The real “man” – Proverbious – Day 41 – Proverbs 8:14-21

Proverbious | David Lindner

Do you want to be the guy calling all the shots? Do you want to be the guy making all the decisions, the guy with the real authority? Do you want to be the real “man?”

I guess the real question is, who is that man? If you want the lights, fame and glory, then you’re not going to like what I have to say. If you’re trying to win Grammys and Oscars, and you think you have to act a certain way and have a certain kind of personality to do so…If you’re trying to be a professional athlete or mathlete and think you need to act a certain way…if you make your decision based on how you see the people in those high profile positions live their lives, well, you are wrong.

Yes I did.

You see the real “man” isn’t the guy on stage getting all the glory. He can be the man, but that’s not a guarantee. It’s often not true. Being the “man” has nothing to do with your position and has everything to do with your wisdom. If you are wise, you will be the man everyone turns to to answer the hard questions. If you are wise, you will find yourself sitting next to Kings. Not necessarily literally, but maybe.

While it seems that arrogance and pride are the things that garner the most attention these days, those who choose this way are a dime a dozen. Especially nowadays. Everyone’s a celebrity now with the rise of social media and the interwebs. But if you really want to set yourself apart, I think you need to think entirely differently.

You may not find the same amount of fame and glory that others get from forcing themselves upon the rest of us. But, you won’t need it either because that won’t be what defines you. You will have already found your definition in your pursuit of the Proverbious life. People who live this way aren’t reliant upon external forces to find their identity. They don’t fall apart a the seams when the world finds a new you-tube-wonder.

Proverbs 8:14-21

Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me;
I possess understanding and might.
Kings reign by means of me,
and potentates decree righteousness;
by me princes rule,
as well as nobles and all righteous judges.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
long-lasting wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than the purest gold,
and what I produce is better than choice silver.
I walk in the path of righteousness,
in the pathway of justice,
that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
and that I may fill their treasuries.

It all goes back to whose kingdom you are trying to build. When you are trying to build your own kingdom and your love is only for yourself, then the reward is small. In fact, you’ve already gotten your reward – you. But, when you’re working toward contributing to a Kingdom that is greater than all of us, the rewards are unimaginable.

Don’t hear me wrong. This is not a recipe for becoming rich and famous. This is not my intent, nor is it the intent of the author. What this passage describes is a pursuit. When we are in pursuit of living the Proverbious life, we are in pursuit of that which God intended us to pursue. As we will see, and as you may remember, the very order and structure for our world is built on the ways of wisdom.

Remember, this book is the product of Solomon’s wisdom. He asked God for wisdom instead of riches and power, so God made him the wisest man ever known (besides Jesus). So, because of his pursuit of wisdom, God honored him with wisdom, riches and power. But, be sure that your motivation for wisdom is to seek to live in the way of the creator. Since this world is built on wisdom, the more we know the creator and the ways in which He created this world, the more we will understand how to live the Proverbious life.