Solomon’s Proverbs: Relationships
Do you get along with others? Have you been promoted fast in your career? Are you highly sought as a friend? Can you handle an angry adversary? Solomon answers these and many other questions right here. Relationships are a crucial part of your life to please God, help others, and prosper yourself. Add this wisdom to your life and rise higher.
Relationship Proverbs of Solomon: Audio Commentaries
Proverbs 18:24
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly:
and there is a friend that sticketh
closer than a brother.”
How many good friends do you have? The answer tells how friendly you are. Do you have a very close friend? They are more special than a brother. Friendliness is a two-way street, and if you are lacking in friends, it is your fault.
Proverbs 30:17
“The eye that mocketh at his father,
and despiseth to obey his mother,
the ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
and the young eagles shall eat it.”
What if ravens ripped your eyeball out by their beaks and hungry eagles ate it? You deserve it, if you roll your eyes at your parents! God is planning just this kind of pain for you for dishonoring your parents. It is that important!
Proverbs 25:20
“As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather,
and as vinegar upon nitre,
so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart.”
Can you comfort those hurting with grief? Do you know what to say at a funeral? Empathy is a skill and takes discipline. If you think being cheerful around those who are sad helps, you are actually making things worse. Grow up!
Proverbs 13:20
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise:
but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
An easy way to get wiser is by wise friends. If you choose fools, you will destroy yourself. You are the company you keep. Do not deceive yourself thinking bad friends will not influence you. The corruption has already started.
Proverbs 22:10
“Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out;
yea, strife and reproach shall cease.”
Is there conflict in your home, business, or church? Look for a scorner, for often there is one. Throw him out, and peace will return. He is not worth any effort; he will bite you for trying to help; wisdom gets rid of such men.
Proverbs 22:11
“He that loveth pureness of heart,
for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.”
You can win the favor of the mighty. How? By gracious speech. Kings have blessed shepherds for it, for it is one of the best traits of human character. How can you develop it? It starts with a pure heart that will alter your words.
Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpeneth iron;
so a man sharpeneth the
countenance of his friend.”
Are you a friend worth having? You must make those around you better. You do not fear to gently correct or warn them about faults. As a file removes bits of metal from a blade, a good friend leaves a sharp, shiny finish.
Proverbs 18:19
“A brother offended is harder
to be won than a strong city:
and their contentions are
like the bars of a castle.”
If you offend a friend, do you know what you have done? Do you grasp how hard it may be to recover that friendship? It is wisdom to be careful with friends and to do everything in your power to be reconciled immediately.
Proverbs 29:15
“The rod and reproof give wisdom:
but a child left to himself
bringeth his mother to shame.”
The best child training manual is here. If the world would follow it, benefits would abound. Instead, they ridicule its concepts and forbid its practice. The result? Immature, dysfunctional, foolish, and rebellious youth everywhere!
Proverbs 15:1
“A soft answer turneth away wrath:
but grievous words stir up anger.”
It takes two to fight. If you choose to be a pillow, an adversary’s blows hurt less, and they soon end. Your words in a fight are crucial. Do you get angry and use hard words to make things worse? Or soft to end it right now?
Proverbs 25:15
“By long forbearing is a prince persuaded,
and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.”
Can you persuade a person in power over you? It is not by argument, persistence, or intensity. There is an altogether different approach that is despised today. You will always have others over you, so here is needful wisdom for you.
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loveth at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.”
Are you a fair weather friend? Are your friends only around when the going is good? A true friend loves at all times, and a close friend is a gift for hard times. Superficiality is a waste of time. You need to find and be a true friend.