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This is Proverb Pic, the daily devo newsletter that helps Christians become wiser in 2 minutes a day.

Proverb of the day

Proverb Pic

Meditation

Some proverbs are like puzzles where you need to spend some time looking at the pieces of the puzzle to figure them out. There is deep wisdom in meditating on these proverbs. They can illuminate the realities of life in a way that is hard to communicate. This proverb is all about how your words affect you socially. Wise people and mockers are being compared in the results that they receive. But this proverb was confusing to me. In this proverb, the outcome of wisdom is a reward and the outcome of being a mocker is being socially isolated. But how are these two related to one another? Why are they being contrasted in this way? Wise = reward vs Mocker = isolation

Think about it this way, no one likes to be around somebody constantly tearing others down. That's why they suffer alone. After a while, you don't want to be around that kind of person. Ancient wisdom taught that you would thrive as a person only if you put the needs of your family and community above your own self-interest. Our modern culture rejects that entirely. We are told to “be true to ourselves,” to decide who we want to be and then to demand that our community and family recognize and honor that regardless of its impact on relationships. Today we sacrifice the good of the group for the absolute freedom of the individual. The result is an increasing number of people who feel disconnected and lonely. Mockers sneer at the values and beliefs of any community. Thus the mocker has no real friends, and in the end he suffers alone.

With that in mind, the reward of wisdom is illuminated. In Christianity, neither the will of the individual nor the community is considered supreme; instead, the will of God takes precedence. By embracing the gospel, prideful barriers that separate people are removed (Ephesians 2:14–16), and the lonely find a sense of belonging within families (Psalm 68:6; John 1:12–13). Salvation encourages the formation of deeper and more meaningful relationships, while sin leads to solitude. Everyone wants to be around a wise person. Wisdom is social; it wants to be shared with others. Wisdom is generous; it wants to be given away. This is why the wise are rewarded. Good things come to these kinds of people. So in life, you have the choice two be wise and build people up or be a mocker and tear people down.

Prayer

Lord, help us use our words to build people up with wisdom.

Application question

When you want to tear someone down, how can you build them up?

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