Here are a few Proverbs that I read last night:
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 15:1 (1)
A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible. 15:5 (2)
Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way; he who hates reproof will die. 15:10 (3)
A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. 15:13 (4)
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute. 15:18 (5)
A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother. 15:20 (6)
He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility. 15:31-33 (7)
I chose these verses from the passage because I believe they apply to where I am right now in life. This whole weekend I kind of felt pretty bitter inside. My bitterness was directed at the world in general, and situations I found myself in. Things not quite working out my way, little things. It seems that (1) and (5) are worth remembering in those circumstances.
Notice how (2) (3) and (7) talk about reproof and discipline. I’m sure that everyone right now is at a point in their life where things aren’t working out the way they dreamed they would, or they don’t have the things they wanted out of life. I’m trying my hardest to be one of those Christians who believes that God’s way is best. Hold on… I don’t like how that was worded, let me rephrase:
I’m one of those Christians who believes that God is blessing him with riches beyond anything we have never even begun to imagine. I treasure the discipline that God is laying on my life because it is not taking away from my freedom, but granting me the chance to live life to the fullest, eternal life, which is to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. I know that–just like Abraham–God is sitting next to me telling me to look towards the sky and count the stars.
There seems to be a certain effect when you phrase a statement like that without using words like trying. I like it.
I had a thought just now that if you have Jesus you have everything. I know that I may not even begin to understand the depth of pain and suffering that exists in this world, but I have a pretty strong hunch that Jesus is fully capable and willing to take the burden on himself–on the cross. I think that I will be as bold to say that we have absolutely no excuse to say things like, “I’m having such a hard time,” because, even though I don’t understand the mathematics behind it, there is always somebody out there who has worse problems and is dancing around the earth shouting and singing praises to God despite the fact that they don’t even have any legs.
The real problem might be that we are so far from God’s love that we forget who we are, and more importantly who He is. Now it might not be a good idea to go around telling people to, “suck it up princess, Jesus loves you,” but maybe we can remind each other to…
…look up at the stars, and try to count them.
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