Living a Consistently Good Life

Proverbs 4:1-27

“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.  For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.  For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.  Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.  Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.” (Proverbs 4:1-6)

Solomon was the only surviving son of David and Bathsheba and was younger than many of David’s other children.  As a result, he had received special treatment and love from both parents, and had been specially groomed to be the next king by David.  As a result, when God offered Solomon anything he wanted, he asked for the wisdom to properly lead Israel in II Chronicles 1:10-11.   It is that teaching by David that Solomon wants to pass along to his son about the importance of making wise decisions. 

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.  Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.  She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.” (Proverbs 4:7-9)

Of all the things a person can obtain, wisdom is the most valuable, but its value is limited by the information it has to work with.  If a person will focus on understanding the principles of how things work and how to apply them, his advice will be sought and he will receive the respect of those around him.   

“Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.  I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.  When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.  Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” (Proverbs 4:10-13)

The starting place to get wisdom is with one’s parents or other teachers.  By examining the results of their lives and following the things that have worked well, one can confidently approach life without fear of making a mess of things.  He will not have to take a tiny step and wait to see what happens before taking another one. 

I have no idea where it originated, but there is an old saying that when a person stops learning, he is dead, even though it may take a while for him to figure it out.    Solomon says that one’s life depends on the things he learns so he should learn as much as he can. 

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.  For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.  For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.” (Proverbs 4:14-17)

There is a tendency to adopt the standards of those around us, and once a standard has been broken it is far easier to do it again.  The best way to prevent an unacceptable action from becoming a habit is to never start.  The wicked devote their energies to doing things to cause others difficulties and hurt, basing their own importance on their ability to affect and control other people.  They take pleasure in being able to bully or physically hurt someone and are disliked and avoided by most people. 

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.  The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” (Proverbs 4:18-19)

People who are fair and treat others well are like bright light that penetrates to the darkest corners, making everything better around them.  Wicked people are like a black hole, sucking all the pleasure from the world around them, to the point where they don’t understand that most of their problems are the result of their actions and attitudes.

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:20-23)

By remembering and practicing the things Solomon is teaching a person can ensure the most satisfactory and healthy life possible.  Gaining control of one’s attitude is crucial because it will ultimately determine most of the things that one does and how he reacts to things around him.  In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” 

“Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:24-27)

One of the first indicators of and evil heart attitude is what a person says, because as the last part of Luke 6:45 says, “…of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”    An uncontrolled mouth causes constant trouble, both for its owner and for those who hear it.  The second thing to cause trouble is the failure to stay focused on what is right.  Just as a driver who isn’t paying attentionto his driving may cause an accident, a person who isn’t paying attention to what he is doing may cause himself a lot of trouble.  He needs to learn to make sure exactly what he is doing, and not be veering back and forth like a drunk driver.