Category Archives: Royal Lessons

How many times did I want to participate in a group activity but could not because I could not afford it? Many of my friends were going, but I had to stay behind.

There was once a girl. At the time, I thought she was the one (Apropos, she was not). When she moved across the state, I did not have the means to visit as often as I wished. In time, she went her way. And years later, I finally did find the right one.

Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.

Proverbs 19:4

Instead of building wealth back then, I developed poor spending habits. I increased my debt, and consequently, my way of life suffered. I bought now and found myself paying what seemed like forever. No wonder my social life was not enviable.

“What is the proper limit to wealth?” Seneca asked, “It is, first, to have what is necessary, and second, to have what is enough.” The line may sometimes seem murky. Too much is not necessary; not enough is undesirable.

Last year, floods wiped out the corn fields down the street from where we live. I always love driving by and seeing those crops. But last year, there was nothing to see but devastation. Nature gives and she takes away. Such is life!

There are rumors of people in the Midwest who are being offered money to burn their crops. Imagine the livelihoods at stake. Nothing to sell and nothing to eat. Tragic!

Imagine a person who would burn a crop for no other reason than for destruction. In a single stroke he would destroy the farmer’s hard work and the customer’s food supply.

He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

Proverbs 18:9

What a little difference there is between the destroyer and the one who doesn’t even do the work! We were designed to create and to do meaningful work. Failure to do so would make us kin to the destroyer.

Can a person talk sense to the one that does not have any?

If one has closed his mind to reason, can another open it for him?

Some debates are pointless. When there is no rhetoric, when one or both parties are refusing to listen to the other’s point of view, then no progress can be made. All you have is what is seen in American politics today. Rather than a healthy discourse leading to positive change, we have each side trying to bully the other.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him.

Proverbs 26:4

Wisdom would suggest an open mind, a desire to understand. Close it off, and improvement ceases. And arguing with a fool? Foolishness indeed!

There is a type of discretion in which a person can speak without causing the listener offense. This is not weakness. It is not beating around the bush. It is honest and directed in such a way that the listener can walk away with his feelings intact.

If a speaker is unable to do this, they will often cover their inability with the phrase, “I meant no offense.” It is not the best approach, but in this day and age, it is usually accepted.

And then there is a total lack of discretion. The speaker burns everything in his path without remorse or regard for the listener. This approach requires little thoughtfulness and even less tact.

Thinking before you speak and choosing your words carefully will eliminate many quarrels. You will be less likely to get angry and less likely to anger your audience.

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.

Proverbs 19:11

And if you are the listener, consider the latter half of this proverb. It is your glory to not be offended. These days, this is not something we see often. It seems that many of us are offended by the slightest provocation. But as Epictetus once said, “Any person capable of angering you becomes your master. They can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by them.” The offense is only offensive if you allow it to be so.

Let us, therefore, put our egos aside. If we truly want the glory, we should take the high road and not let ourselves be offended.

Click for 10 Reasons to Slow Your Anger

The thorns tore at my skin, ripping my uniform to shreds. Every step was slow and treacherous. The last thing I wanted to do was go down. I looked at my watch; time was ticking. My next checkpoint was just ahead. As a young soldier, I was inexperienced at land navigation. Therefore, I found myself tangled in a field of thorns.

As the years went by, I did eventually get better. With practice and experience, I learned to stay out of the briar patch.

The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the diligent is a highway.

Proverbs 15:19

The lazy man may never know it, because once he is stuck, he doesn’t have the drive to extricate himself. He doesn’t know that if he keeps going, the way will get easier. This is true in any endeavor we undertake. If we allow laziness to creep in, we will find ourselves tangled and unable to move. Only through diligence and persistence, can we find ourselves travelling in an easier fashion. Discipline equals freedom (Jocko Willink). And in this case, discipline is needed to get started and to keep going.