find life, righteousness, and honor.  All three of those sound good to me.

If they sound good to you, too, then be intentional about it.  Make a plan to pursue righteousness, be diligent in faithful love, and you’ll enjoy the profit of a full life, right-living God’s way (aka: righteousness), and honor.  May God bless your efforts to be like Him in 2023!

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Proverbial life: truly generous

We’re taking a topic-focused tour of the book of Proverbs.  Although Solomon was commenting on life roughly 3000 years ago, his observations ring loud and clear in today’s modern times.  In this blog post, we’ll be looking at a topic that can get muddied up during the Christmas season: generosity.

The gift giving traditions of the Christmas season will often bring the topic of generosity into focus.  However, we can all admit that the hustle and bustle makes it easy to think of generosity as no more than a ritual where various plastic items and shiny things are given and received.  Successfully navigating the parties, gift exchanges, and the ever-looming Christmas morning quickly becomes an exercise in trying to find the perfect plastic or shiny object to “generously” show our affection and care.

Now, I love to give good gifts.  I also love to receive good gifts.  But when we look at Solomon’s wisdom about generosity in the book of Proverbs, we don’t see much in terms of a gift exchange.  Our first proverb looks at what we already have, no need to go shopping:

Proverbs 3:27
When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs.
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away!  Come back later.  I’ll give it tomorrow” – when it is there with you.

Putting someone off is the opposite of being generous.  If we have the ability and capacity to do good – especially to your neighbor – then let’s hop to it!  Providing good in the moment it’s needed is not only generous, but shows how much you value your neighbor and their well-being.  We can easily detect when someone is putting us off, especially when we could use their help.  Let’s not put others in that situation.  Let’s be known for our timely generosity.

Our second proverb almost reads like a contradiction to our instincts:

Proverbs 11:24
One person gives freely, yet gains more;
another withholds what is right, only to become poor.

How in the world can you “gain more” if you’re always giving it away?  And if I keep my hard-earned money, it sure doesn’t seem like I will become poor.  This proverb doesn’t make sense, from a materialistic point of view.  And yet…it’s been my experience that the most generous Christians always seem to have the means to be generous, and those of us who get Scroogey with what God has given us ends up losing it somehow.

Our third proverb is the very next verse, which continues the thought:

Proverbs 11:25
A generous person will be enriched,
and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.

If you take the larger view, that what you gain from giving generously isn’t only money, then these two proverbs open us up to a whole new realm of possibility.  Here is a short list of how we will be enriched when we choose to give freely: we meet someone’s need, we express compassion, we form a new connection, we strengthen relationships, and we affirm God’s others-focused priorities.  When we are miserly and withhold what is right, we gain none of those. 

Our last proverb points us to a practical place to start being generous:

Proverbs 28:27
The one who gives to the poor will not be in need,
but one who turns his eyes away will receive many curses.

Once again, when we read “the poor”, our immediate thought goes to how much money another person doesn’t have.  There are many in financial distress that could use some relief; however, we often turn our eyes away and justify doing so by pledging to give more when we are in a “better financial position” to do so.  But…there are many ways to meet the needs of “the poor”, i.e. – someone who has less than you: less skills, less opportunity, less education, less awareness of God’s love.  Don’t let your own financial situation prevent you from sharing in the places you are rich.

Based on Solomon’s proverbs, our capacity for generosity is more about our willingness to share what we have than it is about what we are able to go out and buy.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Skeleton key: Found and lost

Imagine this scene with me:

“Based on the last letter, I think this is it.” the young priest says, as you both stand in front of a crude, scaled replica of Solomon’s throne.  You recognize it because it matches the description you had read before in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings:

A large ivory throne, overlaid with fine gold.  The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.  Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end.

This replica was made of wood and painted to look like the precious materials Solomon would have used.  All of the steps had a small rug in the middle, and the lions on either side of the step were each labeled with a Latin name.  From the bottom step going up, the lions’ translated named pairings were: Wisdom-Discipline, Understanding-Instruction, Righteousness-Justice, Integrity-Shrewdness, Knowledge-Discretion, and Learning-Guidance.

