Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 624 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Walk Your Talk – Mindshift Monday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 624 of our trek, and it is time for our Mindshift Monday series. The more I observe people, the more I consider and ponder creating a living legacy, the more I am convinced that much of our life turns out exactly as we think it will.

Your mind is powerful and how you think will direct you toward a life of peace and success or a life of unrest, drama, and continual hardship. As a human, you are designed to be God’s image bearer, but He has given you a free will. As a human, you have the tremendous capacity to rationalize your behavior and actions and then convince yourself that it is truth based on what you allow yourself to think.

It is easy to get stuck in a mindset that your current circumstances cannot be changed. This is not true, but you must understand this fundamental principle, “In order to change your life, you must change how you think and what you think about.” Each week, the focus of our Mindshift Monday podcast and journal will be to provide you practical ways to make a mind-shift to a rich and satisfying life. Come along with us each Monday as we take our trek on the trails that will direct you to this destination. Of course, it is your responsibility to hike and complete the trails needed to make your mind-shift. 

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. The two young hawks that were born this year are starting to venture out of their nest onto adjoining tree limbs. They appear to be nearly full size but are not quite ready to fly yet. It will not be too many more weeks before they set out on a life of their own. It has been enjoyable to have observation deck from our 2nd story office windows into their world.

Our granddaughter Hazel’s leukemia treatments continue to go well, and her blood test results are improving each week. The oncology team is very pleased with her progress, and we are grateful to God for their wisdom and to live in a time where Hazel can be treated effectively.

When this episode is originally released, I will be back in Arizona for a week working with our friends and partners Charles and Alison Mecom on our construction projects there. We have finished up with Phase I of our Mesa project and are scheduled to begin Phase II on or before September 1st. In the interim, we have several smaller projects that are scheduled for the summer months that will keep us very busy.

As we continue to look at the crucial subject of mind-shift on our trek today, one area that is vitally important is our integrity. It is very easy to fool ourselves into thinking that what we say is the same as what our actions are. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. How you act or react to a situation truly reveals how you think at your very core. The true test of your integrity is, "Do your actions and reactions mirror your speech?" So on our trek today we desire to reach the point of…

Walk Your Talk

How you really think about others will show up in how you treat them. If you find yourself treating others harshly and without a loving spirit, then it is time for a mind-shift in how you think. Jesus taught us this lesson in Matthew 5:43-48, "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 623 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Life is Not a Practice Session

 

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 623 of our trek, and today is the last segment of this Philosophy Friday series.

Each Friday we pondered some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they impact us in creating our living legacy. Today we are completing our extended multi-week (actually multi-month) trek as we explored the teachings from one of my virtual mentors Jim Rohn. The core of our current trek is based primarily on Jim Rohn’s book The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle. Keeping with the continuity of Wisdom-Trek, I have adapted it to The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we reach the conclusion of our current Philosophy Friday trek, we will build on our story from last Friday about the person who went fishing on the Niagara River and paid no attention to his small boat drifting towards the falls until it was too late.

Today I encourage you to examine your current drift to see where you are heading. In addition to examining your drift, you must grasp the concept that life is not a practice session. There is no dress rehearsal. The world is your stage, and each day is a performance.

So as we remain at camp, and complete our review as we ponder and consider the…

The Five Trails on Life’s Trek – Conclusion (4)

As we finish this trek, as a reminder, our overall extended trek covered these five trails:

Philosophy

Attitude

Activity

Results

Lifestyle

So today we desire to explore the concept of:

1. Examining Your Current Drift

To continue the thoughts of last Friday’s story…(If you have not listened to it or read the journal, go back and review it now. It is Wisdom-Trek.com/day-618.)

Just like the small boat in last week’s story, you are drifting in some direction even at this very moment. The only thing you can determine with any degree of accuracy is where your current drift may be taking you. The big unknown is whether there are still enough ticks left on your personal clocks to change.

