Here is some more wisdom from the book of Proverbs as we begin a new week:
Vs. 1. Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow.
Yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come. Today is all we have. Live in the moment and live it to the full. Yes, deal with your past and yes, plan for the future, but not at the detriment of living fully present – right here, right now. God is the God who is (present), who was (past), and is to come (future). He is the eternal I AM.
Vs.2. Don't call attention to yourself; let others do that for you.
Allow God to run your public relations and marketing division. Don't enter into self-promotion. Let another praise you, not your own lips. Influence comes to those who develop their character and talents – when no one else is looking.
Vs.8. People who won't settle down, wandering hither and yon, are like restless birds, flitting to and fro.
Have an adventurous spirit but make sure you know where HOME is – your family, your friends and your faith community. The righteous are like a tree planted by rivers of water who bear fruit in and out of season. Are you planted?
Vs.9. Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Vs.17. You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.
Who can measure the value of a true friend? Cultivate close friendships – people who you can be real and honest with. Open, genuine conversation is like a drink of fresh water.
Vs.12. A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.
Look ahead and around you. See what's coming. Don't be naive. Consider the consequences of today's choices and actions.
Vs.19. Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.
What is your face saying about your inner world?
Vs.18. If you care for your orchard, you'll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you'll be honored. Vs.23-24. Know your sheep by name; carefully attend to your flocks; Don't take them for granted; possessions don't last forever, you know.
Life involves sowing and reaping. What (or who) is your field? What has God given you responsibility over? Look after it well and with care and diligence. Wanting more without doing well with what we have is a mark of immaturity. God sees how we manage what is in our hand right now to see if we are ready for more.