“If this is it, there’s got to be a hidden compartment.  But then…we’d need a key of some sort,” you mutter to yourself.  Looking at the steps, you see the front of the first one has a faint label that says: The fear of the Lord.  Your eyes pop open wide as you realize what needs to be done next.  “It’s the skeleton key,” you excitedly tell the young priest. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

You stand on the rug of the first step, with the lions labeled Wisdom and Discipline on either side of you.  You can’t reach the name plates while standing up, so you get down in a kneeling position.  From there, you can touch both name plates.  When you press them down at the same time, you hear a click as an unseen drawer from the riser of the next step opens up – right in front of your face.

A sharp voice broke the silence in the room, “What’s going on, here?”

You and the young priest turn around to see an older priest, leaning on a staff.  Although his body was declining, his piercing eyes let you know that his mind was still clear.  “I’m sorry, Your Grace,” the young priest stammered.  His face was draining color so fast that you were afraid he’d soon pass out.

The old priest’s eyes snap to you, and before you can get any words out, he lifts his hand.  “Let me guess.  You’re here for the Book of Life.  Don’t bother, the drawer is empty.”  You take a quick glance at the open drawer behind you, confirming what the old priest said.  He continued, “How about you tell me how you got this far, and I won’t call the police?”

You tell him your whole story, from the old man in the bookstore, the dream you had on the plane, the three letters you found in the Beit Ariela library from Artemis Danling, and the cyphers you found in each letter.  After hearing the details of your adventure, he says, “Let me fill in the rest of your story.  When I was a young priest, a treasure hunter, by the name of Theodore Bixon, came here searching for the Book of Life.  I saw him do the same thing you just did, and he found the manuscript in the hidden drawer.  He said it was exactly where his mentor told him it would be.  The Book of Life turned out to be an ancient copy of Solomon’s introduction to his collection of wisdom sayings – the first nine chapters from the book of Proverbs.  The manuscript was dated to be from about 200 BC.  If you would like to see it, you can find it at the Shrine of the Book, here in Jerusalem, displayed along with the Dead Sea Scrolls.  While Bixon was always credited with finding the manuscript, no one ever knew how he did it.  I’m sure they’d be interested in the letters you found, as well as your story.”

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And here ends our story.  I hope these vignettes have been helpful, at least as a different way to look at the beginning to the book of Proverbs.  The description of Solomon’s throne is from 1 Kings 10:18-20 (however, the names of the lions was something I added).  By now, you may also be able to quote the skeleton key from memory:

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The book of Proverbs is divided up into 31 chapters, and – just like the old priest said – the first 9 chapters are simply the introduction to the actual collection of proverbs!  That’s a large amount of space, roughly 30% of the text, Solomon uses to convince his son that the pursuit of wisdom is supremely beneficial to his life.

In the introduction, Solomon discusses how wisdom will impact relationships, finances, work ethic, sexual temptation, and many other major life topics.  I highly recommend that you read through the introduction, too.  You’ll find clearly stated consequences for our life-path choices and a couple of interesting allegory stories that tell how our earthly lives can be either found or lost, purposeful or wasted.

From here, we’re going to look at a number of proverbs that will help us incorporate wisdom into our day-to-day choices.  Ultimately, that’s what wisdom is – the application of Godly knowledge so we can skillfully live our earthly lives.

So, realistically, Proverbs is the Book of Life.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Skeleton key: Above all else, do this

Imagine this scene with me:

After recognizing and solving the cypher contained within the structure of the first two letters, you have traveled to an old church located in Jerusalem.  The crowds are light this time of year, so you have plenty of room to casually wander through the church’s public spaces as you look for clues about the Book of Life.

After a while, a young priest comes up to you, asking if you have any questions or need any help.  You strike up a conversation with him, gently probing for details about the church history and the various historical artifacts that have been associated with the building.  He happily shares what he knows – while some parts of his telling sounds like a fact sheet that he must have been required to memorize, you can also tell that he knows some of the more intimate details about the church’s history.  Before telling those parts of the stories, he would first quickly look around and then begin to speak in a hushed tone. 

As he was feeding off your interest in his stories, you ask if he’s ever heard of a manuscript called the Book of Life.  He doesn’t recall that name specifically.  Your conversation continues and then begins to wrap up with no new information coming your way.  Based on the cypher, you’re certain that you are in the right place, so you decide to take a risk and show him the two letters from “A. Danling”.

