Proverbs 3
“I want to live fast and die young.” Have you ever heard someone say such a thing? This statement really means, “I want only to live for myself and no one else. I only want to do what I want to do and forget about the consequences.” Really? This is the thought process of a 2-year-old. When someone lives like this, they have no meaning or purpose in his/her life. And ultimately, what this person thinks will give them a happy life, results in a troublesome, oftentimes, a depressing life – the very opposite of what they want.
Proverbs 3 tells us how to have a ling life, how to prosper and how to be respected by our friends, family and co-workers. In other words, it gives the secrets to not only a long life, but a happy, successful, and meaningful long life. In order to accomplish this we need to do two things, trust God and be kind to others.
Trusting God is so very important to true happiness. Unless we trust Him with our lives, we can never experience this happiness, peace, joy and confidence. Trusting God takes all the pressure off our own shoulders and puts the stress on Him. Hey, He’s God, He can handle it – and do so way better than any of us can. I know it is easy to write, “trust God”, but it isn’t easy to implement. We will spend a lifetime learning to trust Him. Many times we will need to pray for trust. It’s okay to pray to God for His help to trust Him. He will give us situations in which once we trust Him, and see how He has been faithful to take care of us, we are able to see that our trust in Him is rightly placed.
Not only do we receive peace of mind when we trust God, He promises tangible proof of His lovingkindness for us. Look at the verses below. When we trust in the Lord, He will show us which direction we need to go in our lives. When we choose His ways, then we can expect a healthy body and God’s strength in our core (no physical pun intended). Trusting God with our money and salary by giving Him a tithe off the top shows our trust in Him and He will make sure we have all that we need to survive. Be careful of this one, this isn’t saying we will necessarily be wealthy in this life, but that He will provide for us.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.
Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.
Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
Then He will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine. Proverbs 3:5-10
Not only will God provide for us physically, but also and probably more importantly, mentally. When our trust is in God, we receive His peace because we know that He has our back. Stop and think about this for a minute. The God who created the universe, the earth, time and all there is, is protecting us. We have no reason to be afraid or fearful of anything this earthly life can dish up because we have the God who created all protecting us. This is why King Solomon could write:
My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
Hang on to them,
for they will refresh your soul.
They are like jewels on a necklace.
They keep you safe on your way,
and your feet will not stumble.
You can go to bed without fear;
you will lie down and sleep soundly.
You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
for the Lord is your security.
He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. Proverbs 3:21-26
How many of us lose sleep because we play an event that happened during the day over and over in our minds when we go to bed. When we ask God for His guidance in all situations, and use the discernment and common sense that He gives us, even though a situation may not turn out how we would like, we know that God is ultimately in control. Knowing this, we are able then to lay down with confidence that we have followed God’s leading and sleep soundly.
Handling difficult situations with grace takes God’s discernment. One of the common sense directions given in Proverb 3 tells us to be kind to others and live in peace with our neighbors. Look for opportunities to do gestures of kindness. Random acts of kindness bring so much joy to others. It is also a way of showing God’s love them. If our neighbors ask for help, we are to be kind and give them help. No one likes to live next to someone who is a bad neighbor. Even if we do, we can relieve tensions by being kind to our neighbor. At the very least, by being kind, we can open a dialogue with our neighbors and gain understanding on both sides. This understanding keeps us from plotting against this neighbor. When we are looking for ways to be kind, it’s difficult to plot harm at the same time.
Also, be sure to pay the bills. Bills never come at a convenient time, but paying them or going on a payment plan shows companies that we appreciate their services.
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them.
If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
Don’t plot harm against your neighbor,
for those who live nearby trust you.
Don’t pick a fight without reason,
when no one has done you harm. Proverbs 3:27-30
At the end of this proverb, King Solomon also tells us three ways the Lord will bless us as we try to trust God and live a righteous and holy life by being kind to others. I especially like verse 32b, …He [God] is intimate with the upright [NASV]. This overwhelms me. God, who is so humongous and powerful, who I can’t even comprehend, wants to be intimate with me – that is, He wants to be in all the minutia of my life. Amazingly mind-blowing! God will also bless the homes of those who trust Him and He give us honor. That’s right, God gives those who are living their lives for Him, honor.
God knows all too well that we will suffer when we live a life by trying to do right and be kind. He knows that when we give Him glory for our lives, people will make fun of us. He knows our suffering all too well, because His own son Jesus experienced such hatred when He walked this earth. However, God tells us to keep on keeping on and trust Him and be kind, we will be blessed because of it.
*All scripture is from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.
Picture Credit: https://vantageaging.org/blog/being-a-good-neighbor/
