As a young man, I always appreciated short sayings.
Most of them were humorous and gave a little chuckle. There were many sayings that you may have heard from your mother or grandmother like "make hay while the sun shines" and "idle minds are the devil's playground."
Most of these sayings are good, and we can learn much from them. They are like short sermons—bits of advice that are easy to remember and easy to recall as needed. They give us direction in morality and teach us about how to approach work, studies and relationships.
There is a place where we can find a whole catalog of good advice. It's the book of Proverbs in the Bible.
Wisdom is not a measurement of how smart we are. Instead, it means using our knowledge in the right way to produce good results and avoid the bad. Proverbs says it is the "principal thing," meaning it is the most important thing we can learn (Proverbs 4:7, King James Version throughout). There are a lot of extremely intelligent people out there, and I've met a few who do not have the sense to come in out of the rain, because they lack wisdom.
Notice the list of the good things we can learn from reading the book of Proverbs: "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; to give subtilty to the simple. to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels" (Proverbs 1:1-5). Looking up these verses in different translations can also add to our understanding.
Some proverbs are easily understood. Proverbs 20:22 reads: "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the L ord, and he shall save thee." Proverbs 29:18 advises, "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
A Few Proverbs Assignments
With other proverbs it is easy to miss the real point. For instance, Proverbs 1:8-9 reads, "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."
What are these chains? You might jump to the conclusion they are chains of slavery or ropes that tie you up and restrain you. In fact, after further study, you can discover that they are beautiful necklaces that indicate royalty. They are worn by kings and princes who exercise power and authority with wisdom. Look up this passage in some commentaries or even reference books that help explain the proverbs. They can be helpful in explaining these fine points.
After you have learned some basic principles from the book of Proverbs, progress to learning about the seven pillars of wisdom. Try linking the Proverbs to other scriptures and lessons. For example, relate Proverbs 16:7 with 1 Peter 3:8-13.
Bibles with center margin references can also be helpful. Group together the Proverbs that deal with morality, wisdom, fools, economics, etc.
Get the kids involved in the study. As you teach them to your children, you might even learn additional wisdom yourself! UN
