Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 316 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

People with Integrity – Proverbs 10:9-13

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 316 of our Trek. Yesterday and for the next few days, we are going to remain in camp around the campfire as we continue digging for the nuggets of wisdom that are found in the book of Proverbs. So far we have explored the first 8 verses of Chapter 10, and we will continue to cover a few verses each day. This section of Proverbs compares and contrasts bite size nuggets of wisdom that apply to everyday life. I know that you will enjoy it.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting this podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Saturday, we met up with our daughter Janet and assisted in planting over 250 trees at a school here in Charlotte. This was part of the overall initiative from a non-profit organization called Trees Charlotte and was in conjunction with the Belk’s sustainability project. Janet works at Belk within their sustainability group. Afterward, we had Janet and Rowan over for lunch. Buddy, Chelimo, and Kip also stopped by, so it was a great time visiting. Saturday evening we stopped by Hobby Lobby to get Paula’s most recent cross-stitch project framed and also purchased material for the next two quilts that she is making. It was a relaxing and great day with family and not focused too much on work projects. Taking time away from work to focus on other important aspects of life is crucial in living a balanced, rich, and satisfying life.

Part of that balanced life is taking the time to gain wisdom through the study of wise information and following in the footsteps of those individuals who have proven themselves to be wise through a long life of wisdom and integrity. Who we become in the future is strongly influenced by what we allow into our minds today and who we invest time with on a regular basis. That brings us to our starting point for today which is…

People with Integrity Walk Safely – Proverbs 10:9-13

Let’s transport ourselves in our minds and visualize once again as we are sitting around the campfire today. As we gaze into the fire, we listen in on the conversations of others that are with us today. Whenever we listen to others, we need to make sure that we filter what is being said through truths found in God’s Word. Only then can we make sure that what we are allowing to enter into our minds is right, just, and pure. Let’s begin with verse 9.

⁹People with integrity walk safely,
but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

Wisdom-Trek is based on the analogy that life is like a journey. Each day we make choices that impact our trek in life. If we choose what is good and truthful, then we will be gaining integrity, and our walk will support our choices. You could say that our path will be straight and solid. If we refuse to make choices that are good and based on God’s wisdom, then we are in danger. This is like a traveler who wanders onto the wrong trail, one that is crooked and full of obstacles. This person will soon slip and fall, and it will be evident to everyone that they have taken the wrong path.

¹⁰People who wink at wrong cause trouble,
but a bold reproof promotes peace.

Contrary to the current environment of political correctness when someone ignores or winks at wrong choices, it never turns out well. It causes trouble because there are moral absolutes in our world.  There may be times where we need to offer a bold reproof so that the peace found in God’s Word can be restored.  Let us be careful that we are standing on moral absolutes, though, and not just our own conviction about a particular issue. In any situation, the greatest commandment is to love God and love others. All of our actions should reflect this.

¹¹The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

When a person who is good and godly speaks, we should listen. That person’s words bring life to us. They are like water that pours from a fountain. That person’s words, like the water, are plentiful and good. And the person’s words bless everyone who listens to him. Ask yourself, “Are your words a life-giving fountain bringing healing to those who are hurting?” In contrast to this when a person who is neither good nor godly speaks, do not listen! Their words will cause trouble for everyone who listens to them. A person may say one thing, but their actions will reflect their true intentions.

¹²Hatred stirs up quarrels,
but love makes up for all offenses. 

Hatred of anyone is a terrible cancer in your own soul.  When we find ourselves with even a tinge of disrespect, dislike, or hatred in our hearts for another person, especially if it is someone close to us, then everything we say and every action we take will be prone to arguments and quarrels. In contrast to that, when we truly love someone, and I mean unconditional love, then we look at that person differently. Love covers their offenses towards us. This is a beautiful line. When we love someone, we will tend to overlook offenses. We will not dwell on their mistakes. Our love makes up or covers their mistakes so that we do not think about their offense or offensive practices.

¹³Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.

People who take the time to study so that they will gain understanding about life will also become wise.  They will gain wisdom, insight, understanding, and discernment.  They will not keep this wisdom just to themselves, but as they speak it will become very evident that they have obtained wisdom through the counsel that they provide to others. In contrast to the wise person, a person who lacks basic common sense will be like a stubborn donkey that needs continual prodding to move forward in life. Because of their unwise and foolish choices, they will suffer the consequences in all areas of life.

There are so many morsels of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. As we uncover each one, let them melt within your soul in the same manner that chocolate melts in a finely made s’more. Let them permeate your thoughts and impact your life so that your living legacy will shine through for everyone to see. We will continue with a few more nuggets of wisdom from Chapter 10 tomorrow, so encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

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 each day.

As we take this trek 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!