The One Year Wisdom for Women Devotional: 365 Devotions through the Proverbs (89 page)

December 4

Godly Leadership

     
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;

     
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Question: Is it better to have leaders that tell us what we want to hear and constantly lean to the whims of the people and popular opinion? Or is it better to have a leader who seeks to do the right thing even if it’s not popular at the moment? Undeniably we do need strong, righteous leadership in every realm of life, whether in the home, school, business, church, or a nation. Truly, in leadership integrity matters.

People are fickle. It’s been said, “You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you just can’t please all of the people all of the time.”

And so even though we might feel frustrated that we can’t change what the powers in government are doing right now, we can make a difference in our own little sphere of influence. Whether you’re a mom, a ministry leader at church, or a supervisor at work, may you lead with a wonderful combination of two things: diligence and a deep reverence for God, pleasing him. May you fill your role with honor. “Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as unto the Lord, not just unto man” (Colossians 3:23, paraphrased). May you be fair with people; may you be honest; may you be kind.

In the Old Testament, both Daniel and Esther lived in decadent, worldly societies. Yet they chose to honor God and do the next right things. May God raise up many Daniels and Esthers “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14,
NKJV
).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Are you a leader? You might not realize it, but your life is affecting others, for better or worse. We as women, do have a God-designed, God-appointed place of influence in this world. It is an honor he has trusted us with. It is a responsibility. He has charged us to be faithful. I believe every Christian should own and read the book
Spiritual Leadership
, by J. Oswald Sanders. In it he says, “If those who hold influence over others fail to lead toward the spiritual uplands, than surely the path to the lowlands will be well worn. People travel together; no one lives detached and alone.”

One Year Bible Reading

Daniel 11:36–12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4

December 5

Flattery Will Get You Nowhere

     
Whoever flatters his neighbor

          
is spreading a net for his feet.

We all like receiving a compliment, don’t we? A word of encouragement is just that. It encourages us. But
flattery
as defined by
Webster’s
is “an insincere compliment, excessive or unjustified praise.” Put another way, flattery’s not truthful, and in the end, it isn’t kind.

So let’s beware of people who lavish flattery and praise. Women, young and old, beware of a man who gives you too much of the wrong kind of attention. Beware. There may be a hidden agenda at work. An old folk saying is “Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”

Pastor Chuck Smith comments that “flattery is often used to soften us up and then trip us up.” If we listen to enough flattery, we might begin to believe it, causing us to think too much of ourselves.

It’s been said, “Flattery is like perfume. You can sniff it. Just don’t drink it.”

But on the other hand, many people never hear a word of praise, not ever. So if you’re a Sunday school teacher, try to find one uplifting thing to say to each child before they leave class. If you’re a mom, don’t just point out your kids’ mistakes, catch them being good. Praise them. And wives, when your husband comes home, bless him with a kind, encouraging word. It might be the only one he’s heard all day.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Flattery not only puffs people up, it sets them up. Parents and grandparents often praise a child’s accomplishments. We cheer the winning team or the good grades. Everyone loves a winner. But when your child strikes out or struggles with math, they may interpret your lack of praise as a statement of failure. Achievements come and go. Praise your kids when they do their best, regardless of results. Teach them to be kind to their teammate who dropped the ball; it’s only a game. Show them you’re their best fan—not because of what they do, but because of who they are.

One Year Bible Reading

Hosea 1:1–3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8

December 6

Blowing Off Steam

     
A fool gives full vent to his anger,

          
but a wise man [or woman] keeps himself under control.

When a toddler gives vent to anger, it’s called a tantrum, but when an adult does it, it’s called blowing off steam and fits of rage. When two people do it together, it can escalate from screaming to violence. One thing does lead to another, and everyone loses.

Maybe you grew up in an angry home. It’s sad, but many women who grew up in that kind of atmosphere create it in their own lives and homes. It’s surprising, but studies show that women are getting more and more violent.

So let’s look at what God says in Ephesians 4:26-27. He says, “Be angry and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (
NKJV
).

First, when we’re angry—and, honestly, sometimes we are—don’t add fuel to the fire. If we sin in response to sin, we’ve just made matters worse.

Second, don’t let the sun go down on your wrath. This speaks of keeping short tabs because we women sometimes are experts at keeping long tabs. We won’t forgive, and daily our frustration adds up. We nurse a grudge, and then when the next offense comes,
kaboom
, we blow up.

The last part tells us if we’re not on guard, we give place to the devil himself. Anger gives the devil a place in our thought life, attitudes, and even our personality.

So read our proverb again: “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise [woman] keeps [herself] under control.”

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

I have to admit, a few years ago my neighbor’s actions finally got to me. I let loose and gave her a piece of my mind. I did not use bad language, but my words were sharp. My long years of trying to be patient were all erased by a single, two-minute venting of frustration. The only thing it accomplished was that her feelings were hurt and I am ashamed. Anger can get the better of us; then like a volcano, it erupts. How do we tame it? Our anger needs to surrender to the Savior. If it is brewing in you, will you give it to him today?

One Year Bible Reading

Hosea 4:1–5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11

December 7

Don’t Listen to Lies

     
If a ruler listens to lies,

          
all his officials become wicked.

Listen to this staggering quote by Adolph Hitler: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”

Let’s apply this attitude to the unproven theory of evolution. Although it completely contradicts the fixed and proven first law of biogenesis, “Life comes from life,” it is taught in our schools as an unquestioned fact. Why? Human gullibility. It’s been said, “It is easier to believe a lie that one has heard a thousand times than to believe a fact that no one has never heard.”

In the movie
Expelled
, Ben Stein shows how leaders of universities and the media have built a wall around evolution, and everyone who questions it is ostracized. He also shows how this belief tends to undermine not just religion, but a belief that life has any real meaning or purpose because we’re just a product of random accidents. It undermines belief in morality and a respect for human life.

Eve believed a lie in the Garden, but may we settle for nothing less than the truth. As Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Lies have a devastating effect on both us and our children. When asked, can you give solid, biblical answers about dinosaurs, aliens, evolution, death, and why we look different? We don’t need to feel threatened when our kids ask deep and thought-provoking questions. God created us with intelligence and curiosity. Their questions can challenge us to do our homework and learn some exciting information ourselves. Dr. Georgia Purdom (
AnswersInGenesis.org
) has created a DVD called
Kids’ Most Asked Questions about Science and the Bible
. She supplies simple, Bible-based answers that parents can use with children of all ages.

One Year Bible Reading

Hosea 6:1–9:17; 3 John 1:1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14