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Proverbs 18 roundup by Abi Mshebwala

 

I found this chapter to be full of gems, so much to learn. So much so that it almost feels so disjointed but I’m sure that is by design, so many ideas and topics mixed in together for us to learn. Life is messy, everything matters from the minutia like our words, to bigger things like our attitude or gifts, it all matters.
Three main things I picked up

First, the juxtaposition of the first and last verse. The first is a person in isolation and the last is a person surrounded by the wrong crowd. Both come to ruin. Don’t isolate yourself, from God, from your family, from the family of God and don’t surround yourself with the wrong crowd, just to avoid feeling/being isolated. A right balance needs to be struck. How does that balance look in our lives?

Secondly, almost a third of the chapter talks about our words and how we use our tongues, the power it has, how to avoid being a fool. Words have a long lasting impact on people, situations, surroundings, much more that we think. Our joking complaints, our quiet grumbles, our declarations for ourselves or against others, these all matter. Your words matter to God, how you speak matters to God. Let us use our speech in a God honouring, man uplifting manner.

Thirdly, how do we use the gifts we have. Don’t be lazy with your God given gifts, whatever it may be, be diligent with it.
– If you are slack with it, you may soon end up destroting rather than building
– Humility comes before honour, do the hard graft faithfully and humbly and see God work in your favour
– That gift will make room for you before the great, thats how you get lifted up to where God wants you to be.

As we seek to learn and obey his word, may he give us teacheable hearts and willing spirit to listen to how he will lead us. God bless