His eyes open wide as he reads the letters and you describe the hidden cypher that led you to his church.  “Do you have any other information, any other clues?” he excitedly asks.

“Just what I have been told is the ‘skeleton key’ and one more letter,” you reply.  By now you can quote the skeleton key by memory: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.  You open up the last letter and read it with him:

My son,
Pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.
Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don’t let your lips talk deviously.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.

Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.
Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

As with the others, this letter is signed by “A. Danling”, but it is much shorter than the other two, and was written with a different layout structure.

“Well, it’s obvious that Danling’s focus is the heart, since he says ‘above all else’ and mentions the heart twice” the young priest observes.  “Let’s look around and see if we can find something here that matches the letter.”

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The young priest is correct – the words above all else should catch our attention.  Solomon wouldn’t flippantly write a phrase like that.  For the wisest man the world has ever known (outside of Jesus, of course), this piece of guidance is the top priority, the best advice he could give.

The ancient Israelites considered the heart to be representative of one’s “inner person”, including your mind, your will, and your conscience…it was viewed as the seat of your appetites as well as the seat of emotions, passions, and courage.

Above all else…Solomon says to guard your heart.  If your heart represents who you truly are, then by all means it needs to be protected!  No wonder Solomon says that it is the source of life.  If your heart is corrupted, then, by extension, your identity is also corrupted.  But how does Solomon say that we should stand guard, what can we do to protect it?

This is where looking at the context is helpful.  Listed above is Proverbs 4:20-27, and look how Solomon begins this section:

My son,
Pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.
Don’t lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to one’s whole body.

The way to guard our heart is to be careful with what words we keep in there.  According to Solomon, the words and sayings you keep in your heart are highly influential and can set the course of your life. 

Whose words do you allow to live in your heart? 
Do you dwell on the callous things that “he” said to you? 
Do you mull over the time “she” insulted you?
Or do you pay attention to words from those who build you up?

Solomon is reminding his son that his words are beneficial, that his sayings are trustworthy.  Let’s look at those verses again:

My son,
Pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings.
Don’t lose sight of [my words]; keep [my sayings] within your heart.
For [my words] are life to those who find them, and [my sayings are] health to one’s whole body.

The right words at the right time are powerful and can change the course of a life.  Encouragement and empathy are two of the greatest gifts we can give each other.  Wise and supportive words lift moods, brighten spirits, and brings strength to the listener. 

With a heart full of wisdom and encouragement, then you can skillfully navigate the course of your life.  Then you’ll be prepared to carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.

Because of the influence of words in our life…our heart needs protection, it is worth being guarded.

So, I ask again – Whose words do you allow to live in your heart?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Skeleton key: Look again

Imagine this scene with me:

Tired of looking through dusty library books for information about The Book of Life, you go back to the bookmark letters you found a few hours ago.  You know that you’ve seen the name at the bottom of the first letter before, and it’s really starting to bother you that you can’t place it.

A quick internet search fills in your memory gap.  “A. Danling” was Artemis Danling, an antiquities dealer and occasional treasure hunter who took special interest in ancient puzzles and riddles.  According to your search, he had a knack for finding treasures that others had sought for years.  One site had a piece of information that really got your attention: on his deathbed, he bemoaned that there were still puzzles left unsolved; however, his biggest regret was that there were puzzles he felt he had solved, but could not travel to verify his hunch, due to his declining health. 

Unfortunately, you were unable to find any connection between Artemis Danling and The Book of Life, and there was no mentioning of a son with his last name.

After reading up on his life, your mind begins to spin.  Maybe…just maybe…the letters you found were more than just bookmarks.  The second letter’s text reads:

My son,
Don’t forget my teaching, my commands; for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being.
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.
Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favor and high regard with God and people.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.

Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline;
for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

“A. Danling” is signed at the bottom of this one, too.  Again, the letter’s formatting stands out to you.  Same as with the first letter, you notice how the letter’s structure helps drive the point that the father is making to his son – but you wonder if there is more to the letter than what you can see on the first read.

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It often takes me more than one reading of a paragraph or a Scripture passage to understand what the author is trying to say.  Large scoops of new information cannot be processed in just one bite.  There is absolutely no shame in going back to re-read something – it’s more important that you understand what the author is saying, rather than you reading something once and moving on just so you can finish.

