Tag: Proverbs

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Lens check.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I went to get my eyes checked because I thought something might be wrong with my eyes. It was getting harder to read small print up close, without adequate lighting. I thought, “oh, here we go, my eyes are going bad!” My optometrist checked my eyes and gave me the news. I braced for the worst. He said, “there is nothing wrong with your eyes.” I retorted in disbelief, “but I can’t see as clearly as I used to.” He replied, “yeah, your old and your eyes ability to focus get a little weaker, you just need some help with reading glasses.” I wasn’t going blind, I was just getting old!

Is it possible that our perspective, our mental, emotional lenses can effect what we see happening around us? The wisdom writers confirm, it can and it does. The ESV translation is accurate in giving us the original Hebrew version, “all the days of the afflicted (ani: poor, afflicted) are evil (ra’: adversity).” The perspective from those who are poor, physically and/or spiritually is ALWAYS tainted with adversity. From their lens, their daily picture of what life is and what life gives, is all hardship and trouble.

I see people, I talk with people who live this way. Even though they may not actually be physically or spiritually poor, their lens only sees bleakness and doom. I spend a few minutes with them and I’m depressed just listening to their litany of tragedy. I can’t talk them out of it, I only listen and grieve with them. It’s always the same perspective of misery.

Proverbs contrasts this lens with another view. The one who’s heart is happy. Isn’t that interesting. A happy heart is the corrective lens that is able to see differently. The cheerful (towb: beautiful, pleasant, agreeable) heart sees a whole different life. This heart sees a feast (mishteh: a feast), a party filled with friends, food and laughter. I also talk with people like this! They are usually upbeat and are so excited to tell me about all the good things that are happening in their life. How strange! The contrast and comparison is wildly different. Can I be honest? I don’t enjoy being around forever negative people. I feel it is my Biblical responsibility and pastoral duty to do so.

The miserable are ALWAYS miserable and the cheerful are ALWAYS cheerful? We know that can’t be true. There must be some good things that come to the despondent heart. And, conversely, there must be some bad things that come to the cheerful heart. But the lens, the perspective, seems to be radically different.

When I start seeing everything as trouble and adversarial, I need to get my heart lens checked. I will find that my heart is not broken, it just gets tired and overwhelmed. I need to get some “spiritual readers,” to help me focus and get clarity on what I see. My heart is the lens of my soul’s view of life! I need to tend to correcting its focus! God’s Word, the Holy Spirit and close friends are my corrective lenses. They help me focus my heart to get a Godly perspective of reality.

Prayer

Dad,
Who can know my heart, my thoughts, my motives better than you. When my heart is sad, my perspective is dark and blurry. But when I spend time with you, especially in Your Word and prayer, you comfort my heart, you lift my soul from despair. As I have learned from the Psalmists, I can be completely open and honest with my feelings, but ultimately I need help tweaking my lenses to see what is true, right and good. Thank you for tending to my heart which dictates my view of everything around me.

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God sees and God knows.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did your mother ever tell you, “God is always watching”? It is true. What may seem inescapable as a child can also be comforting. It also gets quite convicting as a teen. I couldn’t explain it as a child, but I did have a sense that someone, somewhere was watching over me and watching out for me. It was a benevolent, secure feeling when I was growing up. I did not have a sense that an ominous being was hovering about watching and waiting for me to do wrong and send punishments from above. I could only understand kindness.

This was helpful when I was fifteen and a nonverbal voice spoke to me and offered me life and a promise. God offered to be my Dad if I gave Him my life. The reason I recognized this voice, this feeling, was directly connected to the idea that someone had kept me from great harm while going through a traumatic and chaotic childhood. I wasn’t necessarily a good boy or even an evil boy. It was much simpler than that. I was invisible and lost. The Lord who keeps watch over the invisible was the only one who really saw me.

