So if Christ is the embodiment of the Word, then we should stay connected with it. Let's get to it. Today, I picked Proverbs 18. I feel like this is a great example of how the Bible can be both inspirational and motivational. Typically, we see inspiration as making us feel good and empowering us, but it is also important to be motivated to do the right thing and to understand the wisdom and logic behind Godly principles. God will correct us--it's essential to becoming better people--but that doesn't always make us feel good (back to the inspirational part). So stay in the Word, glean all it's got for you inspirational and not.
I'm going to go verse by verse and just talk this up. Let's make the Proverb come off the paper and figure it out. Please feel free to comment and give feedback if you agree, have a different perspective, or disagree.
Proverbs 18
1 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
....so what can we get from this? Starting fights is not a good thing. There are no special clauses here that say "when you're not right" or ", but it's ok if they've taken advantage of you." Nope, God is telling you, don't start fights and don't be selfish. And if we admit it to ourselves, many fights start out of the selfish motives of pride or to be right.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.
...this is kind of like the argument you might of heard before that 'you were given twice as many ears as you were mouths for a reason.' In other words, it's wise to listen to others. Sure, you can express your opinion, but be open to others. You will not always be right no matter who you are. Be humble enough to admit that.
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
...simple enough, when you do wicked things, mean things, and wrong things, God and other Christians will look at you in reproach/disapproval. Come on, get your game face on and give your best for God. Don't make Him disapprove.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
...Deep waters are swift and powerful. They can wipe you off your feet any moment if you are not in complete control. This is how your words are. So often we do not realize the power that we have with our words. You have the power to build up or destroy. Choose wisely and be conscious about what you say to someone. They may point it out to you 6+ years down the road that sentence you said that you don't remember that has made a negative impact on their life and memory that long. Wisdom is also powerful. Just as a rushing stream can carry a boat a great distance and at a quick pace, wisdom can help us progress to more complete humans more rapidly and also has a lot of power.
5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.
...being partial to the wicked...what's that mean to you? Maybe saying 'wicked' makes this seem too old school. So what if we said, don't be partial in admitting that a 'white lie' is a sin...don't be partial to someone who does wrong just because they're a celebrity or have money, etc. The innocent that are taken advantage of by those that do wrong need justice served. Humans in general are much less likely to do what is right if there is no punishment, so judge all equally and punishment needs to be given when it is promised.
This is a great verse to drive home pro-life and anti-abortion campaigns. A fetus, a baby, a child, a person with a future--these all describe the innocent lives that are taken by abortion. I'm all about women's rights. I am all about that. But when you have sex (protected or not), you step into the zone of forgoing certain rights. That is, you have to accept the consequences (whether you see it as good or bad, intentional or not intentional) if you get pregnant....because now, there's someone elses rights involved. This is just like driving on the interstate. When you have a license, you have the right to drive. Once you're on the interstate, if you get in a wreck (intentional or not), you're now in someone elses rights area and your insurance may have to pay to fix the damage done. You're in someone elses 'rights zone.' You take a risk by getting on the road, but state law requires certain actions to be taken (i.e. repairing another person's car) if things don't go as planned...it's not your 'right' not to pay to fix it at that point. Same with unwanted pregnancy...you have sex, you are consciously accepting the 'rules of the road', and that's that if you get pregnant, you will respect anothers rights (in this case the baby). The innocent need justice, and if they can't even make it out alive, they'll never say a word to defend their rights. That's up to you.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
...you've heard the saying 'silence is golden.' Indeed. There is a time to speak and a time to talk, but a fool will speak when they shouldn't and it will bring them trouble. Do not be a fool, have sense about when to speak and when not to, and get educated about topics you speak on.
7 The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
...same thought process: your words have a lot of power to both uplift and destroy others as well as prosper or destroy your own life.
And I'll end there for now. This gives you a peak at how you should study the Bible. Really break things down to where you're not just reading God's Word to have it read (as if you got credit or something), but read it so that it has meaning, so that it speaks to you, and so that you can apply it to your life.
So be inspired, and inspire others, but also remember that in the beginning was the Word, the Word is God, Christ Jesus, and if you want all of Him, the Bible is part of that 'all.'
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