30 Sayings of Counsel and Knowledge

This Spring, while reading through God's Word with the girls over in the Sweeter Than Honey Facebook group, I discovered 30 sayings of counsel and knowledge that King Solomon records for us in the book of Proverbs. Solomon (990 BC to 931 BC) is credited to have been the wisest man that ever lived, and these 30 sayings of counsel and knowledge that he recorded for us in Proverbs 22-24 are still applicable today. 

"Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you. Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge, to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?" Proverbs 22:17-21

1. Don’t be a bully!  Proverbs 22:22-23
2. Choose your friends carefully. Proverbs 22:24-25
3. Don’t make promises that you cannot keep. Proverbs 22:26-27
4. Don’t steal what belongs to others. Proverbs 22:28
5. Work at becoming skilled in your passion. Proverbs 22:29
6. Learn to restrain yourself. Proverbs 23:1-3
7. Pursue wealth for the right reasons. Proverbs 23:4-5
8. Avoid taking gifts that have strings. Proverbs 23:6-8
9. Be careful with whom you share your valuable thoughts. Proverbs 23:9
10. Have a fearful respect of civil law. Proverbs 23:10-11
11. Always seek opportunities to learn and grow. Proverbs 23:12
12. Model disciplined behaviors to those that you love. Proverbs 23:13-14
13. Wisdom through the mouth is wisdom in the heart and vice versa. Proverbs 23:15-16
14. Don’t envy people their success. Proverbs 23:17-18
15. Find and follow your own path. Avoid negative people! Proverbs 23:19-21
16. Learning and growth are worth the price. They bring joy to those that you love and those that love you. Proverbs 23:22-25
17. Be aware of your vulnerabilities and susceptibilities. Do not live in delusion and denial. Proverbs 23:26-28
18. Don’t blame others for consequences that arise as a result of your bad choices. Admit culpability and seek help. Proverbs 23:29-35
19. You will know a shortcut when it presents itself. Avoid it. It leads to a dead end. Proverbs 24:1-2
20. Life is not an accident. It is a deliberate exercise in creation. Intentionality is therefore required. Nothing desired is gained by coincidence. Proverbs 24:3-4
21. Invest the time to find trustworthy people who can encourage and advise you; people who are going in the same direction of learning and growth. Proverbs 24:5-6
22. Do not be afraid to admit ignorance. Silence is better than the absence of vocal restraint. Proverbs 24:7
23. A schemer intentionally undermines others. A mocker jokingly denigrates shared values for the sake of amusement. Both labels are detested by others and difficult to remove. Be neither. Proverbs 24:8-9
24. Life is a series of challenges that present opportunities for growth. You don’t move to the next level until learning from the previous level is fully internalized and applied. Proverbs 24:10
25. Be an advocate for those that do not enjoy your privilege. Proverbs 24:11-12
26. Being open to learning and growth establishes a unique way of being that helps to navigate life’s choices.  There are things in life, however, that were made for enjoyment. Find them. Enjoy them. Proverbs 24:13-14
27. Resilience is a characteristic of those who acknowledge and relate to a Higher Power. Calamity befalls all others. Proverbs 24:15-16
28. Don’t take comfort when calamity befalls people with whom you compare yourself negatively. Proverbs 24:17-18
29. We were created for eternity. Living only for the temporal is therefore an act of misinformed ignorance and should generate a sense of sadness. Proverbs 24:19-20
30. Don’t allow yourself to be influenced into divine disobedience. The consequences can be disastrous. Proverbs 24:21-22

Which of these 30 Sayings of Counsel and Knowledge from Proverbs 24 did you most need to be reminded of today?

You may also be interested in Sweeter Than Honey: Using Our Time Wisely.