If you feel invisible or lost, I can assure you – God sees you. And, He knows you, from before you began and throughout eternity. David in the Psalms wrote, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.” So it is both comforting and convicting to know that God sees us in our evil choices as well as good ones. I think it’s best to keep our attention on just us, not focusing on others. It does no good to compare our own evils or good with others. That comparison is detrimental to us and the person we are comparing to. Knowing that God sees all, even to the level of our thoughts and motivations, we should just concern ourselves with how God feels about us – ignoring what everyone may think.

When we are good, or obedient to what God wants, of course He is pleased. And when we are evil, or disobedient, He is not pleased with our choices or behavior. However, His love and mercy are always towards us and He disciplines those He loves. There are natural consequences to our choices and behaviors as well as God’s supernatural intervention to bring us or keep us to the narrow path of salvation.

Without knowing anyone’s story, or their past. Without knowing their struggles and pains. It is impossible to judge or compare our lives to each other. This makes God’s justice and judgement perfect to each and every human soul. God sees and knows us individually and intimately.

Prayer

Dad,
I love that this Proverb captures the truth and it is all I have ever known. When I do good, you see. It does not matter if anyone else sees it. And, conversely, when I do evil, you also see, but I would definitely not want anyone else to see! Even knowing you see me, has not prevented me from evil, selfish choices. That really bothers me and it’s puzzling to figure out why I still choose to do it. There is no good nor evil that can be hidden from you. I love for you to see my good choices and loath to think of you watching my evil choices. I have cursed my own humanity to be in that bind. I am constantly in need of your grace and mercy. It is helpful, but humbling to know that you see me through the work of Christ and His payment for my sins. Yet, I must believe or be crushed by the disappointment I bring before You when I chosen to do evil. Thank you for your gift of undeserved favor!

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The two sides of every story.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ah the tale of the pethi and the prudent. “Pethiy” is one of the Hebrew words for the simple, the fool. The second most often used word for “fool.” It is used 15 times in Proverbs and represents the silly, seducible or simple.

I feel I play this role far too often when it comes to hearing people share their story … er, their truth. I believe people. I believe in people. I want to believe everything they tell me, because I want to like them and get to know them. Maybe that makes me gullible? Maybe even susceptible to gossip with its dainty morsels of truth wrapped in unsavory untruths.

The colloquial sayings are helpful for me. Like, “there are two sides to every coin,” or “two sides to every story.” Being very relational, I easily get caught up in one person’s version of a truth, a position or story. And, admittedly, I believe it wholeheartedly. Until, I hear the other person’s version and realize the truth is blurry and they definitively do not match! Yes, of course, this mostly happens in disagreements or conflicts, between couples or friends. You know what’s hard? You realize there’s truth in BOTH stories, hidden in there somewhere in the middle.

Prudence, defined as shrewd, crafty sensibility, says that I need both sides of a story, or an opinion of a situation to find out what really happened. I’m sure the wisdom writers intent and application of this proverb are not at all about refereeing or conflict management, but it is helpful for me to sort out being wise or playing the fool.

The proverb is likely instructing those who blunder forward in naive believability without the cautious steps of decision-making. But remember, the general rules of fools and “seduction” still apply. Definitely remember the point of this proverb – beware of slick sales techniques and skipping steps to lazily take the shortcut to any idea or project.

But, in relationship management, I must remember the side benefit of this wisdom principle as well, get two sides of a story before making a judgment or decision. And, I also discovered this caveat in relational squabbles, “the first one to spin the story has the advantage, but it’s not always the whole truth!”

Prayer

Dad,
This whole discussion on foolishness and wisdom has me reflecting on Psalm 139:14, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” I love that you have made us incalculably and extraordinarily distinct from each other and anything else in your creation. However, I also have to constantly admit, we are quite a mysterious piece of work. I marvel at the levels of complexity that our sin has introduced into such a masterpiece. The Psalmist declare how marvelous we are and “how well he knows it.” I don’t think we know ourselves well at all! We need your wisdom. We need your constant guidance and exquisite mercy on this journey through life. I love the idea that your thoughts and ways are far above our own! But I am continuously baffled by the fact that we can’t quite figure our own thoughts and ways! To know you and to be known by you is our only hope! God, help us 🥴.

