“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...
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...
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...
A true friend knows how to wound you
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” - Proverbs 27:6 What do you say to your friend who leans in, and whispers: “You have a piece of spinach in your teeth”? I suppose it depends on how long they waited to tell you. Usually, you...
Wearing out your welcome
“Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.” – Proverbs 25:17 I was visiting Nashville a few months before I moved there, and I found myself at an after-church lunch. After chatting with one couple for a while, as they...