Articles categorized as Spiritual Leadership

Something New Under the Sun: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Living – 16. AM I WISE OR AM I FOOLISH?

16. Am I Wise or Am I Foolish?   I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Ecclesiastes 2:13-14   Sergei […]

Something New Under the Sun: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Living – 26. A TIME FOR WAR

26. A Time for War   A time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Motives

MOTIVES   It’s the Thought That Counts   All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2   The man’s case was very simple. That he had been cheated out of his job was clear enough. That he had also lost his temper once or twice was also […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Pride

PRIDE   The First Deadly Sin   Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18   There are several difficulties in talking about pride, one of the most obvious being that it is hard to de­fine but easy to spot. We all know a prideful person when we see one. But […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Rebuke

REBUKE   Caring Enough to Tell the Truth   Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. Proverbs 27:5-6   The King James Version says it elegantly: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Being a man or woman of integrity means that you […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Understanding

UNDERSTANDING   Learning from Your Mistakes   Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools. Proverbs 16:22   Some people never learn from their mistakes, which is why they repeat them. Others learn the first time and gain what Solomon calls “understanding.” It is an inex­haustible […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Love

LOVE   The Glue That Holds Life Together   Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs15:17   Several years ago I helped officiate at a wedding where the main ceremony was conducted by an older minis­ter. He began his comments by saying that his wife had […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Accountability

Accountability  How to Reach Your Full Potential   As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17   Anyone who has ever owned a knife understands this proverb. When iron becomes blunt, another piece of iron is used to sharpen it. That process necessarily in­volves heat, friction, and very close contact. You can’t […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Forgiveness

FORGIVENESS   Letting Go of the Past   A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to over­look an offense. Proverbs19:11   Many Christians struggle with issues of anger and bit­terness because of things that have happened to them in the past. How do we find freedom from those angry feelings? May […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Integrity

INTEGRITY   The Ultimate Virtue   The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. Proverbs 10:9   The dictionary uses words such as whole and complete to describe what integrity means. To borrow a modern expression, a man with integrity “has his act together.” There are no […]