Tag: proverbs

Beauty in the Aged

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Of tomatoes and candies… what an opener, but it would be so true. For that is where this article begins. Simple encounters with passing conversations that started over tomatoes and candies with women who were strangers, but sparked intergenerational wisdom and respect into my life.

My friends, there are many things people will tell you get better with age: wine (although I don’t partake), cheese (I have never tried making my own yet, but I want to), a properly seasoned piece of cast iron (I am currently working on mine to get it there), and so much more, including life skills.

It is the latter of these that I want to bring to our attention. The experiences people gain over their years of living make them somewhat of a repository of information for others to glean and learn from. Something, I believe, that should not be quickly ignored or tossed to the side. And as useful as a good seasoned cast iron pan is, I would truly have to say that one of the greatest things that gets better with age is people.

Over this past weekend, I had the pleasure of holding extended conversations in the middle of stores with women who were my seniors (and yes, these conversations started with tomatoes and candy – smile). Two different accounts, from two different women, in two different stores. And can I tell you, I am the one who walked away richer for those experiences. These women put a smile on my face, as strangers to strangers, just sharing stories, tidbits of life, family tales, and more. Little did they know, in their own little way, they inspired me. Not in one particular thing, but rather just through the experience of getting a chance to chat with them and hear their stories, share adventures, and take in that golden inspiration they offer.

These encounters stuck with me even more when I heard a message following those encounters reiterating the need to take care and listen to the wisdom of those who have tested the waters before us. Those who have had experiences, trials, and life stories to share, that if we listen to, we can learn from by being inspired to try new things, look at situations differently, or even avoid some of their mistakes.

Proverbs 20:29 says, “The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.” That “grey head” carries the marks of a life lived. In that living are tales and accounts they could tell you of ups and downs, of things we may never see or experience, of histories that have gone before, of how to deal with and get through certain aspects of life, even the unpleasant parts.

Picking up books and searching the internet for articles are great, but we have these treasures in the senior members of our communities, families, and churches who may hold a wealth of knowledge and answers for the things we are concerned about or the information we need.

Some use the expression “age before beauty,” and rightly so, but I say there is beauty in the aged. Don’t take it for granted. Dig deeper, ask questions, hold those conversations, and you may have some of that senior wisdom imparted into your own life while putting a smile on their face.

Who in your life carries stories and wisdom you can glean from?

MORE INSPIRATION:

“Elderly Wisdom: Dedicated to Those Who Have Tested the Waters Before Us”

“The Treasure of Years”

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Opinions

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Opinions, everyone offers them.  Sometimes they are solicited, and sometimes not.

Opinions can be a welcomed, new perspective on a matter.  Then again, opinions can be discouraging whether the basis of them is right or wrong.

The thing we must remember about opinions when referring to people is just that, they are someone’s opinions.  What that means is it may or may not be factual.  It may or may not be the best option for your case.  It only means that is the way another views whatever matter is before them.  It is their best evaluation of the situation.

Does this mean they are wrong?  No.  Does it mean they are right?  No.  An opinion, again, is what it is, an opinion.

Does that mean we shun all opinions given to us?  If we are wise, the answer is no.  The reason being, that while opinions are opinions, the Bible constantly encourages us to seek wise counsel.  Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise,” and there are many more verses written like this that support these same thoughts.

As much as some would like to ignore the fact, there are people who know more than we do and we can glean from their knowledge, expertise, and experience concerning the different matters of life.  We do not know everything in and of ourselves and so prudence demands that we get close to wise counselors and partake of what they have and can teach us to enrich our lives.

Now, the opposite of that is invalidated opinions or harmful opinions.  The thoughts of others that can put a grinding halt on your life and mission.  These interferences disrupt the flow of your day if you allow them and can be a damper on the fire that God has placed inside of us.

In the Bible, the apostle Paul, being at the forefront of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ through many regions of the world in his day often came under the scrutiny of others’ opinions.  One particular time that stands out to me was when he and the other 275 passengers aboard a broken ship had to either swim to shore for safety or float there on pieces of the broken ship (see Acts 28 and chapters prior for the entire story).

Once on shore, Paul gathered sticks for a fire, and out of the heat, a snake bit him and attached itself to his hand (Acts 28:3).  When those on the island that were gathered there saw this, they claimed that Paul was a murderer who may have escaped the sea but was still going to get his just desserts (Acts 28:4-5).