The above passage is from Proverbs 3:1-12, and admittedly, Solomon says a lot in such a small section.  Fortunately, his consistent structure helps us understand.  Generally speaking, he says to “Do something” or “Don’t do something” and then gives a Benefit.  If we charted them out, here’s what we find:

Verses 1-4:
Don’t do something – Benefit – Do something – Benefit

Verses 5-8:
Do something – Benefit – Don’t do something – Benefit

Verses 9-12:
Do something – Benefit – Don’t do something – Benefit

Perhaps the best way to find an application from this text is to look at the benefits that Solomon describes and then do (or don’t do) what he says will get you there.

Want to find favor and high regard with God and people?  Then never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you…regularly practice them, as rhythmic as your heartbeat.

Do you want healing for your body and strengthening for your bones?  Then don’t be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  Staying out of a self-centered mindset and staying off the paths that lead to trouble provides more opportunity for healing, strengthening, and recovery.

Would you like to be fully supplied with food and resources?  Then honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest.  Remembering that the Lord gave it all to you and to give back the first of your wages demonstrates your trust in God and His ability to provide for you.

Solomon presents many good benefits…go back and look at the passage again…which wise choice will you make, which beneficial outcome will you pursue?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Skeleton key: Three big IFs

Imagine this scene with me:

After spending the better part of a week in Tel Aviv, you’ve had your fill of unsuccessful discussions and dead-end conversations.  So far, you have found only scant details on the whereabouts of the Book of Life.

”When all else fails, go to the library”, you mumble to yourself as you walk into Beit Ariela library.  However, you know that somewhere in their collection of books, journals, and newspapers could be some information to guide your next steps. 

Your initial search turns up several books worth searching through, so you gather your first stack and settle into a quiet corner to do some focused reading.  About half the books in your stack have a thick coating of dust, betraying how long it has been since anyone looked at them.

Several hours later, towards the back of your third book on ancient manuscripts, you find three small folded sheets of paper.  Each one appears to be a handwritten letter from a father to his son.  The age of the paper, along with their crumpled sides, suggests they could have been used as bookmarks the last time this dusty book had been opened.  The first letter’s text reads:

My son,
If you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
             listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding;
furthermore,
if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure,

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up success for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity
              so that He may guard the paths of justice
              and protect the way of His faithful followers.

Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity – every good path.

The letter is signed by “A. Danling”.  The name sounds familiar, but you’re not sure where you’ve heard it before.  However, the letter’s formatting stands out to you, and you notice how it helps drive the point that the father is making to his son.

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Observation of the Biblical text is a skill us modern believers need as well.  The text above is from Proverbs 2:1-9, and right off the bat, you’ll see that Solomon leads with three big IF statements:

IF you accept…
IF you call out…
IF you seek…

What we can gather from this is that the pursuit of wisdom must be an intentional choice.  It’s not enough to agree that wisdom is important…we also have to decide to take the necessary actions to find it.  Solomon tells his son that wisdom isn’t going to just dawn on him; instead, it must be prioritized and pursued.  You must seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure – how much focus and effort do treasure hunters put into their search?  That’s what is needed for us to find and apply God’s wisdom.

Fortunately, Solomon also included a couple of “then” statements, to help his son see how his efforts to find wisdom will benefit him in life.

After prioritizing and searching for wisdom, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God – which means you’ll have the skeleton key from Proverbs 1:7 in hand:

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Next we see that the Lord’s gift of wisdom will act as a shield, bringing success and protection as we navigate life and live by God’s principles.  The good path we desire is available to us, as we skillfully apply wisdom’s lessons.

So the questions we must ask ourselves are pretty straight-forward.  We would all agree that wisdom is an important pursuit, but what are we doing to seek it out? 

What steps are we taking to find it?
How often do we ask God for it?
Are we daily looking to the Bible to find it?

