It's time to pause and reflect on more wisdom from the book of Proverbs. Today we dive into Proverbs 16 in the Message Bible.
Vs.3. Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place.
It's so easy do life by ourselves and only refer to God when things are going wrong. Instead, choose to start the day with God and include Him is all you are doing. Ask Him for wisdom and guidance. Make Him your Senior Partner.
Vs.10. A good leader motivates, doesn't mislead, doesn't exploit.
Christian leadership expert John Maxwell once said, "Manipulation is when a leader moves people for personal advantage while motivation is when a leader moves people for mutual advantage." That's a good insight for clarifying our motives.
Vs.11. God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.
Everything is spiritual and everything is sacred to God. Don't buy into the dualism that talks about the 'secular' and the 'sacred'. Include God in your work and make your environment a place where kingdom values shine through.
Vs.13. Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisors who tell them the truth.
Honesty is always the best policy. Practice truth-telling. Good leaders always start by defining reality. That takes some robust conversations!
Vs.16. Get wisdom – it's worth more than money; choose insight over income every time.
Once again, the viture of Wisdom is extolled. What did you learn from your experience of life yesterday? What are you doing to gain more wisdom today?
Vs.18. First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.
Humble people don't think less of themsleves, they just think of themselves less. Be on the guard for pride. Always recognise that God and others are contributors to any success we achieve in life.
Vs.25. There's a way that looks harmless enough; look again––it leads straight to hell.
Wisdom involves looking ahead to see long-term consequences of choices and actions. It includes the discipline of delayed gratification. Sometimes that means choosing pain now for pelasure later.
Vs.32. Moderation is better than muscle, self–control better than political power.
How is your level of self-control? Are you able to say 'no' when you need to? If not, what could strengthen that muscle. Try some self-denial, including periods of fasting, which help to train and strengthen our will.