In this message of the moment, I make a series of points that guide in leadership and family stability. Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to learn simple principles that when applied regularly will advance your life purpose and bring peace to your family, business, and community.

1. Find reputable leaders and follow

2. Pray according to the Bible

3. Develop wisdom consistently

4. Get busy living your purpose

Every morning I rise to two activities. Devotional prayer and study and exercise. Those two regimens have guided my day for decades. One was taught to me as a beginning disciple in Christ at 20 years old. The other was taught to me as a beginning ministry student at 26 years old. Both were taught to me as a child growing up in school. What has been taught to you? What have you retained? What have you lost?

Over life, we are taught many wisdoms.  I’ve worked to commit a few of these to books.  Maybe more for my own trail than others.  Time to Lead outlines principles of cultural change.  Manage Well outlines principles of people management and business management.  By Grace outlines the outreach of the gospel.  Stumbling into Miracles outlines personal discipleship.  Each has a purpose and a focus.  Each is personal and practical.  Each is designed to capture wisdom in story form.  Each helps me remember what God has done in my life. 

Paul encourages us to find faithful men and women and entrust to them wisdom. Do we capture it? Does it capture us?

“Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”

Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.”

Proverbs 9:6, 11 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/pro.9.6,11.nlt

I am certainly not a wise man.  But I seek wisdom.  I yearn for wisdom.  In every decision, I seek the mind of the Holy Spirit for the path in front of me.  Whether the door is closed or open is meaningless?  The question is what does the Holy Spirit want me to do with the situation?  Kick down the door?  Open it with a key?  Walk away to another door?  What is my wisdom for the moment?

Wisdom seeks us out.  Yet, it is our freedom to accept or reject the path of wisdom.

After many years, our nation as a majority seeks out foolishness.  It seeks out a rejection of good principles of living.  Here are a few notes of wisdom from proverbs.   That is how we are as humans.  Over time and mistakes and failures we forget the good roads that brought us forward.  Wisdom remembers.  Wisdom builds her house on solid pillars.

Diligence – the had of the diligent should rule in a wise and just society not the hand of the entitled

Respect for authority – solid patriotism.. respect for ownership and property

Prudence – thought out action the benefits all

Privacy of self and others – love covers a multitude of mistakes

Honest communication – no false witness, no shaded and jaded political pandering

Consider the good of others – this is compassion.. to want the good of the other

Shut out gossip and slander – negative speak and finger pointing reduce healing

Live in the present – this is the day the Lord has made, rejoice, be glad

Plan for prosperity but do not brag – the wise look out and see danger and prepare and set aside

Heartfelt counsel – don’t sit in the seat of the scornful and acidic, stay away from the resentful

Faithfulness – be loyal, not to excess and abuse, but to friends and family and congregation and community

Avoid anger, wrath, and jealousy – deal with it.  Don’t let it fester.  Forgive and work on the inner man

Forsee danger and take precautions – yes, that is part of prudence and caution not care or anxiety or conspiracy

Secure debts – don’t be the fool.  Don’t fall for scams.  Be alert and vigilant

Never abandon a friend – stay close and listen to the heart

Sharpen life against the steel of friendship – get out there and be sharpened. Be in fellowship

Manage your business well – pay attention to build for tomorrow.  Even if you are selling, sell a great business

FIND REPUTABLE LEADERS OF CHARACTER AND WISDOM AND ALIGN WITH THEM

As I search through the wisdom writings this one jumps out at me for our present situation.  Whether a government leader is affiliated with the Democrat or Republican or Libertarian or Solidarity party or is independent is not my question.  My question is will they submit to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in all they do.

Listen to Democrat Senator Joe Manchin… “Whatever the message was, it was wrong for this many people to be split, for us not to be able to have a mess that didn’t scare the bejeezus out of people and when you’re talking about basically the Green New Deal and all this socialism, that’s not who we are as a Democratic Party.”.  Whether I agree or disagree with him, I agree with his approach to wisdom.  Instead of just going with the flow, he is taking a stand for his principles.  We need leaders to stand for principles.

