Posting from our nation's capital, Washington DC, from May 22 through June 3.
Today's Reading: Proverbs 22; Proverbs 23; Proverbs 24; Romans 14
Scripture: Proverbs 23:15-16
My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad;
my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
Observation: The goal of the teacher is for the proper development of the student. Here, the teacher speaks to the student. Here's my paraphrase: "What makes me truly happy is to see you doing well."
Application: So often, people misunderstand the process and purpose of discipleship. They get upset because they view it as the teacher lording it over the student. But it's really not about the teacher at all. A teacher's success is not in the number of people following -- it's in the quality of the people following. Do they demonstrate positive change? Are they growing in excellence of character? A good teacher finds his greatest joy when he sees wisdom in the lives of those he leads -- it makes his "heart glad". And notice that the teacher has a simple way to evaluate the good progress of the followers: "when your lips speak what is right." Listening to the disciples is a key. Many teachers spend all their interactive time talking. It's important to give time to listening. And when the teacher hears the disciple speaking truth, that is when they "speak what is right," he has cause to rejoice.
As a teacher myself, it is one of my greatest joys when I listen to those that I have the privilege to lead, and I observe Godly character and wisdom. What a blessing it is to be used as a vessel to pour out the good things of the Lord to others in such a way that those things become a part of their lives!
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the privilege of being used by You. And thank You for those good teachers You have used to teach me. May I demonstrate Your character by the quality of my life and speech. And may I lead well in Your character, and be used to raise up many whose lives demonstrate who You are.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
2 comments:
Carl, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I neglected to relate this to parents and children but that is the original intent of the passage as the term "my son" indicates. The primary application of this proverb is the joy of parents at seeing their children grow to be wise.
Pastor Mike
Very pretty design! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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