Askin’ for Trouble!

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If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! — Proverbs 24:10

Think back to your childhood for a moment.  After doing something you would come to regret, were you ever told by your parents that you were “just askin’ for trouble” when you committed that stupid act? Perhaps your response, like mine, was, “I wasn’t asking for trouble . . . it just happened!”

The book of Proverbs would agree with your parents—or whoever has spoken wisdom into your life. Most of the time that we get into trouble, we know better. And as we approach Father’s Day, it is valuable to be reminded of some of the excellent teaching that is imparted in Proverbs—as a father shares with his sons about wisdom. Actually there were several fathers whose teachings were compiled in the book of Proverbs, but King Solomon wrote around ninety percent of them. This is age-old wisdom passed on from one generation to the next . . . and the next . . . and we should not fail to continue to pass it on to our next.

So when are we “askin’ for trouble?” Here are some examples of truth to be shared:

1. We are askin’ for trouble when we ignore consequences:

“Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” — Proverbs 1:29-31
Later in Proverbs we find the same message this way: “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble.” — Proverbs 22:8

2. We are askin’ for trouble when we listen to the wrong people and choose to ignore good advice:

“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” — Proverbs 2:12-15
Or more simply put, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.” — Proverbs 1:10

3. We are askin’ for trouble when we have the attitude that, “It won’t happen to me!”:

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” — Proverbs 3:7
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” — Proverbs 16:18

4. We are askin’ for trouble when we are lazy:

“The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.” — Proverbs 21:25
“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” — Proverbs 10:4

5. We are askin’ for trouble when we talk too much and listen too little:

“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” — Proverbs 10:8
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” — Proverbs 10:19

6. We are askin’ for trouble when we leave God out!

I’ve saved the best advice for last: “The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”   — Proverbs 19:23
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:5-6

These six instructions are such a brief summary of the great teaching from the book of Proverbs . . . what we might call, in the 21^st century, “Life for Dummies.” In Bill Hybels’ classic writing on Proverbs, Making Life Work, we find this, “In verse after verse the father calls his sons to seek wisdom—and then he tells them why. Because it pays!” (p. 17)

Does it pay when you’re in the military and deployed? Absolutely! There is instruction within these thirty-one chapters to handle it all—how to resist temptation; how to handle our money; how to grow in character and integrity; how to appreciate our friends; how to speak truth; how to plan for the future; how to seek Godly counsel; how to work hard; how to lead; how to be a good husband and wife and grow a strong family; how to manage anger; how to treat others with courtesy; how to be fair—and how to trust God in everything we do.

I have heard that reading Proverbs is like taking a vitamin pill every day—there are thirty-one chapters . . . . so read one chapter a day to keep foolishness away. It’s never too late to build stronger relationships with others—and with God. If we heed the advice and warnings, we can build up our strength of character so that we will not “falter in times of trouble.”

Work cited:

Hybels, Bill, Making Life Work: Putting God’s Wisdom into Action (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998)

Questions to Share:

1. What is your definition of wisdom? What have you done in your life that you consider to be wise?

2. What words of wisdom do you think you have to share with the next generation?

3. What do we do if we need wisdom in a situation? We pray for it. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” How can you pray for wisdom in your life right now?