“When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”

Proverbs 28:2 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/pro.28.2.nlt

Pray for wise and knowledgeable leaders in all stations of our nation.  From neighborhood associations to businesses to cities and counties and states and federal positions of power and decision, we need God to grant wisdom and knowledge that brings stability. The pettiness and pursuit of individual agendas must be squashed and the strength of men and women committed to character and competency and compassion be advanced.  Advance the cause of moral courage and boldness in our leaders and our families.

PRAY DILIGENTLY ACCORDING TO THE WORDS OF WISDOM

More wisdom from principles of leadership and families that please the Lord and heal the land

“The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.

Integrity guards the inner most being.  Integrity guards the soul, the emotions, the mind, the heart, the feelings, and the private places of a person.  When we lack integrity, we are always afraid of what we do not know about ourselves and what we do not know about others.

The principle is not just about integrity.  It is about living by a moral code handed to us by God.  We know what to do when we have committed God’s moral code to our heart and our intent.  When a situation comes up, we have a barrier, a border, a structure for making a competent decision in which we can trust good will result.  When we have no moral code, we are afraid.  When I follow my own code or the code of self fulfillment, I am never sure of the results of my decisions.  Will they come to good or will they fail?

 Like leaves falling in the last months of the year, our life will fall away when we live according to self fulfillment.  We will reach an autumn of loss and maybe never get to have another spring.

When I live with the moral code of God written in my heart and guiding my decisions, I am confident that seeds of good are always going to come up in the Spring.  When I have a hard time and make mistakes in living my moral code, then I understand forgiveness and mercy wait for me and I understand that I have also planted good seed along with the bad.  The good seed will overcome.  The good seed will prevail.  It has the life of God in it and will prevail over the bad seed. 

I don’t have to run from myself.  I don’t have to run from my future.  I can face it with confidence that the Lord is on my side because I have set my heart in Him.  Perfection is not my goal.  Walking alongside is my goal.  Tripping and being caught and stood back up in my goal.  Getting stronger and more consistent is my goal.

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops. To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them. Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely. Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich. Young people who obey the law are wise; those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.”

Proverbs 28:1-7 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/pro.28.1-7.nlt

DEVELOP WISDOM EARLY AND CONSISTENTLY. WHAT WORKED FOR GRANDMA MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU BUT THE PRINCIPLES OF WISDOM ARE ETERNAL AND APPLY TO ALL TIMES AND CIRCUMSTANCES.

“A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty. The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.”

Proverbs 28:19-20 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/pro.28.19-20.nlt

There is an old proverb that says. “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.””

Psalms 32:9 NLT

https://www.bible.com/116/psa.32.9.nlt

Get wisdom and follow it.  Learn how to share the word and lead people to Christ.  Learn how to lead a Bible study that is meaningful to the community.  Learn how to be friendly with the salvation you have in Christ and give it away.

Many of us have learned the wisdom of operating our farms and families and businesses and endeavors.  Yet, we are demanded of the Lord to be as wise in the spreading of the gospel as the spreading of our money. Yes, there are missions near and far.  I am a missionary to fractured families; however, I would rather have a man or a woman in every county reaching out with wisdom than do it myself.  I would rather see the kingdom established with neighbors than through facebook or linkedin or Parker or me we or twitter or tik tok or anything else.  It is our personal expression of the call of God in our lives that lives loudest and makes the most impact.

Do you know what causes more people to come into the kingdom than any other activity?

Door knocking?  No

Revivals?  No

Sunday morning? No

Televangelism? No

What causes more real kingdom growth with new believers is the launch of a new ministry.  That’s right.  You get a fresh attitude in what you do or start something new and people will come and join for Christ.

GET BUSY DOING WHAT THE LORD HAS TOLD YOU TO DO.