Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 319 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Doing Wrong Is Fun – Proverbs [10:23]-27

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 319 of our trek. This week we are remaining at 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 22 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 as we learn together.

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. We are putting the finishing touches of Wisdom-Trek Journal Volume 1 together and also the Beta version of Your Life Plan Blueprint. We should be able to release them soon. I will let you know when they are available.

Today and tomorrow we will remain in camp once again as we continue to dig for those wisdom nuggets that are found in Proverbs 10. As we feel the gentle spring breeze blowing the fire and smoke back and forth, we have all experienced have the wind shift unexpectedly and all at once we have smoke filling our eyes. Solomon certainly experienced this also as he describes in one of the nuggets today. Before we get to that tidbit though let’s look at a situation where…

Doing Wrong is Fun – Proverbs [10:23]-27

You might be thinking, “Is Guthrie saying that doing wrong is fun?” That doesn’t sound like something you would present…Well let’s all face it, sometimes we are either tempted to or actually do wrong because it does appear to be fun. I am just as susceptible to believing this as anyone, so let’s start with verse 23.

²³Doing wrong is fun for a fool,
but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

See I told you that doing wrong is fun…that is if we choose to be a fool. There are many activities that we may be tempted to participate in because they do look like it would be fun, but we must look at the long-term consequence of such actions. Sure eating pizza every night may appear to be fun or enjoyable, but what would that do to us physically long-term? How about innocent flirtation in the workplace. That may seem fun, but what are the potential long-term results? We could come up with dozens of scenarios, but I think you understand what I mean. To follow through doing short-term activities may appear to be fun without looking at the long-term results makes us a fool. In contrast to this is for us to live wisely which will bring long-term pleasure because we understand the consequences to making sensible and wise decisions.

²⁴The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;
the hopes of the godly will be granted.

Fear…It seems to be so rampant today, maybe it always has been. Even among Christ followers it seems to be that they are full of fear and worry instead of the rich and satisfying life that we should be living. I understand it a bit more with those who choose not to follow the precepts of God. They do not have true hope for the future. Why is it that these fears are fulfilled? I have seen it time and time again, and it is called a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we anticipate a certain outcome, we will subconsciously create a situation in our lives where what we anticipate comes true. In contrast to that, as Christ followers, our hopes, dreams, and ambitions are much more likely to come to fruition because we position ourselves in the situations of life that they will be granted. This is what Christ referred to numerous times in His ministry when he said, “Your faith has healed you.” 

²⁵When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away,
but the godly have a lasting foundation.

This verse is closely tied to the previous one with a bit of a twist. When the storms of life hit, and they will for all of us, the people who do not have their hope in God will have nothing to shelter them. They will be tossed back and forth in desperation because they do not have a solid foundation on which their life is built. In contrast, those who have their hope in the Lord have a solid and lasting foundation for their lives. Although the storms may be fierce in our lives also, we can have peace because our foundation is secure. Sometimes God calms the storms for us, other times he shelters us and calms our hearts in the storm.

²⁶Lazy people irritate their employers,
like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

As a business owner most of my adult life and as a person who tends to be self-driven, I understand this verse first hand. A person who is lazy at work is a real irritation and pain. Growing up on an apple orchard, we made vinegar all the time and drinking a little of it really hit your tongue and teeth with pain. Also, all of us have probably experienced sitting around the campfire when the wind suddenly shifts and smoke fills our eyes. It can be extremely painful. This is the type of pain that a lazy person brings at work or at home. Let us commit to not be lazy.

²⁷Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life,
but the years of the wicked are cut short.

On a quick read of this verse we may question this. I am sure we all know of those who were godly people who died in the prime of life, just as we know unsavory people that have lived a very long life.  Once again the Proverbs are general principles for life, not hard commandments. If someone respects the Lord and follows God’s precepts, then he will make wiser decisions for life, and therefore, will be more likely to live longer or have their life lengthened. In contrast to this, if someone is foolish and does not follow God’s precepts, then they are more apt to make stupid decisions and choices in life and will be more likely to die before they would have otherwise.

Today we discovered and explored five more interesting and thought-provoking nuggets of wisdom. Take time to ponder them. Let them permeate your thoughts and impact your life so that your living legacy will be evident to all. We will continue with the last five 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!