Proverbs 11:12

Proverbs 11:12 "He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace."
Proverbs 11:12 Buffalo Baptist Church NY
The human heart hates with ease.

Hate is native to the soil in man’s heart.  Where love has to be planted, watered and nurtured to grow in man’s heart, hate is like a weed that grows without planting, watering or nurturing.  If a driver cuts us off on the way to work, we so easily despise them.  If a panelist on a news program promotes politics that we don’t agree with, we so easily despise them.  If a person gives our social media post a thumb’s down or a negative comment, we so easily despise them.  If our parents tell us to do something we don’t want to do, we so easily despise them.  If our children disobey us, we so easily despise them.  If our spouse criticizes or disrespects us, we so easily despise them.  If our friends don’t support us, we so easily despise them.  If our employers don’t appreciate us, we so easily despise them.

Sadly, this is human nature.  We can deny how easily we hate one another and we can soften the sound of it by calling it, “getting upset” or “being annoyed” or “just struggling” but if we were really honest with ourselves, it is hatred that so easily rises in our hearts.  Eyes, more than mouths, communicate hatred.  The eyes are indeed the window to the soul and the eyes of men and women in society reveal a great deal of hatred for one another.  Hatred can’t be hidden when peering into the eyes of a person who hates.  You know you’re hated by how someone looks at you which is why we say, “if looks could kill.”  Hatred is visible on the roads, in the classrooms, in our homes, in the courtrooms and in even in our churches.

We too easily despise our neighbor and this is tragic because it is sinful (Proverbs 14:21).  This is one more reason why wisdom is the principal thing in our lives (Proverbs 4:7).  Without wisdom, we do what comes so easy.  Without wisdom, we do what comes so natural.  This is why little children so easily despise their little neighbor.  Little children lack wisdom and understanding and as a result, allow hatred to rise in their heart over a wooden block or a stuffed animal.  They don’t have enough sense to put things in perspective.  They don’t enough understanding to see what is important and what is not important.  Little children will even lash out in hatred at their parents when they don’t get what they want simply because they don’t understand why their parent would deny them of their demands.
 
The Bible uses the phrase, “hold your peace” when you choose not to say anything or more importantly, not to condemn something.  This phrase essentially means to hang on to your peace or to refuse to let your peace go.  That doesn’t mean you have to love a situation.  That doesn’t mean you have to enthusiastically support a person.  It simply means that you refuse to lose your peace and become emotionally compromised over a situation.  This proverb reveals how we hold our peace when our neighbor does something that we don’t like.  This proverb reveals THE LEASH FOR OUR PEACE as that great virtue, UNDERSTANDING.

Understanding is what keeps hatred from so easily rising in our hearts.  Understanding, or wisdom is the key to controlling how we respond to the actions, words and behavior of our neighbors.  We mistakenly believe that a bad feeling towards people is the result of a lack of self-control when the Bible teaches that it is the result of a lack of wisdom.  When we fail to get wisdom, we continue to hate others for ridiculous reasons as easily as we did when we were toddlers.  When we fail to get wisdom, we continue to despise others quickly and easily because we don’t understand why people do what they do.  Understanding is that virtue that helps us see why people say what they say and why they do what they do.  It gives us a better perspective and fuller picture.  Understanding engages the mind well before the emotions.  Understanding initiates an investigation before any condemnation.  Understanding looks into a person’s past and considers a person’s pain.  Understanding studies a person’s personality and a person’s spirituality.  By doing these things, understanding keeps the internal jury from deliberating and thus, keeps the peace within the soul.

The heart that despises its neighbor is a heart void of virtue of understanding.  Without understanding, we will act just like toddlers.  Without understanding, we will despise our neighbors for having bigger houses or better cars.  Without understanding, we will despise our friends for playing with our other friends.   Without understanding, we will despise the person who doesn’t approve our plans.   Without understanding, we will despise the person who doesn’t think like we think or act like we act.   Without understanding, we will despise the person who doesn’t see the world the way we see the world.  Furthermore, without understanding, we will despise the person who doesn’t treat us like we expect to be treated.  Without understanding, we will despise the person who doesn’t love us or who isn’t kind to us.  Understanding does more than help us understand why someone is different; it helps us understand why someone is flawed.  Understanding tempers us because it helps us see the universal brokenness of humanity.  Understanding prevents hatred because it reminds us that we shouldn’t expect someone to be what we ourselves can’t be.
 
