1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, thank you for listening to your Daily 2 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day 3 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: to learn more about God and his will for us. 4 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jennifer Slattery, and after this shortword from 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:37,480 Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Proverbs twenty three. 6 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: Today's Bible verse is Proverbs twenty three. It is to 7 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: one's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick 8 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: to quarrel. Early in my marriage, anger, particularly during disagreements, 9 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: made me feel safe. Holding grudges gave me a false 10 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: sense of strength and self protection. Subconscious I believed ruminating 11 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: on an offense would keep me from future pain. Much 12 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: of this was learned growing up. I'd watched powerful adults 13 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: use intimidation to control others and get their way. Decades later, however, 14 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: I was able to recognize such bullying behavior as profound 15 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: weakness stemming from insecurity and shame. At times, I was 16 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: able to see those same self defeating roots within myself, 17 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: and how each verbal outburst further increased my sense of inadequacy. 18 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: Maybe you can relate. I've often heard people refer to 19 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: Christ's ways as an upside down kingdom. But when we 20 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: consider the chaos, division, and disconnection our culture produces, we 21 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: see it is human nature, apart from Christ that's most disordered. 22 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: Power struggles trying to win an argument rather than heal 23 00:01:55,160 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: or protect relationships, viewing disagreements as existential threats. When we 24 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: live by this world's standards, we inevitably increase our anxiety 25 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: and shame. Whereas, according to today's verse, avoiding needless arguments 26 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: leads to honor. Biblically speaking, honor carries the idea of 27 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: weight or value. We show honor to others when we 28 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: treat them as someone created in the image of God. 29 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: We show honor to ourselves when we display behavior befitting 30 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: our true design, our true selves as immago day. The 31 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: phrase you're better than that conveys the same idea. A 32 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: hot head, on the other hand, is one who not 33 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: only puts their sin on full display, but gives it 34 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: a microphone. You see, biblically speaking, a fool evil in 35 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: the original Hebrew, is it merely naive or immature? Someone 36 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: who deliberately rebels against the Almighty. That's why Jesus spoke 37 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: so strongly against calling someone a Such a statement extends 38 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: beyond describing human behavior to judging the condition of their soul, 39 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: something God alone holds authority to do. And notice how 40 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: today's verse describes such a person. They're quick to quarrel. 41 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: It's as if in a sea of relational complexity, all 42 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: they can, or perhaps choose to see is offense, likely 43 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: because in their rebellion, they're attempting to control things that 44 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: securely rest under God's authority. This often leaves them feeling 45 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: constantly threatened and under attack. This is especially true when 46 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: they're around those who belong to Christ, people living honorably, 47 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: as the light within God's children makes the darkness within 48 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: them all the more apparent. This results in constant conflict 49 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: with others, yes, but an even more profound level within themselves. 50 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: So what does this mean for those of us longing 51 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: to follow Christ, but who still, on occasion act the 52 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: fool first? And by us to consider this behavior logically 53 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: recognizing that when lashing out, trying to dominate others by 54 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: powering up and rushing into unnecessary conflict makes us feel 55 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: strong and powerful. That's due to the deceptive nature of sin, 56 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: not reality. Jesus himself demonstrated what true world changing strength 57 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: looks like. When he looked his accusers and abusers in 58 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:31,799 Speaker 1: the eye and remained silent. He refused to intimidate or retaliate. 59 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: He didn't need to flex his figurative muscles to demonstrate 60 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: his supreme authority, nor was this something anyone else could 61 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: give or take away. Phrase Differently, he had nothing to 62 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: prove and therefore no position he felt driven to defend. 63 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: And so we begin to quiet the temptation to act 64 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: the fool by speaking truth to our wounded and sin 65 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: infected souls. Second, we invite the Lord to healer insecurity 66 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: and shame that we can live according to our honor, 67 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: to who we truly are, as His chosen, loved and 68 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,119 Speaker 1: empowered children. This is a process that, by God's grace, 69 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: will likely take an entire lifetime. But each day we 70 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: choose to live from our true selves, the less likely 71 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: will be to act like the fools we used to 72 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 1: be before the Lord transformed us, or perhaps one could say, 73 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: reformed us into clear reflections of himself. Perhaps this week, 74 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: pay attention to those times when you feel pulled into 75 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: unnecessary strife and ask God to show you what makes 76 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: that conflict feel so enticing. Are you trying to counter shame. 77 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: He wants to heal, fighting for a position that was 78 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: never yours to hold, or maybe temporarily deceived by our 79 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: present backwards and upside down culture that equates foolishness with 80 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: strength and truth strength with weakness. And then perhaps counter 81 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: those tendencies by prayerfully reflecting on Ephesian's one, which lays 82 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: out in beautiful who you truly are in Christ and 83 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: to Christ, a person of honor. Let's pray, Holy Father, 84 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: thank you for all the directives you give us in 85 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: scripture that help us to live honorably. We don't want 86 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: to play the fool. We don't want to be driven 87 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: by our emotions. We want to recognize our emotions, but 88 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: to be driven by truth and your spirit. And so 89 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: we ask for your help with that. When we are 90 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: tempted to act the fool, help us to pause, to breathe, 91 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: to connect with you, and to figure out why we 92 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: are feeling so tempted to engage in that conversation that dispute, 93 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: whatever it is, and when it is a conflict that 94 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: we can't avoid, help us to interact as a person 95 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: of honor, as our true selves, refusing to intimidate, to 96 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: power up to make it a winning an argument, and 97 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: any of those behaviors that make us temporarily act the fool. 98 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: Most importantly, Holy Spirit, we are asking you to heal us, 99 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: to grow us, to transform us, to strengthen us, and 100 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: to increase our love for you, our connection with you, 101 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: because that is when we begin to recognize our true 102 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: honor and father. It is in the name of your son, 103 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, our Savior, that we pray Amen.