Bible Passage: Proverbs 22 to 24

The teachings in Proverbs 22 to 24 revolve around family, being hardworking, righteousness, not to be in company of evil people, etc.

These wise sayings serve as constant reminders for us as we go about in our busy lives.

Family

Proverbs remind us that as children, we ought to be filial to our parents, and as parents, we bear the responsibility to discipline our children.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 23:22

I am guilty of being impatient with my parents when I have to teach them how to use watsapp or when they seem blur when I tell them about directions. This verse is a timely reminder for me that now that they are getting older, I need to be there for them, just like they were there for me when I was younger. Now that I am an adult, I need to take care of them and give them the good life that they have given me.

Don’t mix around with evil people

Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;

Proverbs 24:1

We ought to choose our friends wisely, as we tend to be influenced by the people who we regularly come into contact with. Often times, evil people tend to be rich or of high status. If we are not careful, we would also desire to have the same enjoyment and want to be in their circles. Worldly riches are nothing to envy about.

Be righteous

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles

Proverbs 24:17

Sometimes, it is inevitable that we secretly feel happy when people we dislike immensely meet with a setback. We may even think that the person suffered due to karma; maybe he wouldn’t need to go through these troubles if he had not been so mean or devious.

However, who is even happier than us when we rejoice in our enemy’s downfall?

The devil of course.

We all know that the bible teaches us to love our enemies, which is really hard to do. How not to please the devil but please God?

Only if we are willing to set aside our unhappiness and pride, and have a willing heart and attitude. God will definitely be pleased. God will surely help us to love our enemies if he sees that we want to do so.

Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Romans 12:20

May God guide our footsteps.