For some people, their past deeds have charted a course which threatens to imprison their future, and yet they do not take corrective and immediate action. They allow the drift of neglect to continue unabated. They permit their desire for entertainment to subdue their appetite for education. Rather than searching, they become lost. They are inclined to think that their small mistakes or neglects or errors in judgment don’t really matter all that much. They have not yet learned that everything affects everything else and that their actions of today are forming their consequences of tomorrow. Their careless acts and their wandering thoughts are swallowing up their most precious resource – time. It is because they seemed to have so much time that they allowed the individual moments of opportunity to slip unnoticed into an accumulation of empty years.

Your philosophy is moving you toward a specific future condition. So is your current attitude, level of activity, and results. Your current lifestyle is either encouraging you to experience new depths of emotional experience or whispering to you to wait until you have it all.What you are and how you are must be examined not only in the light of your objectives but also with a keen awareness of the ticking clock. Maybe you only have a few years left. Maybe you only have a few months left. Either way, wouldn’t it make more sense to be doing something...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 622 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Wise Learns from the Fool – Wisdom Unplugged

 

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 622 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today's quote is from Marcus Aurelius, and it is, "The wise man learns more from the fool than the fool learns from the wise man."As we are explored yesterday in Proverbs 12 on our Wisdom Wednesday segment, "The Wise Are Teachable."  To expand on that, a wise person is willing to even learn from a person who is a fool.  At least the wise will learn how not to live so that they can gain wisdom, insight, and understanding.

There is much to be learned from a foolish person since their lives are usually in constant turmoil, drama, and grief. A wise person will avoid behaviors and habits that cause this.

Contrary to this, a person who is a fool should be willing to learn from a wise person, because they would learn much. Unfortunately, a person who is a fool is also too foolish to realize how much he could learn. They would rather blame others, their environment, the system, or anything else. They do not accept personal responsibility for their actions.

Here are three of the dozens of verses in Proverbs about the wise and foolish that will help you to understand the issue more clearly.

Proverbs 10:8  - The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

Proverbs 10:14 - Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.

Proverbs 15:14  - A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.So ask yourself…are you teachable and desire to gain wisdom, or are you content to remain as you are? All of us need to gain additional wisdom, insight, and understanding.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 10,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. Just as you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe at iTunes or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 621 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Wise Are Teachable - Proverbs 12

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 621 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore Proverbs 12 from The Voice Translation, which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. I am preparing some of the Wisdom-Trek episodes ahead of time in preparation of returning to Arizona to continue our work on the construction projects which we are involved in. I had to miss two months due to the additional commitments with our granddaughter Hazel, but now that we are getting back to a more predictable schedule, I was able to schedule next week in for traveling. It will require Paula managing the additional duties that we have been sharing this past couple of months, but she is confident that will not be an issue.

As with the various responsibilities that we have for our clients, family, and ministry, it seems like we are always learning each day. In order to learn, you have to be teachable. As we explore Chapter 12 of Proverbs, our focus today is…

The Wise Are Teachable

“Those who love discipline love knowledge, but fools hate any kind of correction.” From the very first verse, Chapter 12 is dominated by contrasting statements, “But this, but that—but but but!” Nearly every proverb is a contrast (except for two, which we will consider in a moment). This is actually a very effective teaching tool because when we see opposite things side by side, we can more clearly see the difference between them and make better decisions.

The chapter’s structure forces us to make some choices specifically related to our use of words and how we treat people.

Sometimes the arrangement of proverbs can seem haphazard, but a closer look reveals truly beautiful and intentional structures. In Chapter 12, there are 28 proverbs, divided cleanly into two sections of 14 proverbs each.

Here’s what the breakdown looks like:

Part 1

Verse 1 - The wise person is teachable

Verses 2-13 - 12 contrast proverbs about words and deeds

Verse 14 - A non-contrast conclusion

Part 2

Verse 15 - The wise person is teachable

Verses 16-27 - 12 contrast proverbs about words and deeds

Verse 28 - A non-contrast conclusion

The symmetry of the structure drives the point home. The righteous are teachable and are careful watchers of the things they say and do. In verse 28, the final line concludes with a clear-cut reference to eternal life, “Life springs up along the path of integrity, and death has no place along its course.”