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People are a messy business.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The humor, candor and wisdom of Proverbs has always impressed and challenged me – my entire Christian life! Knowing that the entire book is a direct reflection on God’s character, the image of Jesus makes complete sense. God created humans out of chaos. And, our sin, our choices brings daily chaos into our lives and the greater blue globe we live on as well.

This Proverb is totally about us and the stable is the world in which we live. No people, no crazy, no mess. People = messiness. A dear friend and former pastor-boss quoted this Proverb constantly while dealing with the never ending messes, damage and drama in the church building. He would let us decorate the auditorium for kid’s events, plastering massive themed partyware everywhere. And staples, oh, we must have used hundreds of thousands over the years. We trashed the pristine sanctity of the sanctuary. You know what he said about it? He just quoted this verse! “Without oxen, a stable stays clean.” I always enjoyed the object-lesson picture in my mind of hundreds of oxen and the “mess” they must leave behind! But, oh, doth the oxen doeth the work! Hundreds if not thousands, over the years experienced God in a fun, wild atmosphere within the church building!

Would we have the church, or our own lives, for that matter, reflect more of a mortuary/morgue atmosphere? Where the dead are super clean and oh so quiet? I’m might be so inclined to tweak the Proverb to say, “without children, a house stays clean.” Or, “without people, the church stays clean,” as well. Kids are messy, youth are messy and we might as well admit it, adults are messy too. We may look all neat and tidy on the outside, but inside we have the seething brew of conflicts, comparisons and complications of adulting! If you ever wondered why the Church is a place of pandemonium, look no further than our own hearts.

Amidst all the chaos and clutter of humanity, God so loved us and redeemed us to be His advocates, His ambassadors, His reconcilers in this grand field of life. So yeah, we get a whole lot of messy, but with the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us we get a heck of a lot of Godly work done as well. So be strong and courageous my fellow oxen! Put on that easy yoke of Jesus and experience the joy of working in God’s field of humanity!

Prayer

Dad,
Put me in coach! Yoke me up and put me to work. Thank you for helping us keep a very busy, massively messy stable clean. I appreciate every bit of chaotic life that comes with being a human. Especially knowing that your grace is greater than the messes I create in myself and others. Thank you for creating me, redeeming me and putting me in the field to work the harvest of souls who are desperately in need of you.

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Good Guilt

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.” Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is a tricky one to translate no matter what version of the Bible you use. The Hebrew words and phrases are deeply embedded in cultural and have nuanced ways of using words in context. Not to get too deep in Hebrew here, because I am a complete novice at this. However, many of the tools to study the Bible are super useful.

There are a few fascinating words used in this text. One is the word, translated in NLT as guilt is the word, asham: offense, guilt. Strong’s concordance straight out translates this as the word “sin,” because it is often used in that way.

Keeping that in mind, the other word is translated as fools but the actual Hebrew word is evil: אֱוִיל. Hold on. That’s not our word evil, it’s a Hebrew word meaning a fool. There are four different words for the word fool in Proverbs and this one is used 19 times. It means to be perverse; (fig.) silly. This person (perverse fool) mocks or scorns guilt, offense or sin, believing it to be useless.

Do you know anyone who has convinced themselves they should not feel guilty for anything because they declare any sense of wrong to be a false moral construct. They believe guilt or sin is a made up, social restraint! This ancient text, the Bible, God’s wisdom, disagrees and WARNS the fool about it. But the upright do not mock guilt they see it as the Hebrew word “ratson,” or “favorable and accept it.” I love the fact that the New Living Translation translates “ratson” into the phrase, “seek reconciliation,” as this idea of favorable acceptance.

