The Down and Dirty - King Solomon
Experts tell us that if we want to have success or do things the right way, that we should ask someone who knows the answer or has done it!
If you want to be the best Realtor – talk to the best Realtor.
If you want to be the best Lawyer – talk to the best Lawyer.
If you want to be the best Scientist – talk to the best Scientist.
I always taught my students that no matter what it is you want to do in life, talk to the person who is the best at doing it in your area, then the best in your province or state, then the best in the country. Take them for lunch, order all four courses, have a list of questions, have paper and pen ready to write down answers and be prepared to get a masters course in a little under 2 hours.
Heck, if I can get to know the ins and outs, what to do and what not to do, and how to avoid catastrophic pitfalls – traveling across the country would be cheap in comparison. And a lot cheaper than a master’s degree that takes years. I have done both!
Solomon was reputed to be the wisest man who ever lived. He is believed to have amassed a fortune greater than almost anyone in history, dispensed sage wisdom the stands the test of time, and was human – he did make mistakes.
How can we lose by taking a little time and learning from the best for free!
Continue to read below for each of the lessons
from King Solomon's vast repertoire
Do what is right
If someone would do something for you to relieve some of your stress, wouldn’t you want it? Doesn’t it make sense to you that to receive, we need to give? If we owe money, isn’t it a relief to pay it off as soon as possible? If we are not giving our all at work, don’t we know it, and doesn’t it bother us in some way? If we can give positive vibes and make our special someone’s day better, or easier, wouldn’t we? Don’t we owe it to our children to be present – giving them the best of what we have, not what is left over? Don’t you want to live your life, control your time, and enjoy it to the best of your ability? Start living with intention and do what is right, do your best, ACT.
Peace and Safety
Solomon does give us a positive, strong, and very personal reason why we should preserve sound judgment, seek understanding, and gain wisdom.
“Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.”
The Complete Package
Here Solomon is reminding us of where wisdom and understanding come from. He goes from the human to the creator. He is showing us how God uses wisdom and understanding, and why we should too. God tells us about it, shows us how to use it, and then emphasizes to us what we just learned.
Wow the value of wisdom and understanding
Proverbs 3:13-14 launched wisdom and understanding for us again. From there Solomon shiningly offers us a richer understanding of the true value of enjoying the fruits of striving for wisdom and understanding.
She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.
Wisdom and YOU
Proverbs 3 13 14
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
Proverbs 3: 13-14
Who doesn’t want wisdom and understanding?
Einstein said, “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
Discipline and the Lord
You want the best for those you love, don’t you? God is the same. He wants us to have good relations with Him as well as others, He wants us to have longevity, confidence, success, security, health, and peace. Although none of these are guaranteed, they are what we long for naturally. When we were born, we didn’t know how to walk, talk, know right from wrong, make things, do things, all of this was learned. We learn to live with morals, honesty, and humility.
You get what you give
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10
Christians believe that all things are owned and given to us by God. By this very statement, we believe that life is a gift and all things that happen along the way must be appreciated good or bad. We may not like it or understand it, but it is what we are dealt.
Humility and Health
At what point do we know that we can truly trust ourselves, trust our wisdom? Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Lao Tzu followed that up with, “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”
But can you honestly say you know yourself?
In search of contentment
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Trust in the Lord, heck I don’t even know him. I don’t believe in him why should I trust him? What has he ever done for me or mine?
Bind them around your neck
At one point in time having a good name meant everything. It meant you had a good reputation! People had a good opinion of you and that is paramount in life, particularly in business. One example the Collins dictionary used from the Sunday Times is, “Then they trade off the company 's good name to obtain goods on credit.” Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And what do you need to curry favor and make a good name for yourself?
Peace and Prosperity
Right from the get-go, Solomon is teaching us something very vital, he is telling us not to forget his teachings of God’s commands. The key to life ever after. But how does he tell us to remember, not with the brain but with the heart!
We are emotional beings, not robots. We think, act, respond, survive, and succeed with our emotions and by putting our hearts on the line, not our heads.
