Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 382 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Walk With the Wise and Become Wise – Proverbs [13:13]-25

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 382 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday we will explore for the nuggets of wisdom that are found along the Proverb trail. Today we explore Proverbs [13:13]-25.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We had such a blessed time with the Chamberlain Reunion at The Big House this past weekend. Reconnecting with siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles was such an enjoyment. We are truly blessed to have the family and homestead that we do.

When this day’s trek is released, Paula and I will be in Chicago for the Podcast Movement annual conference. I am honored to have the privilege to speak during a PMx session, which is similar in format to the popular Ted Talks. These short 15-minute sessions are designed to inform and inspire the listeners with a topic that will be useful to help podcasters succeed in their podcasting journey. The talk that I will be giving is 10 Truths for Creating Your Living Legacy through Podcasting. My talk will be very similar to my Wisdom-Trek podcast. It is my hope and desire to provide the audience with practical tips to help them to live their legacy each day.

One way to ensure a living legacy is by obtaining wisdom, insight, and understanding. There is no better source for this than the book of Proverbs and today’s trek is titled…

Walk with the Wise and Become Wise

Let’s begin today Proverbs [13:13].

¹³ People who despise advice are asking for trouble;
those who respect a command will succeed.

A person who does not seek advice from wise and tested people will end up making foolish decisions and will end up in trouble. In fact, that person is considered a fool. The fact is that to succeed you must be willing to take advice and learn from others that have proven themselves successful in various areas of life. We must respect and seek out those who are wise.

¹⁴ The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain;
those who accept it avoid the snares of death.

We need to seek out the instruction of those individuals that have gained wisdom and insight through the years of their life journey. That wisdom will be like water in a desert providing us life and sustenance to carry on where otherwise we would perish.

¹⁵ A person with good sense is respected;
a treacherous person is headed for destruction.

It is very refreshing to be in the presence of a person with a wealth of common sense. It seems so rare in today’s world. We can respect a person who has these traits. On the other hand, a person without good sense cannot be trusted because they are unreliable, unfaithful, and two-faced.

¹⁶ Wise people think before they act;
fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.

A sign of a wise person is that they are not reactionary.  They will take the proper time to think before taking action.  This will prevent them from making decisions or taking action that would be harmful to themselves or others. In contrast to this is the fool who reacts instead of taking action and is only wise in his own eyes but whose decisions and actions prove otherwise.

¹⁷ An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble,
but a reliable messenger brings healing.

A person who cannot be relied on for information or results will find themselves stumbling through life.  He falls into trouble himself and brings trouble for those he impacts. A person who is reliable is like healing to those who are afflicted. A reliable person is dependable, which soothes the soul, much like medicine would heal the body.

¹⁸ If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace;
if you accept correction, you will be honored.

No one likes to be criticized because it hurts our egos and often offends us. If you do not heed constructive criticism, you will be a poor person who continues down a path of disgrace. Criticism is necessary if we are to grow in wisdom. If we willingly accept correction, we will live a life of honor and respect from others.

¹⁹ It is pleasant to see dreams come true,
but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.

All of us have dreams and ambitions, and when we are able to achieve them it is a pleasant occurrence. God’s Word is full of wisdom and precepts that should be congruent with our dreams. When our dreams are contrary to God’s guidelines and we refuse to change them, then we shouldn’t be surprised when our dreams turn to nightmares. When God’s precepts are adhered to, then there will be a predictable outcome. When they are not, then we cannot expect God to save us from our foolish decisions.

²⁰ Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble.

You become like those who you invest time with. If you invest time with wise people and listen to their wisdom, you will gain wisdom yourself. If you spend time with foolish and wicked people, you will become like them.  Like my mom would say, “If you lie down with dogs, don’t be surprised when you wake up with fleas.”

²¹ Trouble chases sinners,
while blessings reward the righteous.

Your thoughts will determine your actions, which will determine your outcomes in life.  When you choose to do what is contrary to God’s precepts, then you will have troubles in your life. In contrast, those who practice being good and Godly will experience the reward of a peaceful and pleasant life that is free from fear and anxiety.

²² Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren,
but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.

A person who is good and Godly will make wise financial decisions and, as a result, will be able to accumulate wealth and Godly traditions that will be passed through the generations to come. Not so for those who make unwise financial decisions and become a slave to the lenders. They will not have wealth nor wisdom to pass on to future generations.

²³ A poor person’s farm may produce much food,
but injustice sweeps it all away.

While there are situations that are completely out of our control where we lose our financial foundation, this loss, in most cases, is because of unwise financial decisions that we have made. This verse would indicate that even when a poor person has the opportunity to gain a solid footing financially because of their past unwise decisions any gain is swept away by the creditors that they are slaves to.

²⁴ Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children.
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

This verse has fallen into some controversy in today’s politically correct world view. While I certainly do not advocate any type of abuse to children at any age, there are times when children and adults need to be disciplined for unwise decisions. What we lose in the word discipline is the root word to disciple. When you disciple a person, you take him alongside you to train and teach him how to make proper decisions. This is what we need to do for our children and grandchildren, to bring them alongside us, to care for them enough that we are willing to pour ourselves into their lives.

²⁵ The godly eat to their hearts’ content,
but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.

If you have the right mindset about contentment, then regardless if you are in plenty or in want, you will still be content with what you have. Those who are not content with what they currently have, certainly will not be content with more. This applies to food or anything else in life.

That brings us to the end of our trail for today as we complete Proverbs 13. Once again, the wealth of wisdom that we are able to dig up from the nuggets contained in these verses is amazing. It certainly is true that if we walk with the wise, we will become wise. Let’s walk on today.

Our next trek will be Philosophy Friday when we will continue to ponder and study the Cycles and Seasons of Life, and in particular the season of spring.  So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your 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 and invite them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically. I would like to ask you to also rate and review us on iTunes or Google Play so that others will find out about Wisdom-Trek and join us.

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 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 on Wednesday!