We are in a cultural crisis of passive/aggressive behavioral patterns in our relationships and work hard to completely AVOID any perceived confrontation or conflict. This is whether we caused it or were the recipient of it! We are all avoiding reconciliation! We’ve allowed many of our relationships, deep or shallow to become soured and embittered, littered with blame and ghosting.

We are, in fact, playing the Biblical fool by ignoring wisdom’s life giving advice. Wisdom tells me to embrace the offense or guilt, favorably accepting it because, for one, it’s shredding our ability to form and keep healthy relationships. Have I offended or hurt someone? I should own it and say I’M SORRY, and ask for forgiveness. Has someone offended or hurt me? I should see it as an opportunity to value the friendship enough to tell them it hurt! That is still a form of favorably accepting their offense and seeking reconciliation. The aim is to repair, not ignore, to love, not run away.

Love demands that we promptly and maturely handle each other as Christ handles us! God’s wisdom works every time. I need to quit playing the fool, whether it’s my hurtful words towards someone or my bruised ego because of what others said. I want to be godly, to reconcile and restore those relationships I value so much.

Prayer

Dad,
Your Word is truly a lamp for my feet and a light on the path to wisdom and life itself. I am so thankful that you cut through the nonsense of my thinking to confront the brutal facts, the radical candor of how life works. You have designed this life to be experienced in all beauty and wonder and yet I still attempt to manipulate the rules to suit myself. I am humbled by Proverbs and hope to fulfill its intent to make me wise and not play the fool.

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Advice to the arrogant.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise.” Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have come across Proverbs that are clear, but I can’t stand them. I didn’t want to face the facts of this radical candor saying.

Confession: I only want to hear or take advice from folks who know MORE than I do or those who have MORE experience than myself, in the advice they are giving.

Proverbs nails my hollow heart issue as I type this – that is soooo arrogant. I understand I shouldn’t be taking advice from proverbial fools. But I have this emotionally triggered response when someone tells me how to do my job or run my life when I don’t think they are doing so well themselves! Doesn’t that just reek with pride? I mean, it causes a full on physical reaction in me. It’s ridiculous.

I believe the wisdom writers are pointing out the fact that pride is the numero uno reason for many conflicts. But in this case, the conflict is INSIDE of me! Why in the world can I NOT listen and look for wisdom from conversations with just about anyone? Why do I get all judgey? The truth of this proverb picks at some origin story wound that I just can’t seem to remember. Why do I get defensive? Why does it ruin my day? And, more importantly, what can I do about it? It’s a recurring theme that I am so tired of struggling with.

Through a process of humility and listening to the Holy Spirit, I want help in deconstructing some childhood defense that is no longer necessary nor helpful. Isn’t this is so apropos that God’s word would get in cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow, exposing my innermost thoughts and desires? (Hebrews 4:12). Cut away God, do your work in me!

Prayer

Dad,
This proverb hurts. It hurts because it pinpoints a blindspot, a wound, an irritation that I just can’t seem to see clearly, and allow healing to take place in my heart. Now that your word has pierced me, what do I do now? I’m confessing my arrogance and asking for help here. Show me, lead me and be patient as I take the time to figure why this is a reoccurring issue and time to work it out with your Holy Spirit. Thank you in advance for the upcoming outpatient surgery I am sure to be experiencing soon!

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Random acts of criticism.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There was an old children’s rhyme that was supposed to project a certain self resilience from harmful words that were carelessly slung around at recess. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me.” What started as an article in a British magazine in 1857, made its circuitous way around the globe. A very old Jewish book, The Book of Sirach, had it quite opposite and far more accurate, “The blow of a whip raises a welt, but a blow of the tongue crushes the bones.”

The speed of instant words, traveling further and faster than our emotions can filter or process means that we are constantly violating the Apostle James Biblical admonition and simultaneously destroying our own civility – “be slow to speak (or write) be quick to listen.” Our words now embarrassingly live a longer life than we intended. Are we really supposed to say or write everything we think? Spewing our crass, cutting, filterless words? It’s easy to blame social media or our incessant and quite disturbing hunger for what the wisdom writers call, “dainty morsels.” Those dainty morsels, laced with dung, are exactly what wisdom warns us NOT to desire, nor digest whether it’s spoken (or written).

