Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 521 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

As Iron Sharpens Iron – Proverbs [27:15]-27

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 521 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails, we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 2^nd half of Chapter 27.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This past weekend we had our delayed Chamberlain Christmas celebration with our 5 kids, their spouses, and 6 grandkids. We had a blessed time sharing life and a few gifts. Paula made each couple a “picnic quilt” and neatly folded and placed it in a picnic basket. They all looked beautiful, and the kids really appreciated them.

Of course, the time we invested with all of our grandkids was extra special. This season of life where we are friends and mentors to our grown children is rewarding. We are always open to what they are learning and experiencing so that we can continue to grow in wisdom, insight, and understanding. This reminds me of verse 17 of our passage today, which says…

As Iron Sharpens Iron

Let’s start our trek, as we explore verses 15-27.

More Proverbs of Solomon

¹⁵ A quarrelsome wife is as annoying

as constant dripping on a rainy day.

¹⁶ Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind

or trying to hold something with greased hands.

It is difficult being around a person who enjoys arguing and complaining. This is especially true in a marriage situation where you cannot walk away from or avoid your spouse. If you have a spouse who is prone to complaining and arguing, gently over time encourage them to change their attitude for the benefit and preservation of your marriage. While you can encourage them to change, it must be their decision, since it is impossible for us to change someone else. If you attempt to change them, it is like a constant dripping or holding onto something with greased hands, no matter how much you try, the results are not effective. One note of caution, check yourself to make sure you are not a person who argues or complains.

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,

so a friend sharpens a friend.

To sharpen a knife or ax, many times the tool used to sharpen the other tool is made of the same materials. In the same way, the best way to improve and grow is to be part of a peer group or mastermind where it is the intent to help each other grow, improve, and mature. This requires loving honesty with each other for your mutual benefit.

¹⁸ As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,

so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.

A farmer who grows and takes care of the crops is rewarded by being able to consume part of what is grown. In the same manner, a good worker should be rewarded for helping the business owner to be profitable. This is why I personally favor compensation based on overall performance and tied to the profitability of the business.

¹⁹ As a face is reflected in water,

so the heart reflects the real person.

Water or a mirror will show you what you really look like instead of what you may picture in your mind. In the same way, your talk and actions will reflect the person you truly are, regardless of what you attempt to show to others.

²⁰ Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied,

so human desire is never satisfied.

Death will come to us all eventually, there is no way to prevent it. A wildfire will continue its destruction as long as there is fuel to consume. In the same way, no earthly “things” will ever bring us lasting satisfaction. Our desires will continue to be fueled by more. It is only when we base our desire on spiritual nourishment that we will be satisfied with life.

²¹ Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,

but a person is tested by being praised.

The only way that silver and gold can be made pure is with intense heat. The heat will bring all of the impurities to the surface where they can be skimmed off. One way to test a person and know what they are really like is to see how they respond to praise. If they respond humbly, they are on their way to being made pure. If praise drives their ego and fuels their need for power and accolades, then their lives are filled with impure thoughts and motives.

²² You cannot separate fools from their foolishness,

even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle.

A person who is a fool is one who has rejected the precepts of God. It is impossible to remove their foolishness from them because it is who they are. Even if their lives are full of hardships and their lives are a daily grind, they will not change or turn from their foolish ways.

²³ Know the state of your flocks,

and put your heart into caring for your herds,

²⁴ for riches don’t last forever,

and the crown might not be passed to the next generation.

²⁵ After the hay is harvested and the new crop appears

and the mountain grasses are gathered in,

²⁶ your sheep will provide wool for clothing,

and your goats will provide the price of a field.

²⁷ And you will have enough goats’ milk for yourself,

your family, and your servant girls.

This is one of the best, and one of my favorite passages, to encourage us to be responsible with what God has given us as our calling. We are responsible for knowing the state of our finances at all times. We need to plan and be prepared for the inevitable downturns in our life and in our businesses. If you are smart and prudent with your finances, avoiding debt whenever possible, then you will always have enough to take care of yourself, your family, and everyone else that you are responsible for. In our world of instant gratification and feeling of entitlement, choose to be different by being responsible and willing to wait for what you really want long term.

Today on our Wisdom Trail, we continued to explore a series of Solomon’s Proverbs that were assembled by King Hezekiah. These proverbs provide us with more wisdom, insight, and understanding on a myriad of relationship issues. Regardless of where you are in your faith walk, if the precepts in Proverbs are followed, your life will be rich and satisfying. Take them and plant them in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of wisdom. I would challenge you to take just one precept that we learn today in Proverbs and commit yourself to applying it to your life.

Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged where we will discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.

If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!