As I read through Chapter 12, listen intently and ask the Lord for power to live by the wisdom of these proverbs as you speak and act today.

Now listen up as I read Proverbs 12.

1 Those who love discipline love knowledge,

but fools hate any kind of correction.

2 The Eternal prefers those who do good,

but He condemns those who plot evil.

3 Doing what is wrong keeps everyone off balance and insecure,

but those who do right will never be uprooted.

4 A dignified wife brings honor to her husband,

but a shameful wife is like decay eating away at his bones.

5 The thoughts of the right-living tend toward justice,

but the guidance of the wicked is trickery and treachery.

6 The words of the wicked ambush from the shadows, seeking blood,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 620 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

No One Can Serve Two Masters – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 620 of our trek, and it's time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Fred Smith who said, "The wise man gets money without money getting them."

Money, wealth, riches, resources, stuff…these words are all essentially the same thing. Nations have gone to war. Humans have killed, injured and maligned others to either obtain it or keep it. It drives people to forsake all to gain so little.

There is certainly nothing wrong with obtaining any amount of money as long as it is obtained honestly, with integrity, and hard work because it is needed to live in today’s world. The question remains when you pursue money, "Does that pursuit result in you becoming a slave to the money that you are pursuing?" It is a fact that most people in the world could get by with much less money, and the things that it can buy.  You cannot effectively control money if it is controlling and driving you. The primary purpose for our pursuit and obtaining of money or wealth of any kind is to be able to help others that are in need. We need our resources to flow through us like water in a river, not to accumulate it as if we were a reservoir.

As a Christ follower, if your focus is in the obtaining and accumulation of wealth, you will not have the focus to serve and worship God. Jesus taught this in Matthew 6:24,

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money."That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. If you enjoy these quotes, I have created and published a searchable database of over 10,000 quotes that I have collected for many years. If you would like free access to my database of inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com.

As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 619 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

I Couldn't Care More – Mindshift Monday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 619 of our trek, and it is time to continue with our Mindshift Monday series that we began last week. The more I observe people, the more I consider and ponder creating a living legacy, the more I am convinced that much of our life turns out exactly as we think it will.  Your mind is powerful and can direct you towards a life of peace and success or a life of unrest, drama, and continual hardship. As a human, designed to be God’s image bearer, He has given you a free will. As a human, you have the tremendous capacity to rationalize your behavior and actions and then convince yourself that it is truth based on what you allow yourself to think. In order to change your life, you must change how you think and what you think about.

Each week, the focus of our Mindshift Monday podcast and journal will be to provide you practical ways to make a mind-shift to a rich and satisfying life. Come along with us each Monday as we take our trek on the trails that will direct you to this destination. Of course, it is up to you to hike and complete the trails needed to make your mind-shift. 

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. The two chicks from our hawk family are growing rapidly, and I suspect that it will not be too many more weeks before they set out on a life of their own. The meal deliveries require both parents to be actively involved in more frequent and larger portions of food. It is enjoyable watching the activities that are involved in caring and preparing for the young hawks. We are blessed to have such a great view of the activities.

With our grandkids out of school for the summer and Hazel’s leukemia treatments set for once a week, our schedules are starting to settle into more of a routine. Our lives will never return to what they were previously, but that’s okay because we realize that life is always in a pattern of constant change. Some changes are more dramatic as we are experiencing now, but with the proper mind-shift, we can maintain the proper outlook on life. We are willing to invest whatever time is needed to pour into our children and grandchildren lives as part of our living legacy. The impact that we have on their lives each day is the only thing that we will truly pass onto them through the generations to come.

All of us go through experiences that will bring us joy and cause us sorrow. You must learn to change with the seasons of life, just as you change with the seasons of the year. Expect it, and prepare for it. You must first prepare in your mind before you can prepare and impact your world. A powerful mind-shift that most of us need to reinforce in our lives is our compassion and care for others. This begins by changing the way you think about compassion, especially to those who are less fortunate than you are.

