Proverbs – Life Skills
We all know the famous line from the commercial well, “So Jake from State Farm, what are you wearing?” This attack from a jealous wife at 3am is unwarranted as her husband is trying to make a deal with the insurance company. But one wonders, like the wife, why at 3am? At least, that was my first thought. So what was innocent looked entirely like something else. As women we all feel that the wife was right to guard what was sacred and to investigate what might be an attack on her marriage.
Marriages come under attack daily, almost hourly! It is up to us to guard our hearts, minds and souls as we protect the sanctity of our vows made in front of God to each other. It is so easy to be swept away into the temptations of this world. Remember, the enemy (the Temptress) as presented in this proverb is always “dressed to kill” with a goal to destroy all relationships that are good in the eyes of God. God is the enemy of The Temptress. He wants all that God deems pure and holy destroyed.Single people are greatly tempted with no one to hold them in check unless they have Christian friends to hold them accountable. (Highly recommended.)
HOLY PAUSE
Evil stands at the corner of life and death. Which way will you go? Who is attracting you most at this moment in life? Who do you talk about most? Who do you love above all?
Finally, what are we wearing? Do we seduce others to evil or are we clothed in a manner that leads others to Jesus?
“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:13-14, NIV
“And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes,” Galatians 3:27.
Proverbs 7, The MessageDressed to Seduce
1-5 Dear friend, do what I tell you;
treasure my careful instructions.
Do what I say and you’ll live well.
My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!
Write it out on the back of your hands;
etch it on the chambers of your heart.
Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.
Treat Insight as your companion.
They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—
that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.
6-12 As I stood at the window of my house
looking out through the shutters,
Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,
I spotted a young man without any sense
Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,
then turning up the path to her house.
It was dusk, the evening coming on,
the darkness thickening into night.
Just then, a woman met him—
she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.
Brazen and brash she was,
restless and roaming, never at home,
Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,
hanging out at every corner in town.
13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him, boldly took his arm and said,
“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—
today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,
So now I’ve come to find you,
hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!
I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,
colorful imported linens.
My bed is aromatic with spices
and exotic fragrances.
Come, let’s make love all night,
spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!
My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,
and he won’t be back for a month.”
21-23 Soon she has him eating out of her hand,
bewitched by her honeyed speech.
Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,
like a calf led to the butcher shop,
Like a stag lured into ambush
and then shot with an arrow,
Like a bird flying into a net
not knowing that its flying life is over.
24-27 So, friends, listen to me, take these words of mine most seriously.
Don’t fool around with a woman like that;
don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.
Countless victims come under her spell;
she’s the death of many a poor man.
She runs a halfway house to hell,
fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.
EPILOGUE
Don’t be fooled by others who wear masks of hypocrisy and try to lure you into sin with them. Don’t be the one who lures others into sins you enjoy just so you have validation. Here is a final story that helps us to understand what it means to “put on”Jesus as Paul tells along with “clothe” ourselves with Christ. Fredrick Beuchner helps us gain some insight from a story he tells called “The Happy Hypocrite.” It’s a story about a man who was born with an awful facial deformity.
He grew up alone and lonely. When reaching adulthood, he decided to move from his town to begin a new life. On his way he discovered a beautiful mask that fit, making him look handsome. At first the mask was uncomfortable and he was afraid that people would find out who he really was, but he continued to wear the mask everyday.
In his new hometown, he made many friends and fell in love. But one day a wicked woman from his old home came to his town and discovered this man’s true identity. In front of his friends and fiancé, she forced him to remove his mask. When he removed the mask, it revealed a handsome face. His face had conformed to the mask.
Becoming like Christ is analogous to this. Go ahead and put on Christ. At first it may feel unnatural or uncomfortable, and maybe you may think, “Who am I trying to fool?” But everyday just keep putting on Christ and everyday you will grow to look more like him.Every day we are to “put on” Christ, and when we do, the Holy Spirit works at transforming us to be more and more like Jesus:
“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him,” Colossians 3:10.
Have you clothed yourself with Christ?
So Paul, what are you wearing? He tells us in God’s Word…even at 3am!“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:14-17, NLT
Dear Lord and Savior,
Help us by the power of your Holy Spirit in us to clothe ourselves, from the inside out, with all of you in us. Guide our every thought that precedes actions of behavior. Make us holy. Help us to live holy lives for your glory. May we be real authentic representatives of you, dear Jesus. Help us to avoid The Tempter at all costs. Deliver us from evil. Thank you.
In Jesus Name, Amen
If we are ever confused about what God wants and what His purpose is for our lives, we will find clarity in this proverb of wisdom. We see clearly what behaviors God hates in His created. We find out that living brainlessly, haphazard lives leads to falling for anything evil that comes along. 
