Proverbs 31... Character Development

 ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, 
      But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

-Proverbs 31:30

Imagine a world in which names did not exist… There were no Joes, Johns, Sues or Samathas… Instead of being referred to by our names, we were called by our actions.  How would people describe you?  (See Luke 6:43-45) While some may welcome this challenge, most of us would tremble!

A Model of Wise Character

Proverbs 31 paints a picture of a woman that would do quite well in the world imagined above.  The author describes her as rare, responsible, proactive, wise, thoughtful. and the list of positive attributes goes on and on and is worth reading  (See Proverbs 31:10-31).

While the way people describe you today is food for thought, the more important questions are…

-How would you like people to describe your actions? 

-And what are you going to do about it?”

Character Development

Here are a few steps you can take to further develop your character...

Study Proverbs 31:10-31

The woman in Proverbs 31 is a great example of wise, godly living in several areas of life.  We not only see her character but we see the way she expresses it in terms of work, family, treatment of strangers, etc.  As you study the verses ask yourself, “Which attributes are present in my life?”  And Praise God for them!  Then ask yourself, “Which attributes are absent?  And what changes must I implement to express them?”

For example, Proverbs 31:8 reads, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”  As I read that I thought, “I want godly strength and dignity to that degree.  I want to be able to look at life’s obstacles and rejoice, not after, but while I am overcoming them.  I want to be so confident in God’s ability to lead me to success that I see momentary setbacks as detours and not permanent failures.”

Find Scriptures to Support Your Ambition and Reflect Upon Them…

Continuing the example above… I found a few biblical promises to support my goal of increasing my strength or confidence in God’s ability to victoriously guide me in overcoming obstacles.  Here are two scriptures that I will use as "thought filters" today…

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

-Psalm 27:1

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

-Ephesians 6:10

Click Scripture Menu to find scriptures that support your ambitions.

Scriptures are food that nourish the soul.  They are literally meant to be our daily bread (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 19:7-9 and Romans 10:17).  Ideas often seep into our minds that reduce our confidence, cloud our vision and distract us from achieving God’s purposes in our lives.  As Christians the Bible declares we are new creations with new identities and possibilities in Christ (2 Cor 5:17; Romans 12:1-2)!  Use scriptures to allow God to define your new identity, sense of possibility and abundant future. 

Commit to your Goals through Prayer and Action

Go for it!  Ask God to be your teacher, your trainer, your tutor… God designed  You for greatness.  After you pray, believe that God will assist you and exercise the discipline required to accomplish your goals!  (John 14:13-14; Mark 11:22-25 and Philippians 4:6-7)

Affirmation

I will Reflect God’s Maturing Power in My Life!

Proverbs 30:7-9... Simplifying Life (The Benefits of Proper Ambition)

⁷ "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; 
       do not refuse me before I die:
 ⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 
       give me neither poverty nor riches, 
       but give me only my daily bread.

 ⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you 
       and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' 
       Or I may become poor and steal, 
       and so dishonor the name of my God.

-Proverbs 30:7-9

Do you ever feel like the world is moving faster than you?  Do words such as “overwhelmed, anxious or confused” sometimes describe your state?  Do you ever ask yourself, “How did my life get this complicated?”  If you answered yes to any of these questions, Proverbs 30:7-9 is stuffed with advice that we can use to…

Simplify our Lives,

Better Manage our Pace and

Experience God’s Peace in a More Dramatic Fashion.

A Wise Prayer

Proverbs 30:7-9 record the words of a wise prayer. 

                     

Reliance Upon God

The first reason the prayer is wise is because the author was relying upon God to meet his needs (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).   How often do we find ourselves disappointed when human beings let us down or temporary structures collapse (Matthew 7:24-29)?  Here are the facts… Jobs vanish, opportunities disappear, natural disasters wipe out long lasting communities but God and His Word never fail (1 Peter 1:22-25, Isaiah 55:11 and Joshua 21:45).

Understanding "Wants" vs. "Needs"

The second reason the prayer is wise is because the requestor looked at life and asked, “What do I really need?”  Think about that for a moment…  While I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with desiring "wants," how much more peace would we experience if we stopped and realized, “I have everything I need.  I may desire the "luxury of more" but my needs are met.”  The simple truth is… If we didn’t have everything we need, we’d be dead! (Matthew 4:1-4; Psalm 34:9-11 and Deuteronomy 8:1-18). 

God is the Ultimate Source of Everything Good 

Lastly, the simple act of asking the Lord implies that the author understood God is the source of all good things and He freely bestows His treasures on His children (Philippians 4:19; James 1:17 and Matthew 7:7-11).  How much more joy would we experience, if like the author of this prayer, realized, “Whatever we need, God is able to supply it.  Not only is He able to supply it… It is His Good Pleasure to bless us. (Luke 12:27-32)”

Simplifying Life

After considering everything the world had to offer, the author asked for two things…

 ⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me; 
       give me neither poverty nor riches, 
       but give me only my daily bread.

In addition to making His request known, the author allows us to understand his rationale…

 ⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you 
       and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' 
       Or I may become poor and steal, 
       and so dishonor the name of my God

What Do Our Prayers Say about Us?

The author’s prayer indicates something about him that my prayers often fail to demonstrate about me… The author's prayer essentially says...

 “My main goal is to please my Creator.”  

While my prayers sometimes border on “spiritual narcism,” this prayer says... 

“God, bless me to make You happy!  In fact, I’d like you to remove or withhold any temporal pleasure that may distract me from your eternal greatness.  I simply want you to structure my life in a way that prompts me to deepen my relationship and dependence on You moment by moment. ” (Psalm 139:23-24, Matthew 6:5-13 and Psalm 27:1-4)

Aspiring to Real Greatness

Want a manageable pace?  Want a life characterized by gratitude, joy and all the Fruits of God’s Spirit (Galatians 5:22)?  Want to simplify your life by eliminating meaningless clutter and becoming driven by what really matters?  

Make Your Ambition the Unselfish Pursuit of God.

As you chase after God’s Heart, His Blessings will chase after you! (Matthew 6:33; Psalms 84:11 and Psalm 23, Especially Verse 6)

I Will Pursue God’s Love and Guidance!