Emotions are hard to control and our peace is hard to contain, especially when someone wrongs us or challenges us.  It isn’t self-control that helps us “hold our peace” – it is the virtue of understanding.  Are you sick of entertaining hatred in your heart for others?  Are you sick of so easily despising your spouse or your child or your parent or your sibling?  Are you tired of having to weed hatred out of your heart?  Get wisdom and with all your getting, get understanding.  It is the leash of inner peace and it keeps you from despising people.

If you find yourself struggling with someone over something very petty, it is understanding that you need.  If you find yourself struggling with someone over something very serious, it is still understanding that you need.
 
Understanding puts ALL things in perspective and when it does so, you will always end with the same conclusion:
“Charity NEVER faileth.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Recent

Archive

 2023

Categories

Tags

Rehoboam Solomon fear of God health pride self-sufficiency wisdom 1 Corinthians 2020 5th Commandment Aaron Abel Abigail Abortion Abraham Absalom Accident Accomplishment Achan Acts 17 Adam Adolescence Adolf Hitler Adulterer Adulteress Affair Age Ahijah Ahithophel Albany Alcoholism Ally American America Amnon Andrew Finch Answered Prayer Apple of Eye Arrogance Asaph Athletes Backbone Back Balance Bank Accounts Bathsheba Beauty Bedroom Beecher Behavior Benefit Benjamin Bethlehem Bezaleel Bible reading Bible teacher Bible Biblical instruction Bin Laden Birth Boasting Bonar Bondage Boomerang Boyfriend Budget Buffalo Bills Building CA Rt 1 Cable News Calamity Call of Duty Calvin Canaan Cancer Candidates Careers Casey Viner Character Christian upbringing Christ Churches Clamor Clinton Clothes Clothing Coaches College Communication Conception Confidentiality Conflict Conservation Contrast Conversation Corinthians Corrupt Cosigner Cosigning Cosign Countenance Courting Coworkers Creation Creator Crime Criminals Crooked Cruel Curiosity Currency Danger Daniel Data Dating Daughters David Death Deceit Deceptive Delilah Democracy Democratic Desire Deuteronomy Devil Diligent Discovery Disease Dishonesty Dishonor Divorce Dress Drink Drug lords Drunk Driver Drunk Early Adulthood Ecclesiastes Economic Stability Eden Elderly Elihu Elijah Emerson Engagement Enoch Ephesians Ephraimites Esau Esther Evening Eve Evolution Exodus Expectations Expectation Experience Face Faithful Famine Fashion Favor of God Fear of the Lord Fearing God Feast of Purim Financial Advisor Financial Security Fingers Food Foolish Football Free-will Freedom Friendships Friend Froward Fruit Fumble GPS Galatians Gamble Gang Gender Differences Genesis Gideon Gileadites Girlfriend Girls Giving Glad Godhead Goliath Gossip Graciousness Grandchildren Gratitude Grave Grief Guide Guns Hagar Haman Hamlet Hannah Harlot Hate Evil Hatred Healthy Heaven Hebrews Herod History Hollywood Holy Spirit Homicide Honesty House Humble Humility Hypocrisy Hypocrites Immorality Independence Inherit Insecurity Insight Instructing Integrity Internet Interview Inventions Isaac Israel Jacob Jairus James Jealousy Jeremiah Jeroboam Jerusalem Jesus Christ Jesus Jewish Law Jewish Jobs Job John the Apostle Jonah Joseph Joshua Josiah Joy Judah Judaism Judas Iscariot Judges Judgmental Justice System Kindness King David King Hezekiah Kings King Language Law Enforcement Law Leaders Learn Liar Lies Life Lesson Lion Loan Longevity Look Looting Lori Loughlin Lottery Love Triangle Lowliness Luke 7 Luke Luther Lying Magazines Majority Makeup Manna Mark Martyr Marvel Mary Matthew Media Men Merciful Mike Tyson Mindset Mob Mocking Monopoly Moody Morality Mordecai Morning Moses Mouths Natural Disaster Naughtiness Nebuchadnezzar Negative Nehemiah New Tricks News Anchors Noah Nobles Numbers O.J. Simpson Obama Observation Obtain Old Dogs Order Others Parenting Passion Pastors Paul the Apostle Paul Perspective Perverse Perversion Peter Pharisees Pharoah Philippians Physical Appearance Plant Pleasure Politicians Politics Polygamy Poor Popularity Positive Potiphar's Wife Potiphar\'s Wife Potiphar\\\'s Wife Potiphar\\\\\\\'s Wife Praise Prate Prating Pregnancy Pregnant Preparation Princes Prince Principal Thing Principal Procrastinate Procrastinator Profit Prophecy Prophet Prosperity Gospel Prostitute Protests Proverbs Proverb Psalm 21 Psalm 35 Psalm 37 Psalms Psalm Punishment Pure Purity Purpose Rachel Rage Rebekkah Rehoboam Rehoboma Relationship Remember Reporter Reprove Republican Reputation Research Resume Resurrection Revealing Revelation Reward Rich Man Rich Ridicule Right Riot Road Rulers Rules