The “cutting” this Proverbs speaks of is a stabbing, piercing wound, conjuring a very visual thrusting of a sword. It’s a physical attack of words! The old English saying is wrong! Physical sticks and stones that break bones do have certain post traumatic stresses associated with them. If you have ever been physically attacked you know this is true. But oddly, piercing words haunt longer, seem to trigger faster and leave a wound that never quite heals. Bones heal, but nasty synapses continue to swirl through our souls!

How can we regain civility or the kindness we desire to teach our children. Stop posting piercing, wounding words! Control yourself! And quite contrary to our appetite for potty-mouth and poopy content – quit reading trash towards you or about others! Just go cold turkey on the addiction to dainty morsels. The words of the wise bring healing. With our words we can be wound closers not wound causers! We can suture not strike. Let’s shut down the cheap, cowardly crassness and move forward towards civility.

Prayer

Dad,
What drives us to WANT to hear, want to read such negative, unpleasant, unprofitable words against us or others? What exactly is the disordered desire that draws our hearts towards pain and such anger? It’s awful! It reminded me of Isaiah’s warning in 5:20, the complete reversal of taste, where bitter starts tasting sweet and sweet tastes bitter! Oh, help us God! Save us from ourselves and our foolishness.

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Cravings for shallowness.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This Proverb is definitely a puzzle to be solved, a riddle that requires thought and comparison to other Biblical truths and principles. The wisdom writer seems to be focusing on one particular object lesson in this saying – the tree. With the words “deep roots,” we get a picture of the gigantic oak, or better, the olive tree, that is strong and sturdy because it sits beside a deep and abiding stream of water. Like a tree planted by the stream, the Psalmist declared.

Contrarily, like a sapling that is never satisfied, the wicked go wandering looking for something better. It craves for the results of depth and permanence, but grows impatient or bored with its surroundings. The wicked want more, or different, or something they just can’t get a hold of. And in desperation, that longing, they move away from the place of permanence, to seek satisfaction. One commentator wrote, “Though men may advance themselves by sinful arts, they cannot settle and secure themselves. But those who by faith are rooted in Christ, are firmly fixed. Another, “Man is metaphorically compared to a tree, especially the olive. Wickedness gives him no firm hold for growth or life.” The shallow search yields constant movement, the thrill of change, but no chance for good fruit to be borne.

If our life is compared to a shallow sapling tree, the end result is not just death or emptiness, but also no legacy. This would drive humans to despair. Not just to look back and find emptiness, a life wasted on the search for meaning or just “more.” But also realizing there was nothing notable of your life to be remembered by.

Proverbs gives these warnings to the young, so they might think about the seriousness of such matters BEFORE they hop around and never find nor live the deep life. If you have moved so often, physically or relationally or emotionally, take wisdom’s advise. Find a stream (a community), find a solid spot by the living water (relationship with Jesus), stay put and establish deep friendships that nourish and restore. Then you will be a Psalms 1:3 person. “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

Prayer

Dad,
Psalm 19 comes to mind when I think about your ways, your instructions, “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” I remember the song based on these verses. That your laws are to be be desired MORE than gold, even the purest of gold. And, they are sweeter than honey straight from the honeycomb. I know that I know, that I know, your word is life – the fulfillment of everything I have ever wanted. You, and your word, is enough, I need not search further.

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Talk that tears us apart.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.” Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What do we want? Anything and everything we can imagine. When do we want it? Now, always NOW.

Have you ever taken note of our human imaginations and desires that seem to have no end. Our wildest dreams and deepest aspirations are basically unrestricted in our own head. In the more “suppressed and constrained” years of our country and many others, dreams and aspirations were spent on great art, great music, great architectural structures and inventions. Our hearts were set on better education for the poor, peace on earth and good will for all. Supposedly, throwing off those “draconian” restrictions of the past has allowed humanity to what? Express total personal freedoms and behaviors because we have the right to do so? What did that get us? What has that accomplished?

