Proverbs for Living - 25

Proverbs 25:26 (CSB) - "A righteous person who yields to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well."

Every relationship is important and has to do with people. I remember a despondent missionary once saying, "I love doing mission work, it's the people I struggle loving." As believers, we have a vertical relationship with the Father, but we also have a horizontal relationship with those we come in contact with. In this chapter, we find four areas of advice on dealing with people.

In verses 4 and 5 we see advice to leaders. It calls those of us who are leaders to seek out godly counsel, righteous and just in our position of leadership. We need biblically sound advisors. The history of man displays many of a leader who surrounded himself with the wrong type of advisors, and they all achieved the same result - failure.

Verse 8-10 talk to us about getting along with our neighbors. As you read these verse today, consider how you respond to your neighbors. (As a sideline, when asked by an expert in the Law who was his neighbor, Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan - in other words, anyone we came in contact with).

In verses 16 and 28, the writer speaks about dealing with ourselves. In verse 16 we can consider that when people pour too much praise upon us, we need to be careful, don't fall for it. It can be nauseating. And in verse 28 we are reminded to be spiritually controlled. Lack of self-control is a spiritual weakness. (Read Gal. 5:22-23 for further thoughts on this).

And finally, verses 21-22 deals with our relationship with our enemies. Dr. B. R. Lakin used to say about dealing with an enemy - "Love them, pray for them. and outlive them."

Prayer: Father, thank You for this chapter which tells us how to deal with people. Help us, becasue we are heeding Your Word to become channels of blessing to others. Amen.