Proverbs Challenge
Exercising and renewing your mind is one of the most important steps to being all you can be. One method if confronting good wise philosophy. The book of Proverbs found in the bible (or book of Mishle in the Torah) has some of the best wisdom I know of.
With this challenge, I and others will read one chapter of Proverbs each day until we hit the end. Each day each of us will pick the verse that jumps out at us and write a little on it. In this series you can see mine.
The Proverb Challenge
Recently someone said on a messageboard the following statement:
Most of the *good lessons* the bible has to offer (thou shall not kill, steal, etc. ) are already written into our laws …
Inspired by that part of my reply was the following challenge:
Here is a challenge for you … you might have done this in the past, but go read the book of Proverbs, one chapter a day (there are 31 chapters, so it will take you a month) … just pick the day of the month, so on the 1st of march = Proverbs 1, and I will do this too … and then after reading each chapter pick one verse that struck you.
Steps will look like this:
1. Read the chapter
2. write down the verse that was the most interesting/enlightening
3. write down the difference between how either you or most people live (that is different from what the verse says)
4. write down how the world would be different (try to focus on verses that would improve, or make the world a better place) if more people followed the saying/parable/proverb.
The reason I issue this challenge is not because I am trying to “convert” you or anything like that, but for two reasons:
1. I find the proverbs as some of the best marketing/business mindset in the world & believe your business will be more productive if you take these 30 or 31 verses you write about and implement them.
2. I want to show you that there are more *good lessons*
I really believe anyone involved in business will improve their business if they just renew their mind with good business teaching … this could be from leadership and business books, or the proverbs in the bible.
NOTE: make sure you get a version of the bible that is easy for you to understand. Here are some places to find it online:
or any other that you read and is in the language you normally communicate in (I don’t communicate in The King’s English, thus I tend to shy away from things like King James version)
If you take me up on this for the month of March2009 (or in the future), please let me know!
Part of the Proverbs Challenge series.
Posted: March 1, 2009Proverbs 01
Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts … At the busiest corner she calls out:
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?Proverbs 1:21, 22, and either 23 or 24 from The Message
For many years I have attempted to not go so fast that I am caught up in action and not learning the lessons I could, yet I find that it takes work. The biggest thing this section says to me is to remember to look to learn, don’t just live, but to live actively or intentionally you have to pause from time to time to survey the scene. This could be in your life, the life of people around you, or from history.
When I schedule out, or just take time to review what I have written, done, and experienced my productivity goes up. If as a culture or society we took the time to learn more, and made it a priority, we would not keep going through the same crappy results we do.
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Part of the Proverbs Challenge series.
Posted: March 1, 2009Proverbs 02 – Understanding & Discretion
Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,Proverbs 2:11 from New American Standard Bible
The reason this verse struck me is that there are two misconceptions in the USA about the bible, religion, and relationship with God/Christ, etc:
1. some (not all) people who clam to follow Christ and his teachings do so as sheep, where this verse and really all of Proverbs 2 instructs us to seek discretion and understanding
2. many (not all) people who dislike/hate all religions and all things spiritual believe that the bible does not encourage or promote understanding, knowledge, and wisdom — where here, and other places clearly do.
If all people worked towards to understand, and sought out discretion – we would have a much more grace and mercy filled life – cultures would have an easier time getting along with different cultures, for we would be working out of a mindset that first we attempt to understand. Then we use our discretion to make the right decision.
Part of the Proverbs Challenge series
Posted: March 2, 2009