Day 138: Proverbs 27-29

The first verse that interested me today was this:

Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
   an outsider, and not your own lips. (27:2)

That's a tough one isn't it? You really don't want to be a braggart...or at least you don't want to be perceived as a braggart...but you do want to make sure you are recognized for your contributions. I suppose that's where it really begins...we need to just let that desire for recognition go. If we deserve to be recognized...well, if God thinks we deserve to be recognized...we will be.

Here's another tough one:

Better is open rebuke
   than hidden love.
Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
   but an enemy multiplies kisses. (27:5-6)

Deep down we know this is true but we generally don't like to receive rebuke or give rebuke. Giving loving rebuke is hard to do. Not too many people are good at it. We're good at criticizing, gossiping, backstabbing, retaliation and even false flattery...but not rebuke. We need to learn how to do this because...

Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
   rather than one who has a flattering tongue. (28:23)

 I think this may be the most interesting verse in today's reading:

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
   but people are tested by their praise. (27:21)

We seldom, if ever, consider praise a test. Poverty, persecution, trials, sickness and even death are all consider tests or trials that we must learn to endure and even live through with joy...but praise? I love when people say all kinds of good things about me, don't you? Doesn't that mean we're doing something right? Doesn't that, in an indirect sort of way, show us that God approves of us and what we're doing? Well...maybe. But I believe the praise of people is one of the hardest tests to endure. How we handle praise reveals who we really are. It's easy to get to the point where we're motivated by the praise of people. We start saying and doing things that we know will cultivate that praise instead of being motivated by the desire to serve and honor our Lord. It's a subtle thing. We need very good and close friends who can "rebuke" us in love if they see that happening...and only a very close friend can see it.

We may not even see it ourselves.