Sabbath Sadness Samson Samuel Satan Saul Saving Scale Scam Science Scientist Scripture Sea of Galilee Seasons Secrets Seed Seek Self-Confidence Selfies Selfishness Sexual Chaos Sexual Confusion Shakespeare Shame Shane Gaskill Shenandoah Valley Shoe Laces Siblings Sickness Silence Simon Peter Simon Social Media Society Solomon Song of Solomon Sons Sorrow Source Speaking Speak Speech Spies Spiritual Security Sporting Sport Spouses Steal Stephen Stock Market Strange Woman Strangers Stratego Strength Stress Surely Surety Swatting Sweat Talebearer Talkative Talking Tamar Taylor Teachers Teaching Teenagers Teens Tendency Theft Theocracy Timothy Tithes To be or not to be Toddlers Tolerance Tomb Tongue Tour Guide Travel Treasure Treatment Trickery Trinity Trips Trouble True Love True Wisdom Turner Tyler Barriss Understanding Unforgiveness Unhealthy Universities Unjust Unrighteous Upright Value Vehicle Vengeance Virtuous Vision Voting Walk Washington Watsom Way of Life Way Weight Winking Wink Wise Men Witnessing Womb Women Work Ethic Worth Wrong Yankees YouTube Zechariah addiction adultery advertisements advertiser advertising advice advisor affection affirmation aggression alcohol amos angels anointing ant anxiety appetite argument assumption as attractions authority background backyard bankrupt battle beginning birds bitterness blessed brain bright broken nose buckler campfire cardinal sins career carelessness car cause certainty charity chastening childhood childrearing children child choices church attendance church command confidence confident consequences considerate contention contentment conversaion correction counselor counsel covetousness criticism cruelty cynicism dads dad darkness dark daughter debt deception decisions defend defense demands destruction determination diamonds diligence direction disappointment discernment discipleship disciples disciple discipline discontentment discord discretion distractions distress doctrine dogs drinking drugs dying ear education effort emotions employee employer employment enemies enticement enticing envy equity evil communications evil men evil women evil example eyelids eyes ezekiel facts failure fairness faith family fathers father favor fear of God fear feelings feminine fighting fight filthy finances fire flattery focus following foolishness foolishnes fools fool forgiveness fornication friends future gambling gender gold good men good government grace greed guard guilt happiness happy harm hate headlights health heart hear hold your peace holiness home honor hope hunger husbands husband ignorance illustration income inequality infidelity influence iniquity insomnia instincts instruction intimacy investigation isaiah issued issue jewelry judgment justice just kidnapper kidney kids knowledge labor law of sowing and reaping laziness lazy leadership learning legacy length of days lessons let life light lips listening listen little liver living loans loneliness long life love lucifer lust man marketing marriage math memorization memory mercy messenger millions mind ministry mischief misery mistakes mom money mothers mother motive mouth movies nature necklace neck neighbor obscenity observant oil oppression oppressor organs ornaments parable paranoia parenthood parents parent pastoring path peace peer pressure peers peer permission personification pleasant politician ponder pornography pottymouth poverty power prayer preservation pride priests private procrastination prodigal profanity prosperity prostitution protection protect prudence public restroom purchases reading reaping reason rebellion rebuke regret rejection relate relationships relevant remedy remembrance remorse repetition replacement reproof respect responsibility responsible retain retention riches righteousness righteous risk robber romance rubies safety sailor salvation schools scorner secret security seduction seeing see self-sufficiency self-sufficient serpent seven deadly sins seven sexist sexual sin sex silver simple simplicity sinners sin skepticism slander sleeplessness sleep slothfulness sluggard smoke to the eyes smoke son soul sowing spleen spouse stability stranger strange strife striving successful success suicide talents talk taxes teacher television temptation tendencies thief thieves thinking think thoughtfulness thoughts thought threats time tithe tree of life trust truth tv vehicles vice video games vinegar to the teeth vinegar violence violent virtue virtuous woman visual voice of God voice vulgar walking war wealth well wickedness wicked wife will wine wisdom wise sayings wise wives woman word of God words workplace work worry young man young people young youth