Reflections on Proverbs

My Bible study group (Clay) has recently finished the series on the book of Proverbs, & we are about to embark on a new series of studies this Friday (dunno much about the new studies, except that apparently it’s going to be topical if I hear correctly – oh well, I’ll probably blog about all this in future). The way we studied Proverbs was that we didn’t cover every single chapter in such great detail – we only looked at key verses selected by Pastor Steve, who designed the Proverbs studies for the Clayers.

We usually split off into 2 smaller groups & each group would look at one of the above themes, dig into the Bible verses that deal with the given theme, & then later both groups come back together where members of each group do a presentation on their group’s topic.

We looked at various themes in Proverbs:

Week 1 - power & weakness of words, justice

Week 2 - authority/politics, sexuality

Week 3 - parents & children, friendship (Not enough people turned up for this study, so we stayed as one group & studied “parents & children”, but didn’t have time to study “friendship)

Week 4 - alcohol, money.

I’m actually going through Proverbs in my own time, at my own pace – very verrrryyyy slow pace, only touched on the first 2 chapters so far. That means that I’m no expert at all on Proverbs – actually, I’m no expert on any book of the Bible. Never mind, I’ll learn a few things ;)

Anyway, I thought it might be an idea to rack up some thoughts & reflections on the studies on Proverbs. Like I said, I’ve only read Proverbs 1 & 2 at this stage. So anything I write here would be based on what I’ve managed to gather from the Clay studies, rather than what I’ve read from those first 2 chapters. One disclaimer: any discrepancies between what I say & what the Bible says would, of course, be due entirely to my errors – the Bible is the truth!

Here are my thoughts & reflections:

# Proverbs is definitely an interesting book. Apparently, it’s meant to be a guidebook for godly living for Christians. To me, the book is full of wisdom & seems a bit philosophical (nothing wrong with that, although I obviously don’t have the mind of a philosopher).

# On the theme of authority/politics, haha….I recalled bagging (poking fun of) the PM Mr Howard during my discussion group. Pastor Steve put a check to the bagging. I obviously need to pay heed to what the advice in Proverbs is to those under authority – respect, do not bag, obey leaders (whether government, church, work) because the authority to govern us is given to them by God, who has ultimate authority over everything.

# I paid more attention during Weeks 3 & 4 than in the preceding 2 weeks (by this time, I was a bit more used to the new study format). With “parents & children”, the passages outline the different instructions for parents & children, but the common instruction to both is to submit to God. Nothing surprising here, but I guess it highlights how important submission to God is, as a lifelong instruction applying to all stages of life.

# The last study was a really big one for me, as it dealt with 2 areas where I have some issues: alcohol & money. I shared these issues with the brothers at Clay, during our discussion time.

# With alcohol, I like to have a drink every now & then, but there have been instances (engagement parties, weddings, even work Xmas function) where I’ve crossed the line & drank too much. Most recent one was the Boys Nite Out a couple of months ago with a friend from Melbourne & other guys. Pastor Steve said he would keep me accountable on this matter. I can argue that I get drunk only once in a while, but Proverbs is clear on the negative effects that alcohol can bring. A couple of passages (Like 22:17-18 & John 2:1-11) give a different, more positive perspective on alcohol – but only if alcohol is used wisely & not excessively.

# On the subject of money, I do give some of it to God’s people (those training up for full-time ministry etc) & also various Christian organizations, & definitely won’t mind looking at a couple more of those organizations to give to. Pastor Steve was encouraged by this. So for me, the giving side is fine. However, not everything’s well & good. Where I really struggle with money is in the area of wealth accumulation. I got this obsession with building up what I’ve accumulated, as I feverishly monitor my investment unit prices & performances, as well as my savings. I check the investment unit prices almost daily. I also am on the constant lookout for more investment opportunities, researching various managed funds to identify the ones which will grow my money so I can put money in. I did the “materialism” workshop at BLT in August 2006, conducted by Fat & her friend Chris. After that workshop, I shared my struggle with wealth accumulation with Chris – we had a lengthy conversation at the beach. He counseled against having this obsession & advised that my priorities as a Christian should be seeking treasures in heaven & not building up earthly wealth. I still am struggling in this area….

# On the whole, I’d say that there are quite a number areas in my life which fall short of the standard set by Proverbs for godly living – such as the areas of alcohol & money which I’ve discussed above.

Now, the above thoughts & reflections is based on what we did cover during the studies. What we didn’t cover during the studies was “friendship” in Week 3 (for reasons outlined above). So, I did the “friendship” study myself in my own time, looking at the passages outlined on the study sheet (Proverbs 17:17/ 18:24/ 27:6/ 27:9/ 27:17). Here are some thoughts on “friendship” (again the disclaimer that these are only my views):

# The first 3 passages say these things about a friend:- loving at all times; available to give help at times of distress or personal struggles; listens, sticks close to & is always there to help other friends when needed; has best interest of his/her friends at heart & will give advice for his/her friends’ good even if his/her friends may not like the advice.

# The last 2 passages say that it’s good to have a friend that we can share & communicate freely with; we should value true friendship. We should associate with good people, people who help stimulate/encourage each other.

# What sort of a friend am I? I’d say I’m helpful, caring & friendly (perhaps this view is biased & self-serving?). I like to make them laugh every now & then. I’d like to think I’ve been good to my friends, but the truth is I’m not always loving & maybe not always kind. To them, I apologise for the times I’ve not been loving or kind, & for the times where I may have said nasty things. I hope you can forgive me & correct me in future when I’m wrong. My hope is that I can be a friend who is loving, encouraging & approachable - all those things that the above passages say a friend should be.

# What sort of friends do I have? All sorts! I have good, nice people – many are Christians, some are not. Some are funny. Some are more serious. Some are very strong spiritually. I thank God for blessing me with these friends.

# What do my friends think of me? Well, I dunno, u have to ask them! Some may say I’m funny & easy going, some will say I’m quiet during the Clay studies, some may say I’m picky with when I choose to hang out with them. I’d like to think their views of me are positive overall ;)

Finally, I’d say that I enjoyed the Proverbs studies, & am grateful to Pastor Steve & Keiyeng for their leadership in Clay St Lucia group. I will continue to look at the rest of Proverbs in my time, & I look forward to the next series of studies in Clay.

NB: Studying with the St Lucia Clayers has been good; however, I do miss the Clayers at Southside. I miss hearing from them & missed the chance to hang out with them as I didn’t go to the recent Clay Social, as it happened the day before Val’s wedding & I had family commitments. Look forward to seeing them at the next Social.