Since your thinking has such an impact on your life and consequently on the lives of others that you impact, you need to know how to think properly, and what to think about. So on our trek today, we will consider how you can get to the place where you can say…

I Couldn’t Care More

How many lives are wasted and destroyed because the world’s attitudes and actions toward people in need shout to them, “I couldn’t care less”?   How much better would the world be if these attitudes and actions were replaced in your life and the life of others where we reached the point of saying, “I couldn’t care more”?  In order to change the world, you must think differently than the world. The only way this will happen is if you change the way you think about those less for...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 618 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Picture the Future in Advance

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 618 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

Currently, we are on an extended multi-week trek as we explore the teachings from some of my virtual mentors, such as Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and Earl Nightingale. The core of our current trek is based primarily on Jim Rohn’s book The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle. I have learned a considerable amount from reading and re-reading this book on my own trek of life, and I trust that it will benefit you also. Keeping with the continuity of Wisdom-Trek, I have adapted it to The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Our granddaughter Hazel continues on her leukemia treatment regimen. Her counts are doing well, and she was able to discontinue the use of her blood pressure medicine and Zantac, so we are thankful for that. For the next 2-3 weeks, she will continue to have a lumbar puncture to administer a heavy dose of chemo as the oncology team continues to monitor her progress. Although there are no guarantees in life for any of us, we are hopeful for a complete recovery and are visualizing that day.

It is important that we invest the time to visualize what we desire our future to be. We are remaining in camp for a couple more weeks, as we review The Five Trails on Life’s Trek, which we have already completed. For our future to be realized, we need to practice the concept of picturing our future in advance.So as we remain at camp, let us ponder and consider the…

The Five Trails on Life’s Trek – Conclusion (3)

As we continue our conclusion, as a reminder, our overall extended trek covered these five trails:

Philosophy

Attitude

Activity

Results

Lifestyle

So today we desire to explore the concept of how to:

1. Picture the Future in Advance

If you could capture the mental picture in your minds of how your future will be, given your current direction, perhaps you would become more serious about your life. The following story illustrates dramatically the consequences of failing to develop a sense of urgency.One day a man was sitting in his small boat on the Niagara River. The waters were calm, the breeze was gentle, and the sun shone brightly from a cloudless sky. Only moments before, the man had pushed his boat from the riverbank, and even now the shore was only a few feet away. Clearly, there was no cause for concern. As he baited his hook and cast his line into the water, his mind began to drift.  Just as his mind began to drift, so did his small boat.

The movement was slow and imperceptible in the beginning, with the boat doing what any boat will do when left to drift along with the gentle current. Just like this boat, all drifts in your life are leading toward an eventual destination. If the drift is left uncorrected, it will move toward that destination as though by some strange and unseen force.

In his preoccupations of the moment, the man did not notice the increased movement of his boat. His thoughts were still on fishing as they had been all week in anticipation of this outing. There would be plenty of time for seriousness. For a little while at least, he would continue to relax and enjoy himself. He would ignore the challenges of life and use this hour to allow himself to drift.

Without warning,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 617 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Create a Life Worth Living – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 617 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today's quote is from Wisdom-Trek, and it is, "The wise person doesn't expect to find life worth living; they make it that way."As we are exploring on our Monday Mindshift treks, life usually turns out how we expect it to. It does take a wise person to realize this truth. If you are wise, you are not just expecting to have a life that is worth living, you are actively creating a life that is worth living.  As with most aspects of life, the fruit that we harvest in our lives is a direct result of the seeds that we plant each day. If you desire life to be kind to you, you must plant the seeds of kindness in the lives of others. If you desire to be joyful, plant the seeds of joy. If you desire to harvest a life that is rich and satisfying, then you must daily plant the seeds which will result in a life that is worth living. Right-living every day will eventually produce a life worth living. It does take wisdom to understand this concept.

You must understand that planting good seeds each day does not instantly result in a good harvest. It takes daily planting, nurturing, and patience. Then, and only then, will you harvest the result of what you have planted.

As James, the half-brother of Jesus taught us in his letter in James 5:7,

"Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen."

