You’ve seen bumper stickers with silly sayings. You get catchy tunes stuck in your head. Slogans stick with you and memes make you laugh. Idioms are fun to figure out. But proverbs? What makes them different than those trendy phrases that keep popping up?
Out of all kinds of sayings, proverbs are probably the best known! True proverbs are timeless. They’ve hung around for hundreds of years. They give practical tips based on common sense. Proverbs are helpful. In fact, the word proverbmeans “to be like.”
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” That’s a wise Chinese proverb. What do you think it means? In Hungary, a popular proverb is, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Have you heard that before? A German proverb that you might recognize is, “Look before you leap.” That is helpful advice for everyone!
We can pick up pieces of wisdom from proverbs from all over the world. But biblical proverbsare treasures. They teach us how to live as Christians. The Bible is abounding in proverbs. These short sayings of biblical truth pack a punch! They are words of wisdom, inspired by the God of the Universe.
The Book of Proverbs was written mostly by Solomon—a king who asked God for wisdom. That’s what he wanted more than anything. And God gave it to him.
The Bible gives wisdom for every part of life!
- Honor God with your work.
“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.” Proverbs 12:11
- Chose friends wisely.
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20
- Parents, teach your children Truth.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
- Honor God with your money.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce.” Proverbs 3:9
- Be careful with your words.
“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”
- Be careful about pride.
“One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23
Proverbs are nuggets of wisdom that are meant to be shared. They’re much more valuable than catchy phrases. They are stronger than silly memes. Here’s a word for the wise. Read them over and over again!
