Tag: wisdom

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motivation

Choose Wise Words

Choose Wise Words

Today, I will be teaching kids to choose wise words. The lesson will be based on this proverb:

“The words of thoughtless people cut like swords.
    But the tongue of wise people brings healing.”

Proverbs 12:18 (NIRV)

This sage advice could keep us out of so much trouble. How many times have we said something that we wished we could take back? There have been times when after an argument, I thought of a comeback that I wished I would have thought of at the moment. But a little later, I realized it would have only made things worse. A quick retort can feel good at the moment. But yes, it can cut like a knife.

In a world where we are bombarded with images, we can get caught up in message fatigue. Not only does the quality of our words matter, but the quantity too. Do our words bring destruction, healing, or just add to all the noise? Are we saying too many words, while not really saying anything? Can that flippant comment come back to haunt us years later?

Our words can bring destruction or healing. They can make things better or worse. And today, words can last on social media long after they have been uttered. Let’s all take a pause and think about what we say before we let them leave our lips or keyboards. Let’s all choose wise words.

Categories
motivation

Kindness Saves Us

Kindness Saves Us

Most of us think it would be great if there was a little more consideration in the world. We would like to be treated better, whether at a store on the road. But do we ever consider that our kindness saves us?

We were traveling on the day after Christmas. I thought things were a little crazy before the holidays. However, December 26 had nothing on the pre-Christmas madhouse.

On the interstate, muscle cars, pickups, and the occasional motorcycle acted like they were in a Fast and Furious movie. When I was driving, I felt my blood pressure rise and my brow furrow.

At one point, we came upon an accident. Traffic was backed up about six miles. All the previous speeders had to slow down like the rest of us. They had no choice. Since I was the passenger at this point, I got a photo of the aftermath.

Auto accident on a freeway shoulder as the sun sets. © 2021 Kevin Spear

As we waited, I wondered if it was speed and an ill-timed lane change that caused the accident. I reminded myself of the following proverb.

Your kindness will reward you,
but your cruelty will destroy you.

Proverbs 11:17 (NLT)

Frequently, it is selfishness and cruelty that harm us. We believe we have the right to do an aggressive, selfish act only to discover it didn’t help the situation and only made things worse.

Hopefully, the parties involved were okay. And if an aggressive drive was involved, hopefully, someone learned a lesson before they destroy themselves or others. Let’s be kind to one another out there before we destroy each other.

Categories
wisdom

Wisdom Leads to Joy

Wisdom Leads to Joy

To be wise is to learn what is important and what won’t matter in a few years. It is to be able to discern between the foolishness of short-term pleasure and long-term satisfaction. Wisdom leads to joy while foolishness leads to heartache and regret.

“Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”

Proverbs 3:13 (NLT)

Someone may know how to manipulate and get their way in the short term. But what happens to the relationship with the duped victim? Another person may give in to a short-term addiction only to discover it ruins their life. None of us can predict the future. But wisdom can help us shape our future in ways that are predictable and tested through the ages.

Yesterday, I was listening to How Now Shall We Live? by Chuck Colson. In the book, he writes what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote this phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

United States Declaration of Independence

Colson’s assertion is that this opening phrase was never meant to be a license to hedonistic pleasure. John Stonestreet from the Colson Center also alludes to this and quotes Colson on a July 4, 2019, podcast. “Happiness” was not meant as an excuse to do whatever feels good. Instead, happiness comes from living a virtuous, wise life.

Wisdom causes us to pursue virtue. That pursuit leads to joy. My hope and prayer for everyone are that we take a long-term approach to life and pursue a wise life of virtue that leads to happiness and joy.

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Quotes

Wisdom and Humility

"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes." Winston Churchill

“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.”

Winston Churchill

It is too easy to write someone off because they have been foolish in the past. We put labels on those we don’t agree with because it is easier than carefully considering if there is some truth in their assertions.

We may even feel threatened that a group we don’t agree with has a good idea that we haven’t thought of. Surely if it was a good idea, we would have thought of it, right?

Wisdom takes humility. Every person can teach us something. It takes discernment to listen and consider other points of view. The echo chamber we are tempted to live in eventually makes us deaf.

Even fools are right sometimes. Humility makes us consider that to someone else, we may look like a fool and we are right sometimes too.

Categories
wisdom

Prudence and Wisdom

Prudence and Wisdom

The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.

Proverbs 14:8

Prudence has come to mean something totally different in our culture. A prude is considered a killjoy that never has any fun. If you have a balloon, the prude will pop it. If there is any excitement, our culture believes a prudent person will quash it.

We idolize the startup that will “move fast and break things.” The minimal viable product is considered the best way to get something to market without it getting bogged down in experimentation, consideration, and tweaking. And sometimes that is a great way to move.

But there are other times when prudence is needed. Moving fast without planning can hurt. The story of Theranos and the ensuing trial shows what can happen when one moves too fast without a real plan or product that actually works.

The True Definition of Prudence

Prudence is less about being a killjoy and more about using planning, good judgment, and careful consideration in any venture. We need to have a plan before forging ahead. Moving fast doesn’t work if we are going in the wrong direction.

Prudence is taking caution and considering the outcomes. It is seeking and implementing advice where warranted. Just as there is such a thing as being too cautious, it is also possible to be too impulsive and spontaneous.

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 22:3

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Let’s use a little prudence in business and life.