The wisdom writers capture a truth that is old but seemingly lost in today’s personal rights, protests and cancel culture. What about the good for all? The upright are both good and prosperous for the cities we all live in! And, conversely, but predictably, the constant noise of the wicked tear the city apart. The honorable get quiet, while the immoral get louder. Oh, that’s right honor and morality are just ethereal constructs made up by a patriarchal past. Righteousness, goodness and integrity are seen as old fashion and oppressive. How has wickedness and casting off constraints helped us? I guess civility and respect had to go as well.

History is a harsh reality of truth, so it is no surprise that there are those who wish to reframe it to fit this selfie absorbed season in our cities. And, with truth gone, flipped or redesigned to fit one’s own narrative, it should be a lot easier to promote whatever wicked, er, “independent” thought comes into our morality-free minds.

Here’s some hope. Wickedness will come to an end, but truth will endure forever. God’s justice, in his mercy, will crush evil. So, pursuing evil will only lead to deep disappointment, depression and brokenness. Striving for God will not only satisfy it will bring wholeness and healing to our souls.

Prayer

Dad,
Our city is filled with the proverbial conflict in this passage. The upright are quiet and the wicked are very loud. My heart breaks for the lies that are being swallowed whole. The fake promises that tossing morality, goodness and honor aside will gain fulfillment. Using evil to pacify the emptiness and ache in our hearts. Please stop these insidious social viruses that are destroying the innocent! I ask for your mercy and forgiveness towards those who really do not know what they believe nor truly what damage they do to our city and their own soul. Come in your power, your grace and truth to bring the next revolution of hope.

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Why laziness is so irritating to your boss.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Why in the world would the New Living Translation and Eugene Peterson’s, The Message Translation call “those who send them,”employers? I had never seen a Proverb talk about employers before. It is all about this little Hebrew word, “shalach: to send.”

Hebrew is much more poetic, than perfect. It’s more subjective than specific. I believe it’s a language of picturesque beauty and mental translations of emotion and imagery. It’s a heart language. As you dig into small passages like this one, you discover there is a story behind the word. I also agree with Tim Keller when he promotes the idea that Proverbs was a young man’s curriculum for learning about life and how to live well, godly, through wisdom.

This word, “shalach” is mostly about the critical nature of communication and how important messages get from one person to another, one town to another or a king, head of family or even an employer to someone of importance. As you can see, accuracy and urgency would be critical to deliver news or emergencies. Think about a network of B2B, or calling 911 or sending a fast mail carrier on horseback to the president. Kind of like the pony express, Paul Revere or the bat signal.

The messenger is crucial because the message must get through! Now think of how you would run a business, a household or a country while depending on a lazy messenger. The one that wakes late, leaves late, naps too often and meanders to their destination well past the deadline. The person or deal is dead, the news is stale, the message now useless. Can you see how dangerously frustrating this would be?

One commentator writes, “They who send a sluggard, who make him their agent, do it to their own sorrow.” Compare and contrast to this Proverb 25:13, “Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer. They revive the spirit of their employer.” Proverbs point for young men and women or anyone who wants to structure their life with wisdom – lazy people are not dependable… so DON’T be one! Don’t be a person that tastes like vinegar in your employer’s mouth or tears in their eyes. Make and live a reputation of hustle and reliability and you’ll never have to worry about work or money.

Prayer

Dad,
I am so thankful you changed my life so much that I have been able to prove my mother wrong! As I’ve said before, as an early teen she told me I was lazy, and I was. Even as I got older, I was still lazy compared to her work ethics. I am thankful for her and for the work you’ve done in my life. Do I still like to nap? Absolutely. But, my grit and determination has grown 1000%. I do not want to lazy about my purpose here on earth or to my calling as a Pastor. I want to work hard to be all about your Kingdom here on earth.