If wisdom is our treasure, then let’s prioritize being a treasure hunter.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Skeleton key: Wisdom calls out

Imagine this scene with me:

After taking up the challenge to find the Book of Life, you’re on a plane for Tel Aviv.  Ever since leaving the old man in the bookstore, you’ve been mulling over the “skeleton key” he gave you:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Shortly after takeoff, you settle into your seat and drift off to sleep.  In your dream, you find yourself in a small ancient city.  As you watch the townsfolk ago about their business, you notice a beautiful woman moving amongst the crowds.  Somehow, you know her name is Wisdom.  Her face conveys a warm confidence; her voice is clear and strong.  At various points in the city – the busy streets, the shopping district, the city’s main entrance – she stops to call out:

“How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers enjoy mocking and you fools hate knowledge?
If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.”

But no one replied.  Hardly anyone even acknowledged that she was speaking.  After each stop, Wisdom’s countenance darkened, but grew more sad than angry.  After making her final plea at the city’s main entrance and having no one respond, she gave one last pronouncement:

“Since I called out and you refused, extended my hand and no one paid attention,
since you neglected all my counsel and did not accept my correction,
I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when terror strikes you,
when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.”

And then she turned to leave.  As she started to disappear among the crowd, you decide to give chase.  After almost losing her down a busy street, you finally catch up to her.  Out of breath, the only words you can get out are “Don’t go”.

She looked at you with a disappointed frustration in her eyes and replied:

“They will call me, but I won’t answer; they will search for me, but won’t find me.
Because they hated knowledge, didn’t choose the fear of the Lord,
were not interested in my counsel, and rejected all my correction,
they will eat the fruit of their way and be glutted with their own schemes.

For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.

Dread began to creep into your mind as you realized how much trouble the town was in because danger was coming…and they were willfully ignoring her warnings to prepare.  Wisdom stepped back into the flow of people, and then you lost sight of her.  You were left standing there, trying to process her warning, but a running child bumps into you – and a sudden jolt of turbulence shakes both you and the rest of the plane awake.

As you shake the cobwebs from your brain, Wisdom’s words are still running through your mind: Calamity was coming because they hated knowledge, didn’t choose the fear of the Lord.

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How often does that happen for us modern believers?  We don’t prepare, grow, or invest during times of plenty – and when a real crisis hits, we’re not ready?

You can’t train for a 100 mile race by going out for a jog the night before.  It’s too late to prepare for the earthquake when The Big One hits.  You can’t mend fences after the other person has died.

Wisdom’s words listed above are from Proverbs 1:22-33.  Solomon’s warning to his son is clear: Dangers in life and hard situations will come, and you need to be prepared for them.  In order to be ready then, Solomon’s son needs to use the skeleton key now:

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Wisdom and discipline are the guides on the path God has set in order for us to skillfully navigate this world.  However, both wisdom and discipline are intentional choices – they won’t happen by accident or through wishful thinking. 

If we’re going to respond to Wisdom’s warning, if we want to live securely and be undisturbed by the dread of danger – knowing that the lady Wisdom isn’t going to just walk up to us in the grocery store – how are we to intentionally find what she teaches? 

James’ letter to other believers gives us the answer:

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God – who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly – and it will be given to him.

We need to ask the source, because He promises to give it to you – and God always fulfills His promises.  Asking God for wisdom is a practical use of the skeleton key, because when you ask, you are going to Him out of respect and honor that characterizes the fear of the Lord.  But once you ask…be ready to be taught.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I offer you…a skeleton key

Imagine this scene with me:

You are an ancient treasure hunter, looking for your next big score.  You have found golden items from antiquity, ancient burial pottery, and rare-gem jewelry.  However, you have recently heard that ancient wisdom literature can bring in great value.  So now you find yourself in a dimly lit, dusty bookstore and trinket shop, talking with a disheveled old man that you suspect was there when the pyramids were built.

You describe to him what you’re looking for, this “Book of Life” you’ve heard about, and his right eyebrow pops up.  He suddenly has more energy about him than he did a moment ago, and he’s staring intently into your eyes.  His head cocks slightly to the side as he dryly says, “What you seek can be found, but it will cost you some effort.”

You insist that you’re up for the challenge, so he continues, “I know the intro to the book.  I can recite it for you, but after hearing it…you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to take up the search from here.”  His voice suddenly grew stronger and pulsated through the words as he began to quote from memory:

These sayings were written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn –
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

“And now,” he said in a loud whisper, “the next line is the most important.  It is the skeleton key.  Use it as a guide when you discover the text.  Knowing this will open up the rest of the book.”