So, I will ask you, what seeds are you planting on a daily basis? The law of planting and harvesting is as fixed in God’s economy as is the law of gravity is in our daily lives on earth.That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 10,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe on iTunes or Google play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for philosophy Friday!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 616 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Wisdom and Right-Living - Proverbs 11

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 616 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore Proverbs 11 from The Voice Translation which will give us a fresh perspective on this book of timeless wisdom.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This past week has been a bit less hectic, and I have been able to get caught up on some of the workloads which have been lagging behind. We are so blessed to be able to have a flexible work schedule that permits us to focus on our children and grandchildren’s needs during this season of life.

Our granddaughter Hazel is at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for two days again this week as she continues this phase of her treatments. Her markers for leukemia do fluctuate some on a weekly basis, but according to the physician staff, her overall progress is very positive. It is difficult for her parents and us as grandparents to see her go through the effects of the strong chemo regimen that she is currently on. Some of the chemo is so potent that no one is allowed to handle it with bare hands, and yet it must be ingested daily by Hazel. We all realize that her situation requires this to eradicate leukemia from her body, but that does not make it any easier to deal with emotionally.

We are grateful to God and to everyone who has prayed or helped out in any other manner. If you would like to keep up with the news about Hazel and read the blog that her father Nat is writing about Hazel’s progress, you can access it at basilforhazel.org. We would appreciate your continued prayers for Hazel and her tribe.

As we transition to our trek for today, we will see that there is a direct link between wisdom and right-living. Those who live according to God’s precepts found in His Word are living correctly and are wise for doing so. The opposite is also true. As we explore Chapter 11 of Proverbs our focus today will be…

Wisdom and Right-Living

This chapter repeatedly focuses on “righteousness,” a biblical word meaning “right-living.” The wise person strives to do right by others in all of life’s areas: personal relationships, neighbors, fellow citizens, co-workers, family members, and ministry.

Notice how often right-living is connected with “deliverance.” In contrast, the wicked will “trip,” be “conquered,” “walk into trouble,” “perish,” and “die.” This chapter makes a life of “right-living through right relationships” look really appealing! After all, you could save your life.

While each proverb usually stands alone, there are sometimes clusters that explore the same idea. In chapter 11 there’s a group about self-control (12-13) and another about generosity (24-26) exploring these topics through two contrasting ideas. Look carefully at what we are supposed to hold back (criticism and slander) compared to what we are to share (our possessions). We love to share our critical opinions, but not our money! Right-living creates real wisdom and knows when to shut its mouth and open its hands.

Also, take note of how Chapter 11 puts wealth in perspective (4, 16, 28). We’re reminded that money pales in comparison to such things as life, honor, and well-being. Even if wealth comes, don’t put your trust in it. You don’t need a lot of money to live the rich and satisfying life.

Is there anyone you need to show generosity to today? Is there someone you need to criticize less? Allow this chapter to mold you in the way of right-living.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 615 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Wise Person Asks Questions – Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 615 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Claude Levi-Strauss who said, "The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions."You can tell whether a person is truly wise by listening to them. If they are expounding about their abundant wisdom, you will know that they are not truly wise.  A wise person will be a person of limited words and will be a person who asks a lot of questions.

The reason a truly wise person asks a lot of questions is two-fold. The first is so they will continue to gain wisdom, insight, and understanding. The second reason a wise person asks many questions is to help the person they are speaking with to gain wisdom, insight, and understanding. A wise person always desires to help others to also become wise.The wisest and most effective teacher to ever live is Jesus. Throughout the gospel books, Jesus did much of His teaching by asking questions. This was especially true of those that tried to oppose Him. Here are a couple of snippets that effectively demonstrate how Jesus taught.

Luke 6:8-9 - But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”

Luke 20:41-44 - Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

until I humble your enemies,

making them a footstool under your feet.’

Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”Yes, Jesus is not only wise but is also a master teacher by asking questions throughout His teaching.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. If you enjoy these quotes, I have created and published a searchable database of over 10,000 quotes that I have collected for many years. If you would like free access to my database of inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com.

As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

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Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!