Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 11:2, Boasting is Unbecoming

by Marilynn Chadwick

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2 NIV

Proverbs 11:2 warns us about the destructive nature of pride. The Message paraphrase provides a commonsense twist, “The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm.”

Let’s face it. Boasting is practically a national pastime. It’s as American as apple pie. Our athletes swagger. Our celebrities strut. Bumper stickers flaunt our favorite teams, our super kids, and our alma maters. Our talents, treasures, and triumphs win us bragging rights. At times, we all like to toot our own horn. I grew up in the deep South where we had an expression for the ultimate boast: "No brag. Just fact."

What’s so bad about a little dose of healthy pride? After all, it can be satisfying to look at our accomplishments. The dictionary defines ”boast” this way: “To talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities." A healthy sense of pride is not altogether wrong.

But when does pride cross into the danger zone? When does pride separate us from God? The Bible warns us we are on shaky ground when we begin to trust our human strength instead of depending on God. The antidote, according to Scripture, is to seek humility.

The book of James, often called the “Proverbs of the New Testament,” takes this same warning a step further. He challenges not just our pride of accomplishment, but also our presumptuous plans:

“Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing]. But as it is, you boast [falsely] in your presumption and your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong.”

James 4:13,15-16 AMP

Boasting is unbecoming for the believer in Jesus. As James reminds us, we're not in control of our lives. God is God and we are not. If we could gain control of our world for even one minute, we would be shocked at our inadequacy to “run the world.” No wonder Adam and Eve hid in shame after they presumed to become “like God” (Genesis 3:7-10).

We can be thankful when the Lord reminds us of our humanity. He is God, and we are not, and most trouble in life comes when we get those two things mixed up. We can rest in the promises of God’s sovereign control of every aspect of our lives.

So today, let’s choose to “humble ourselves before the Lord.” We may find in due time that he will “lift us up” (James 4:10) in his way and in his time as we trust in him and not in our own strength.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 3:24, The Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep

by Marilynn Chadwick

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Proverbs 3:24 NIV

I remember the time our children’s school observed that a growing number of students were experiencing symptoms of sleep deprivation. They sent out an email reminding parents of the importance of ensuring our kids got enough sleep—especially those in high school.

Today’s world, it would seem, is suffering from a sleep crisis. We are bombarded by the number of supplements and medications promising to help us sleep. Sleepless nights often go hand in hand with the alarming increase in anxiety. This sharp rise in extreme worry, reported among all age groups, has become a mental health crisis.

God’s Word has much to say about the importance of sound sleep. It also exhorts us to care for our minds. When we walk in wisdom, as Proverbs teaches, we will be careful to guard our minds from anxious thinking. This, in turn, helps us sleep better. “You will rest without a worry and sleep soundly” (Proverbs 3:24b CEV).

According to Proverbs, part of the secret to a good night’s rest is to avoid overwork and excessive labor to gain wealth. We are warned about the dangers of relentless drudgery. “Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich; be smart enough to stop” (Proverbs 23:4 CEB). In its place, the Bible mandates a Sabbath rhythm that both respects our need for rest and honors God (Exodus 20:98-10).

Rest is a vital gift for human well-being. The Bible emphasizes a beautiful balance that stresses diligence and hard work while avoiding the anxiety-producing frenzy we see all around us. “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6 NIV).

I like how the Message Bible’s paraphrase of Proverbs 3:21 reminds us of the ways wisdom benefits our body, soul, and Spirit. And especially how trusting God is the real secret to a good night’s sleep and anxiety-free living:

“Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don’t for a minute lose sight of them. They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry; you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, Because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound” (Proverbs 3:21-26 MSG).

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 10:8, Don’t Forget to Execute

by Marilynn Chadwick

“The wise in heart will accept and obey commandments, but the foolish of lips will fall headlong.”

Proverbs 10:8 AMPC

In the Hebrew language, the words "listen" and "obey" are represented by the word “shema.” This means to hear, pay attention, and act upon what is heard. It embodies the concept that true listening includes obedience.

In Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Old and New Testaments, there is no distinct word for "obey." Listening and doing are considered two sides of one action. We see this sentiment expressed in James, often called the Proverbs of the New Testament. “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV). Another word for translating ideas into actions is “execute.”

For any business, the ability to execute is critical to the bottom line. In spiritual matters, we execute when we live out the truths we’ve learned in Scripture—we put feet on our faith. Proverbs and James exhort believers to execute—to be doers as well as hearers of God’s Word. "Faith without works is dead,” James challenges (James 2:26 NKJV).

God’s Word calls us to dig deep. Do we really believe our beliefs, or do we merely hold an intellectual assent to the faith? “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:23, 24).

Do we truly believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection covered our sin? If so, that belief should propel us into a life of action and good deeds. Have we found practical ways to be both a hearer and a doer of God’s commands and his calling?

Mother eagles are known to be quite nurturing. Yet their method for teaching their young ones to fly is a swift push out of the nest. They swoop down and catch the baby eaglets as they falter, repeating the flight lesson again and again until the little ones are soaring like... well, eagles! Just like a mama eagle, God sometimes pushes us out of our cozy nest of faith with a call to action. We may hear the Holy Spirit whisper, “Go there, to that one who needs the Father’s love. Serve this broken one over here. Share your living water with this thirsty one.”

Our heart begins to beat faster in response to the Holy Spirit’s promptings. We step out...take a risk...and find that our faith takes wings. We become doers, not just hearers of the Word. Our trust grows, and before you know it, we are soaring like an eagle!