Want to know what he said?  Are you curious about this “skeleton key” to the “Book of Life”?

Then I should probably tell you that while I invented the story, the text quoted by the old man was not made-up.  It was taken from Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, and it is the first six verses of the book of Proverbs.  And yes…verse seven is the skeleton key to the entire book.

While a paraphrase can be helpful from time-to-time, it is ultimately one person’s summation and rephrasing of a previously translated text.  So, before we get to the skeleton key, let’s look at the direct-from-Hebrew translation:

Proverbs 1:1-6
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
For learning wisdom and discipline;
for understanding insightful sayings
for receiving prudent instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity;
for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man –
              let a wise person listen and increase learning
              and let a discerning person obtain guidance
for understanding a proverb or parable, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Solomon recorded many wise sayings and proverbs in order to pass them down to his son.  His introduction to the proverbs heavily emphasizes the benefits of heeding their wisdom and the costliness of ignoring their warnings.  The concepts of wisdom and discipline, understanding, righteousness, justice, and integrity will be explored further on in the text.  But before he develops these topics, Solomon gives his son the skeleton key to the entire book:

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The Hebrew word translated as fear refers to honor, respect, and awe.  If Solomon’s son wants the benefits listed above, he must approach God with respect and honor.  If the son believes he can figure out life without consulting God, then his puffed up self-worth will prevent him from seeing God properly…and if he doesn’t recognize that God and His ways are higher than ours, then he’ll have no opportunity to learn the wisdom principles Solomon wants to share with him.

You and I have the same opportunity – to learn the wisdom principles contained in the book of Proverbs.  Knowing and understanding them will make us skilled at living this earthly life.  However, we, like Solomon’s son, must approach them with humility toward God and what He says about the human experience.

That is our first step, the beginning of true knowledge.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

I'm not that grateful

Growing up in the church, I can remember hearing the phrase “Count your blessings” numerous times.  There was even a song in the hymnal with the same title that the congregation would occasionally sing.  The chorus lyrics were “Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings see what God has done.”

Throughout the years, I’ve heard various sermons on the importance of having an “Attitude of Gratitude”.  At least, I remember hearing the catchy little phrase in more than a handful of talks.  As texting and social media has grown from a novelty into an integrated part of our lives, we’ve shortened the phrase “Praise the Lord” to just “PTL” and we now add a “#Blessed” to our posts.

At any point along the way, if you had asked me if I was thankful or grateful, I would have likely responded with, “Of course I am!  Have you seen my family, my house, or my job?  They’re all good – nothing’s perfect mind you, but it’s better than how I grew up and it’s probably better than I deserve.”

But as for my day-to-day living and thought process?  I’m focused solely on getting the next task done.  Gotta get ready for work.  Gotta eat.  Gotta get the kids ready.  Gotta work.  Gotta run errands.  Gotta deal with people.  Gotta walk the dog.  Gotta do…Gotta do…Gotta do…

Managing the steps to getting stuff done takes up a different section of my headspace than when I am thinking about being grateful.  If you’re like me, I have to intentionally think about being grateful…and I’ve come to the realization that I haven’t spent much time there.  Sure, I’m surfacely aware that I have had many blessings in my life, but do I intentionally practice gratitude as a habit?  No, I don’t.

A simple online search of “science and gratitude” reveals a ton of research in this area.  Overwhelmingly, the results point to an improved life for those who actively engage in gratitude activities – gratitude letter writing (whether sent or not), gratitude journaling, thankful prayer, etc.  The improvements observed in all studies almost reads like a “too-good-to-be-true” list: better sleep, less anxiety and depression, better recovery from traumatic events, more positive high-energy moods, decreased risk of drug or alcohol abuse, decreased risk of bulimia, lessening materialism and increasing in generosity, lower stress hormones and inflammatory biomarkers. 

That’s just a handful of the benefits found across all age groups: children, teens, young adults, middle-aged, senior citizens.  It honestly doesn’t matter where you are in life, what has happened to you, or how good/bad your circumstances are currently – the science repeatedly shows that intentionally chosen, routine expression of gratitude has a massive, lasting impact on our lives. 

