“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.” – Proverbs 22:15 Discipline has never been in vogue. For some people, being severe seems to be the only thing left in life they still enjoy, but that’s not the same....
Justin Poythress
Bribe your way out
“A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.” – Proverbs 21:14 I remember one of my early experiences of getting caught in the gears of church bureaucracy. I wanted to pull off an event and its promotion only a few days beforehand. “We can’t do...
A steal of a deal
“‘Bad, Bad,’ says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.” – Proverbs 20:14 My struggle with buyer’s remorse grows worse with age. I used to not give a second thought to impulse purchases. Granted, that may be because they usually involved some combination...
Look good by letting it go
“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” – Proverbs 19:11 There are people who impress you, but you can’t figure out why. They possess some hidden mystique. You can be one of those people. All you’ve got to do is let more...
Have you heard the other side?
“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” – Proverbs 18:17 I listened to my friend recounting the failures of someone he didn’t know was also my friend. I wanted to hold up my hand, to interject that his account of the...
Is injustice systemic or individual?
Every so often, atrocities rise to the level of global attention in a way that triggers and disturbs our conscience, and evokes a collective outcry of “No! This isn’t right! This needs to stop.” These instances are rare, not in the sense that the atrocities are rare...
The nuclear family isn’t going away
David Brooks wrote a provocative and fascinating article in the Atlantic around the start of Covid, which could not have emerged at a more poignantly ironic moment, given its title: “The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake”. It classifies the American obsession with nuclear...
The crown jewel of saying less
“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” I admit feeling the irony of waxing eloquent about keeping your mouth shut. If I wrote nothing, you might be tricked into believing that I have more profound thoughts...
Your speech is about experience, not skill
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” – Proverbs 16:1 Supposedly, ninety percent of communication is nonverbal. We comprehend nearly all of a person’s meaning through body language and tone. If that is true, it's safe...
The people who say just the right thing
“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” - Proverbs 15:28 I have a mentor who always knows exactly what to say. Sometimes it’s a word of encouragement. Sometimes it’s a question. Sometimes he challenges me...