Well, the purpose of 12 is the same as 10 & 11 was….and the same 12-18 for that matter. Let’s talk about some of these verses because there are some good ones in here…
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.
Have you ever known or seen this couple out in public? Maybe even in your church? I sure hope you aren’t this wife who complains about your husband all the time… talks badly about him in front of your friends… manipulates him into doing what you want him to do. Believe it or not, ladies, most guys are very sensitive. Many of us take a lot of pride in our families and, when we are disrespected in front of our friends and total strangers, it really is like “rottenness to our bones.” It deflates us and causes us to make bad decisions.
Side note: My wife does NOT do this… thank God…
Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant
Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.
Time and time again we see that integrity is far more important that prosperity.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
A former pastor used to teach fervently that we needed to seek God for ourselves… that we didn’t need to seek advice from people when faced with important life decisions. That was not good advice. God wants us to have fellowship. Go ahead and ask for advice from people you trust; it’s not a bad thing.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
But a good word makes it glad.
A Christian should have no problem speaking peace to those with anxiety. And when a Christian does speak peace, others will trust what we are saying if we’ve lived a life of integrity. If we haven’t lived a life of integrity, those words will be idle.
The righteous and upright have integrity. Let’s continue to ask God to help us become those people who the world can begin trusting again. We’ve allowed ourselves to leave a bitter taste in the mouths of a lot of people in our culture. Our reputations need a facelift.
God, repair our hearts…
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