When we look at Scripture, we find that gratefulness and thankfulness are everywhere.  Depending on your translation, the words “thank”, “thankful”, “thanks”, or “grateful” show up about 150 times.  However, further inspection shows that gratefulness is found in more than just spotting the words.  Think about the yearly feasts and celebrations God prescribed to the Israelites – they were set up to produce annual rhythms of thankfulness and remembrance of how good God had been to the nation of Israel.

In just one example of gratitude from the New Testament, Paul tells the believers in Thessalonica:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Ever wonder what God’s will is for your life?  Apparently, it is to rejoice, pray, and give thanks.  Regardless of circumstances, moods, or the amount of pain we’re dealing with.

I’m also reminded of the first verses my mom had me memorize (from the NIV84 translation):

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

If we acknowledge Him, which would naturally include expressing gratitude, then God will illuminate our next steps in life. 

It’s times like these that I think our modern-day science is simply catching up with what God has asked us to do – what He has wired us to do – all along.  Expressing gratitude to God shifts the focus off of us and our situation.  It causes us to become more God-focused instead of spinning our wheels in Me-ville. 

In the days after (finally) discovering this principle, I have asked my wife “What 5 things are you grateful for today?”  And you know what?  Each time I have asked, that has been the start of the best conversation of my day.  When we share what we’re grateful for, we’re revealing what we are thinking about, and saying it out loud helps to both frame and affirm how blessed we are.

I intend to ask my wife this question every day, because I think it’ll be a good way for us to connect, communicate, and get all the benefits that science has discovered…and especially the ones that God promises as well.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Prayers about money

A few years back, a survey was conducted of people about their money habits and plans for the future.  One particular question focused in how much more money the person thought they would need to live “comfortably”.  To the surprise of the researchers, a near-universal answer came from the respondents.  The same amount was the top response of those who annually made $20k, $40k, $60k, $80k, or $100k.  Their answer:

$10,000 more

There was no “magic salary” number that everyone aimed for.  The researchers expected to hear that “if I just made 80k (or 100k), I’d be alright”.  Instead, they found that, overall, people saw themselves “just a little bit short” of their desired level for comfort. 

Are you surprised?  I was, at first.  But when I stopped to think about it…my early career salary is different from my current salary by more than $10k, and if you had asked me the same question at any point in the years between, I probably would have given a similar “just a little bit more” answer.  No massive new salary number (I don’t want to be considered ‘greedy’…), but an extra $10k?  Sign me up!

But what happens when we get that “little bit more” and then a few years later a “little bit more” than that?  As we allow our lifestyle to expand with our income, each raise becomes the new normal for us to want “just a little bit more”.

So, what’s a Christian to do with this slow slide into never being satisfied with what we have?

Paul gave Timothy a warning we should all take to heart:

1 Timothy 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.  If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 

But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

We should certainly enjoy what God has given us, but if we love the gift more than the Giver…we’re playing with fire, and we’re going to get burned.  Don’t think that poor handling of money is an indication that we are not part of God’s family – it’s not – but if our focus is wanting to be rich we’re definitely wandering away from the life God intends us to live here and now.  That path is full of self-inflicted wounds and many griefs.

Ok…so we’ve been warned, but what should we do to guard against this?

There is a proverb-prayer example, offered by a man name Agar.  He has two requests for God, and his second request provides an antidote to our money temptations:

Proverbs 30:7-9
Two things I ask of you; don’t deny them to me before I die:

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.

Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.

Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you saying, “Who is the Lord?”
or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.

Have you ever prayed that God would restrict or restrain the amount of financial blessing He provides to you?  Would you honestly be able to pray something like this?

God please don’t give me too much, don’t provide so much that I begin to think that I am the root cause of my prosperity.  I also trust you to provide enough to meet my needs so that I will not be tempted to commit a crime just to have the basics covered.

Living in between the extremes of poverty and wealth creates a livable tension for us – we have our basic needs provided for and we still recognize God’s authority over it all.  As we handle this tension, God may bless us with more resources…or He may not. 

But humbly asking God to keep our salary in check focuses our mind on the Giver, not the gift.  And that kind of prayer will certainly keep us out of the “just a little bit more” trap.

Keep Pressing,
Ken