Failure might not be final, but ignored, it can be fatal. In his Thirty Sayings of the Wise, Solomon described a pitfall that can kill: lies. A person who mishandles truth perpetuates a ripple effect of devastating consequences that crush relationships. The king warned: “Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise | Chameleon Complex (Proverbs 23:6-8)
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Bribe Tribe (Proverbs 23:1-3)
When making decisions that dramatically affect our future, we often become susceptible to hearing what we want, something that might greatly benefit us and satisfy our selfish desires. If a business owner, a coach, a CEO or a salesman recruits us, we risk falling prey to their invitation without first filtering it through our faith’s […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Hard Work Helps (Proverbs 22:29)
Wisdom applies faith to our circumstances, literally sticking God’s character to our challenges, like a post-it-note adhered to our calendars. Solomon taught how to combine God’s heart with street smarts in our work ethic, as our Heavenly Father connects our vertical commitment to Him with our horizontal encounters. Solomon observed: “Do you see someone skilled […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Sanctified Survey and Lawful Landmarks (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10-11)
Have you ever changed the rules to a game in order to win? Many of us alter previously understood parameters in our relationships to gain something. As a child, down a couple runs in our kickball game, we change the pre-agreed-upon number of innings, in order to have another shot at scoring. As a teen, […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Borrow Barrier (Proverbs 22:26-27)
Debt takes us farther than we wanted to go, keeps us longer than we wanted to stay, and costs us more than we wanted to pay. Yet, like a junkie longing for their next fix, we often add more and more leverage to our already overextended lives. Solomon addressed the risk of borrowing money in […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Anger Danger (Proverbs 22:24-25)
It has been said that the most influential people in our lives are our friends. Perhaps that’s why Solomon’s Thirty Sayings of the Wise includes a description of four friends we should avoid making: the hot-tempered, slothful, troublemaker, and rebellious. The second of the thirty sayings can be remembered as Anger Danger: “Do not make […]
The Thirty Sayings of the Wise: Poverty Police (Proverbs 22:22-23)
Money provides one of the most difficult challenges to manage on this side of Heaven. The ticks in the equity markets, the weight of risk to return, mortgage payments, car loans, bank accounts, debit cards, credit cards, healthcare, insurance, and the like seem to dominate our thoughts and concerns. We are called by God to […]
Navigating Life’s Waves of Conflict: The Thirty Sayings of the Wise (Proverbs 22:17-21)
Are you struggling with life’s conflict? When two objects attempt to occupy the same space at the same time, do you feel like a boat being tossed around at sea by an unforeseen storm? Nestled in the middle of the Bible is a treasure map to navigate life’s challenges, guiding you through the storms of […]
The Ultimate Act of Love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13)
In the ultimate act of love, God made Himself vulnerable in Christ. With this in mind, Paul described for the church in Corinth the seven dos and seven don’ts of this active, self-sacrificial, fulfilling grace each one of us desires: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it […]
Dating, Marriage, and Sex (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Dating, marriage, and sex challenge our deepest vulnerabilities. However, God desires that we experience intimacy, fulfillment, and wisdom in His design for our lives. Everyone wants to know and be fully known. That’s intimacy, the connection of our innermost being with another. Nestled in his teaching about how we are called to steward our spiritual […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People: Physical Death is the Mercy of God (Genesis 3:21)
The single greatest challenge to endure on this side is the death of someone close to us. The finality of the loss, combined with no longer being able to speak with that person, weighs heavily on our hearts. We might have lost our grandparent, our mom or dad, our brother or sister, an extended family […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | God Brings Believers with Him in Eternity (Matthew 25:46)
Do you ever think about where your soul goes when you die? The Bible is unmistakably clear that we have two options: eternal life with Christ or eternal separation from Him (see Matthew 25:46). If you took your last breath on this side today, where would you be? It’s the most important question you will […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | No One-for-One Punishment (Psalm 103:10)
Do you see God as a taskmaster who slaps you around after every evil thought? Would you like to know the truth about the heart of a loving Heavenly Father? Perspective Number Eight of how we make sense of bad things happening to good people is: God does not offer us a one-for-one punishment of […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | The Cross (Hebrews 10:10)
Are you carrying around the burden and weight of your most heinous acts? Maybe you took something that wasn’t yours, leading to a life of deceit. Perhaps you made a string of foolish choices that destroyed your closest relationships. Possibly, addiction has captured your soul. How do we make sense of bad things happening to […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | Temptation (James 1:13-15)
Is something shiny capturing your attention to draw you away from God? Each of us risks abandoning our desires to physical pleasure, power, or pride (see 1 John 2:16), and the results of doing so are devastating. In order to help us make sense of why bad things happen to good people, Perspective Number Six […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | God is Close, and He Saves (Psalm 34:18)
Has a difficult turn of events caused you to doubt God? Perhaps, pain and suffering have paralyzed you with fear. In order to make sense of bad things happening to good people, Perspective Number Five is: God is close, and He saves. Even though trying moments come our way, God remains near to protect us. […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Are you walking in life’s valley, desperately wondering if there is any hope in sight? How do you make sense of bad things happening to seemingly good people? Perspective Number Four is: Grace. Due to our sin against a Holy God, we deserve death, but instead He gives us life. In essence, He brings good […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | Suffering Produces Perseverance (Romans 5:3-5)
Have sorrow, affliction, and misery flooded your soul? Perhaps, you are in the thick of your greatest trial. How do we make sense of bad things happening to good people? Perspective Number Three is: Suffering produces perseverance. The strongest steel is made in the hottest fire. God designed the earth and created life in His […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | God is Good (Psalm 145:9)
Do you see God as weighing your heart against others on His scales of justice, providing rewards and penalties depending on who is more righteous? How do we make sense of bad things happening to good people? Perspective Number Two is: God is good to all He has made. While that might seem contradictory to […]
Making Sense of Why Bad Things Happen to Good People | We Deserve Separation from God (Romans 3:23)
Why do bad things happen to good people? Perspective Number One is: We deserve separation from God. Due to our sin, each of us has forged a gap in our connection with God (see Isaiah 59:2). The Apostle Paul taught: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). From that […]