John T. Willis

Friday, June 10, 2011

Better

All of us want to improve. God certainly wants all of us to improve. Life is built around making choices, decisions, determinations. Thus, by the very nature of life, we must all choose THIS rather than THAT. God summons us to CHOOSE a better way of life. Here are a few texts that remind and inspire us to do BETTER.

Proverbs 8:11:
Wisdom is BETTER than jewels,
and all you may desire cannot compare with her." See further Proverbs 16:16"Wisdom" is something quit different from knowing information intellectually. James
3:13-18 provides a wonderful description of TRUE WISDOM.
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace."

Proverbs 15:16:
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
Values are of utmost importance. Fearing God is much more valuable than amassing wealth. See also Proverbs 16:8.

Proverbs 15:17:
Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is
than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
Our food and possessions are not nearly as important as our feelings and behaviors toward other people.

Proverbs 16:19:
It is better to be of a lowly spirit among the poor
than to divine the spoil with the proud.
Arrogant people ignore and think evil of the poor. God loves the poor, and desires that we follow his example.

Proverbs 27:5:
Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
In order to help one another, we must be honest. To do this, it may be painful, but the godly choice is to confront a friend who does wrong.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls anddoes not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Living alone is detrimental to life. We all need friends who will support us in all experiences of life: to congratulate us when we do well; to pick us up off the ground when we fall on our own.

Share YOUR experiences with others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis

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