And when we do the above, what is our reward? Peace and prosperity.
Going down the slippery slope
Solomon’s Wisdom Part 9
A simple scene where throughout the Bible God warns the Jew of staying pure and not mixing with other races, creeds, or religions. Why? So, they would not stray or be distracted from loving the one and only True God.
But how does this apply to business?
As soon as you stray from your initial:
Knowledgebase, Mission, Plan, Purpose, Reason, Strength, Understanding
You are open to being led down the path away from your original dream, often to needless frustration and stressful dead ends.
Don’t get me wrong; learning, adapting, improving, and innovating are essential. But straying from the path, losing your focus, going after fast gains or short cuts will most often lead to ruin.
There are different levels to perverse
Solomon’s Wisdom Part 8
Matthew Henry wrote, “If we are truly wise, we shall be careful to avoid all evil company and evil practices. When wisdom has dominion over us, then it not only fills the head, but enters into the heart, and will preserve, both against corruptions within and temptations without.”
Wisdom and Knowledge will Protect You
Solomon’s Wisdom Part 7
We have been on the search for wisdom and knowledge and how to best gain it, what is next? Let’s dig deeper.
So how do we develop discretion and understanding?
What is Right and Just and Fair
Solomon’s Wisdom Part 6
Proverbs 2:9
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.
Who doesn’t want to understand? As matter of fact, isn’t that where most problems start, by not understanding each other; your boss, your employee, your spouse, your partner? How about yourself?
So how do you improve your right, just and fair quotient?
Making the most of Wisdom
Solomon’s Wisdom Part 5
Simply put – find God and you will find wisdom and understanding.
Everyone is created equal in the eyes of God and regardless if you were born in the barrios on a dump in the Philippians or in Buckingham Palace you are created perfect in God’s eyes. You could have an IQ of 80 or an IQ of 263, we all have a roll to play, a life to live, a destiny to fulfill.
Yes, we can all search for wisdom, understanding, and God.
What happens when we do this?
Get it Done
Solomon's Wisdom Part 4
Solomon is talking to you. Right at you.
Do not get your knickers in a knot over the word “son”, we talked about this before, the word ben, along with the usual son, it also means children (male and female) youth, people (of a nation) or member of a guild, order, or class. In other words, it includes everyone!
He is setting up a conditional statement – if you do this, you will get this. Yes, as always you need to do something in order to get something – the basic law of the jungle.
Wisdom Calls Aloud
Solomon's Wisdom Part 4
Wisdom, what is it, who has it, how can one acquire it? The Hebrew word “chokmah” has many forms and types of wisdom. In business today, as well as in life, we all need wisdom and it appears that as things get more complicated, we need it even more.
To Do or Not To Do
Solomon's Wisdom Part 3
My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”— my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood. Proverbs 10 – 16
Listen My Son
Solomon's Wisdom Part 2
“Listen, my son”; this line on its own is a powerful, powerful precept. How well do we listen? When we are with people, how much do we focus on what they are saying? Can you honestly say that you are giving 100% of your attention to them? The foundation of success in any aspect of your life – your relationships, education, business, or success is the ability and gift of listening. Yes, I said a gift, because only you can give it. Not only are giving others the gift of listening to them but you are giving yourself the gift of living in the moment. And hopefully putting yourself in the position of providing people what they want.
The Beginning of Knowledge and Wisdom
Solomon's Wisdom Part 1
It stands to reason that if God gave Solomon knowledge and wisdom. God would have it in spades. He knows everything. We gain it by reading the Bible and applying its’ principles. The short primer is provided to us by Solomon.
But I love what I read in Precept Austin; “Someone once quipped that "Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it."
J. I. Packer said that "Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it."
John Calvin wrote that "True wisdom consists principally of two parts: the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves!
Vance Havner said "If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is proper use of knowledge."
Adrian Rogers said, "Wisdom is the ability to see life from God's point of view."
Why would someone despise wisdom, what is to be gained by that? Doesn’t it make sense to do everything that you can to attain it?
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