Proverbs 13
Proverbs 13
Because of the style of the book of Proverbs, it could potentially be overwhelming to read so many different topics and ideas back to back and know what to come away with. Sometimes it’s best to just focus on a few big ideas at a time. Here are a few that stood out to me from Proverbs 13.
3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
It could be argued that our words are the most influential part of ourselves while simultaneously being the hardest part of ourselves to control. That’s a dangerous combination! Remember what James says:
And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. James 3:2, 5-6
Jesus also has strong words about words: But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. Matthew 15:18
Our words are a reflection of our hearts. They are hard to control. What do your words say about your heart? We must seek to align our words with God’s Word and the gospel, and when they don’t we must be diligent to repent and take them before the Lord, asking for his help to change.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
This verse gives some Biblical backing to the famous statement that you are most like the 5 people that you spend the most time with. Connecting with the previous section on our words, can’t you see that this is true even in how you speak? Don’t you often end up talking like the people you spend the most time with?
This verse proves how important it is to be involved in the community of the local church. Don’t you want to become a wise person? I certainly do, but wisdom (or most importantly Christlikeness) simply won’t happen when your streams of influence are pointing you in the opposite direction.
Who are you walking with the most? Think about this primarily in the realm of inter-personal relationships, and secondarily in the realm of what you consume: books, podcasts, YouTube videos, social media, music, etc.
How do you balance wanting to be influenced by wise and godly people with the Biblical command to share the gospel with people who don’t know Christ? I think it can start with making sure that your PRIMARY group of influencers are people that draw you to Christ.
The book of Proverbs does a great job of helping us see how to live our life in God’s design. Ask him to help you grow in these areas today!
Discussion:
How would the people in your life describe the way you use your words?
What do the people you spend the most time with say about who you are becoming as a person? Does that mean you are becoming more like Christ or drifting away from Christ?
By: Graham Withers
Because of the style of the book of Proverbs, it could potentially be overwhelming to read so many different topics and ideas back to back and know what to come away with. Sometimes it’s best to just focus on a few big ideas at a time. Here are a few that stood out to me from Proverbs 13.
3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
It could be argued that our words are the most influential part of ourselves while simultaneously being the hardest part of ourselves to control. That’s a dangerous combination! Remember what James says:
And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. James 3:2, 5-6
Jesus also has strong words about words: But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. Matthew 15:18
Our words are a reflection of our hearts. They are hard to control. What do your words say about your heart? We must seek to align our words with God’s Word and the gospel, and when they don’t we must be diligent to repent and take them before the Lord, asking for his help to change.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
This verse gives some Biblical backing to the famous statement that you are most like the 5 people that you spend the most time with. Connecting with the previous section on our words, can’t you see that this is true even in how you speak? Don’t you often end up talking like the people you spend the most time with?
This verse proves how important it is to be involved in the community of the local church. Don’t you want to become a wise person? I certainly do, but wisdom (or most importantly Christlikeness) simply won’t happen when your streams of influence are pointing you in the opposite direction.
Who are you walking with the most? Think about this primarily in the realm of inter-personal relationships, and secondarily in the realm of what you consume: books, podcasts, YouTube videos, social media, music, etc.
How do you balance wanting to be influenced by wise and godly people with the Biblical command to share the gospel with people who don’t know Christ? I think it can start with making sure that your PRIMARY group of influencers are people that draw you to Christ.
The book of Proverbs does a great job of helping us see how to live our life in God’s design. Ask him to help you grow in these areas today!
Discussion:
How would the people in your life describe the way you use your words?
What do the people you spend the most time with say about who you are becoming as a person? Does that mean you are becoming more like Christ or drifting away from Christ?
By: Graham Withers
2 Comments
This really makes me think about the people I spend most of my time with…and will change the course of how I pray for them. Thank you, Graham!
My first year of college, most of the friends I had were “believers” but they were quickly falling away. They weren’t bad people and they were dear friends from high school, but over the course of the semester they had all but abandoned Christianity. In that time I saw myself begin to fall away too. I knew I had to change who influenced me or fall away.
By God’s grace I found godly friends that helped point me back to Christ. We have to guard who the primary influence is in our life.