Keep Your Heart!

Do not let mercy, loyalty, reliability, kindness and truth leave you,

 instead let these qualities define you;

Bind them securely around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3 

 

 

I must admit, the wisdom God gave to Solomon blows me away.  Look at today's verse.  These are traits that we look for in others, at least I do, because they are traits that build up and strengthen relationships.  Imagine if we had friends who exhibited these traits...how strong would that friendship be?  

The word used for "Mercy" literally translates into Grace, Kindness, Charity, Favor and Goodness. Add to this Loyalty, Reliability,and Truth...you have the best possible relationship ever.  We want these traits, but to we also exhibit these traits?

We are told the tie them around your neck....let me ask you something, if something is around your neck...how likely are you to forget it's there?

We are told to write them on the tablet of your heart...quite literally carve them into your mind.  Solomon is telling us that these traits should be who we ARE!   If someone hears your name, THESE traits should come to mind.  Honestly, I have more work to do!

Trying To Impress?

Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—
    a stranger, not your own lips.

Proverbs 27:2 

 

We all know someone who simply cannot carry on any sort of conversation without bragging about themselves.  No matter how the conversation begins, it always seems to come back to their accomplishments or their talents or their vacations or them.  Why do we seem to have a need to brag?  Could it be that we believe that if we don't share all about us no one else will?  

 

I knew a pastor, a while back, who just had to tell about all the mission trips he had led, how many articles he had published, the size of his farm....as a matter of fact, there wasn't a single thing he wouldn't brag about.  He wouldn't even allow his wife to call him by name, she had to refer to him as "Pastor."  In my mind, I could hear that old country song, "O Lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way..."

 

When we brag about ourselves, are we really impressing anyone? We all have talents and gifts and accomplishments worth noticing and sharing, don't we?  However, the fastest way to turn people into glazed over zombies is to brag on ourselves.  Here's an option well worth investigating...try bragging about someone else!