What should I know about religious proverbs?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I’m studying religious proverbs; many are similar to those found in the Bible. Some say they are meant to make us feel good but it seems that they reveal truth about our sins and failures rather than making us happy about ourselves. – G.W.
A: The psalms teach man how to relate to God; proverbs in Scripture teach us how to relate to others. The book of Proverbs is a marvelous little book to read daily, one chapter for each day of the month, packed with God’s wisdom.
Someone has said that each day of the month has a proverb. For instance, it’s never the first of the month, but Proverbs 1 Day; or instead of the 22nd of the month, it’s called Proverbs 22 Day. What an uplifting thought, to begin each day with wise nuggets of truth from God’s Word that convict us of where we are wrong and points us to God’s wisdom. His wisdom shows us what’s in our heart.
This great book of wisdom speaks of sin and its results. For instance, Proverbs 11:2 tells us that with pride comes shame. The opposite of pride is humility. We are commanded to seek the Lord and His righteousness and humility. This is difficult, especially in our world today. Society is self-focused. The culture shouts, “Me, Myself, and I!” This is dangerous. We must always be on the alert and police our hearts. Pride comes from looking only at ourselves; meekness comes through looking at God. The Bible teaches that we should think more highly of others than we think of ourselves (Philippians 2:3). This is made very difficult today by self-help books and seminars, advertisements, and entertainment that fill our minds with bolstering our self-confidence. Humility causes us to look outward to others, and most of all upward to God.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2022 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2022 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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