The next section reminds us to plan your work and work your plan so your family is cared for in the “winters” of life. One of our purposes in life is to find work that sustains us, grows and matures us and satisfies our longing to contribute to our world.
The wisdom writes tells us plainly the behaviors God hates. When we think about it, we don’t like this in ourselves or others either. When we look closely, these behaviors are the opposite of God’s character, displayed in Jesus, of trust, unconditional love, serving others first, peace, joy, mercy, honesty, with compassionate eyes of grace for all. 
A Lesson from the Ant
24-35 They’ll protect you from wanton women,
Touch her and you’ll pay for it. No excuses.
Follow the Light. 
7-14 So, my friend, listen closely;
Never take what has been given to you in holy matrimony for granted. In trying times, and there will be plenty, remember your first love, recall what drew you together in the first days of flirting with each other. Agree on love for God and for each other at all costs. 
Proverbs 4, The Message
“Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it;
Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip.
Learn It by Heart
OUR EVERY LIVES ARE AT STAKE
CONSIDER THE CHOICES
What?! There is a sin in assuming? Yes. When I assume what people are thinking, I am in judgement about thoughts only God knows. When I assume why people behave the way they do, I am judging their actions in light of what I think I know. 
Don’t Assume You Know It All
3-4 Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
The Very Tree of Life
Never Walk Away
30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder,
WHAT WE LEARN…
HOLY PAUSE
1-5 Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you;
Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
He’s a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
16-19 Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress—
God’s wisdom is free for the asking but you must seek Him first to find it. He gives grace to the humble, common sense to the seekers of wisdom with protection and provision for those whose hearts are completely committed to Him. Those who follow the Navigator of all that is right and good find all they were looking for in life.
Seek wise friends who help each other stay on the right path. It is a matter of life and death!
Proverbs – Life Skills
“Wisdom” is the biblical term for this on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven everyday living. Wisdom is the art of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves. It has virtually nothing to do with information as such, with knowledge as such. A college degree is no certification of wisdom–not is it primarily concerned with keeping us out of moral mud puddles, although it does have a profound moral effect upon us.
Start with God
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
As we review our lives, seek God first each day. Ask Him what He thinks. Allow His Holy Spirit to come and settle you with His Truth. 
How are you doing?
Are you doing okay as we go through this extreme change in our lives? 
How’s it going?
Before the quarantine we got up each morning to face the responsibilities that the day demanded. We slept at night so we could get up the next day and do it all again. We took on life, as it was, for granted. We went to church on Sunday to get our “God-fix” by praising Him as we normally do while getting our “social-fix” with being with friends we loved hanging around. We grumbled, “I just want to go to church”.
In quarantine we were told to stop everything we knew about life and stay inside our homes…unless your work was “essential”. In quarantine, as God’s meticulously, created humans we began to pull out abilities to adapt that we didn’t know or realize was in us. We began to do all of life from home. We do church at home. School is done at home. Shopping for supplies is done from home with delivery by essential people. We now rely on the internet to stay connected more than any other provision God has provided. 
Will our family members be eager to go back to separate lives of school, work, and other activities rather than being forced together in one location? What did we learn about each other in isolation? 
TRUTH: The Answer worth living for…
God created us. God wired us in specific ways. God loves us. God wants His best for us which is better than what we think our best should be. Since He created, invented us, and gave us a manual of how we tick and work, shouldn’t we listen to Him? The product of the inventor does not tell others how to use it. The inventor is asked for what purpose his invention was created. The inventor is the One who tells others how the product was designed to work at it’s best.
Plans to Give You the Future You Hope For
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
3. God promises, “I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.” 
KNOW ALSO that the evil one still fights for our souls by planting thoughts in our minds which result in behaviors not of God. Evil hits harder when we are tired and weak. When we pray, seeking all of God with a sincere heart, God intervenes, gives victory over evil and then invites us into His work of helping others find and follow Him, too. 
Part Two of Two
“Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (NLT)
When we don’t confess and apologize, these hurts build and fester like a injury left unattended. It hurts even more in times of trouble, like a quarantine, that changes everything in our lives. Share the troubles with those who love and accept you most. Jesus want us to love each other like He loves us. So it makes sense to love each other in ways that allow them to be as comfortable in sharing troubles and feelings as we would with Jesus, Himself.
7. Seek Advice Before Making Major Decisions
8. Space Renewal Breaks Throughout My Day
9. Serve Someone Suffering More Than Me
(From Abraham’s example) “We see that his faith and his actions worked together. His faith was made complete by what he did.” James 2:22
Let us pray for God to make our faith complete. May our faith and hope in Christ that leads to greater and better emotional health be paramount in our thinking and behaving each day we rise greet a new day. Be grateful for the new day. For God made it and gave it to us. “Rejoice and be glad in it.” May the peace of Christ rule our hearts.
