As we say goodbye to 2017 and say hello to 2018 it's smart to have a plan to make the coming year better than the previous one. To do that we all need wisdom and, when it comes to wisdom, the biblical book of Proverbs is the place to go. I've scoured through the wisdom of Solomon and leave these Top Ten Proverbs with you to help you make the most of the coming year:
Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look straight
ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
Be thankful for your
past and learn from your past but don’t live in your past. Focus on the future. 2017 is over and 2108 is here. Spend more time looking to the future than
rehashing the past. There's a reason why
your car's windshield is a lot bigger than the rearview mirror.
Proverbs 11:13
A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
You don’t have to let
everyone know everything you know. As tempting
as it is to share those juicy secrets about someone, be a person who has the
strength to keep things confidential.
Too many people are slandered and too many relationships are destroyed
by gossip. Loose lips do sink ships!
Proverbs 11:27
He who seeks good finds goodwill,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.
What do you look for in
people? If you look for faults, you will
find them. If you look for strengths, you will find them. Be a person who looks for the good in people
rather than the bad. Remember, what you
look for in others will be what others look for in you!
Proverbs 17:14
Starting a quarrel is like
breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
How often do we
escalate conflict by picking a fight? So
many arguments are over insignificant matters.
Say it aloud, "It's not that big a deal." Drop it and move on!
Proverbs 23:4
Do not wear yourself out to get
rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
Did you spend more time
in 2017 making money than building relationships? Were you obsessed with making money and now
realize a year in your life is gone and you have missed out on too many life experiences? When it comes to priorities in life, if money
is at the top of your list then your list needs some serious adjusting in 2018!
Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returns to its vomit, so
a fool repeats his folly.
Mistakes made in 2017 are in the past, so don’t make them a pattern.
You did something foolish this year, don’t do it again. Everyone makes mistakes. Fools make the same mistakes over and over
again. Insanity is repeating the same
mistakes and expecting different results.
Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous will
be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
Another year is gone
and with it another building block in the legacy you will leave behind. What will your family and friends remember
you for? Start building a legacy of
goodness in 2018. Do something
outrageously good this year, something people will talk about and be inspired
by for years to come!
Proverbs 21:20
In the house of the wise are
stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.
Was 2017 characterized
as the year of consumption - make money and spend it! God doesn’t give us stuff so we can consume
it all. Save some. Give some away. See every resource you are blessed with in
2018 not just as something for you to consume, but see it as some way you can
bless others!
Proverbs 13:3
He who guards his lips guards his
life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
There's a good chance
that many of the problems you had in 2017 were because you spoke without
thinking. Think, then speak. God gave us two ears and one mouth -- I think
he was trying to tell us something!
Proverbs 17:22
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Delight in all the joys
around you every day. Laugh more in 2018 than you did in 2017.
Have a Happy and Wisdom Filled New Year!
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