Paul, not phased by them or the snake, shook the creature off and went on about his business while the others stood to see what would become of him, expecting him to fall down dead.

When Paul didn’t respond as they thought he would to the snake bite, their opinion of Paul changed quickly in the eyes of these people.  They changed their view of him based off of what they could see with their natural eyes and started to call him a god (Acts 28:6).

That is a very dramatic turn from being labeled as a murderer and then having the script flipped to the people claiming he was a god.  This shows us how quickly, and how circumstantially, people’s views of you can change.

The problem is, that too many people have halted what God has placed in their hearts because of the opinions of others.  Too many have let others revoke their dreams or dictate their calling when it is the Father who knows His good will and thoughts toward you (Jeremiah 29:11).

Constantly looking to others for validation can hinder the mission God has placed you on.  If Paul had succumbed to their opinions, as one labeled a murder, he could have tucked-tail, turned, and hid in a corner, which would not benefit where God placed him and what God wanted to do through him.  By the way, while on that island, some were able to be healed due to the Paul becoming aware of their illness and being able to pray for them (see Acts 28:7-10).

If Paul allowed his head to get puffed-up when others claimed he was a god, he would have been no good for God’s mission in that place and in the places he was traveling to.

Please, and I mean, please with fervency on top, let me reiterate, that there is much wisdom in wise counsel.  Almost the whole book of Proverbs reads as wise counsel on what to do and not to do and the one who wants wisdom would be wise to follow it.  And verses like Proverbs 19:20, which says, “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end” really stand out on the importance of seeking and following through on wise instruction.  DO NOT neglect this great gift of available wisdom.

But, don’t let the invalidated opinions of others sway you from your calling.  If you are unsure about a matter, seek good, godly wisdom (as noted above).  Also, never forget that the greatest source of wisdom and knowing of what to do in an unsure time is to look to God Himself.  Proverbs 19:21 says, “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

If you are having a hard time figuring it out, pray for a heart of discernment because we DO NOT want to lean on our own opinions if they are wrong, either.  Don’t get hung up on self.  Again, we have these nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs: “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits” (16:2), “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (16:25), and “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts” (21:2).

Above all, we want to be right with God for it is what He thinks of us, His knowledge and His perspective about our life, and what He wants from us and for us that matters the most.

Overcome the obstacles of false opinions, seek wise counsel, and look to God above all else.  He is your confident source for all of life’s decisions.

God bless you.

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Wholesome Words, Wholesome Life

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“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life . . .” Proverbs 15:4

Oh, my friend, how careful are we to put good things into our bodies? Wholesome foods, filled with nutrition, that will nourish us from the inside out. There is no doubt for us that making good choices concerning the foods we eat affects our overall health and well-being.

To be strong, to be the best version of ourselves, we work diligently to supply this life with the things that are beneficial to us, things that are good, and things that promote health.

What of the words we speak from our mouths and the words we take into our souls?

The words we speak have power. Proverbs 18:21 plainly tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” What we are speaking impacts our lives. How and where we direct our words will affect what is produced from them. The things we speak from us will determine what will be filled within us: “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled” (Proverbs 18:20).

What we speak not only impacts others who hear our words, they impact ourselves when we hear what we say. What we speak feeds us. What we say comes back into our own hearing and seeps its way into our innermost being. If we are wondering why this or that keeps happening, start monitoring the words you are speaking into your own environment, into your own life. “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health” (Proverbs 12:18).

So, too, do the words we allow to come into our space, into our hearing, affect us. When the Bible teaches “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21), that mindfulness to guard words is not limited to what comes out of our mouths, but we are to be aware of what is coming from the mouth of others, from their tongues, that we are allowing to infiltrate our world.

Constantly opening ourselves to words of negativity and unwholesome speech can influence how we live and how we think. Unwholesome speech can be poisonous to the life that is trying to live holy and healthy, to the life that wants to produce good fruits.

This is why Paul encourages us: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). To have a wholesome and spiritually healthy life, these are the things you want to hear. These are the things you give permission to enter the space of your hearing and thinking.

Wholesome words make a difference to a wholesome life. Guard your space and satisfy yourself with the good things that are developed and produced from good words. Good words are healthy. Good words build up. Good words restore. Invest in yourself, your space, and your life with the benefits of good words.

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