King Solomon's Rules for Social Media

From the wisest man of all time - Solomon's Twitter Guidelines ( via Kevin DeYoung). And BTW, these also apply to Facebook and other social media sites!

Twitter can be great. I often find good articles, good lines, and good laughs during my daily Twitter scroll. But Twitter—like any other social media outlet—can be a cesspool of vanity and vice.

I’ve probably broken these rules more than I realize, but here’s how I think about what I should and shouldn’t tweet. A big shout out to King Solomon for his help is putting these 25 guidelines together.

1. Think before you tweet, and don’t be afraid to just delete. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Prov. 12:18)

2. It’s okay to unfollow some people, block them, or ignore them. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge (Prov. 14:7)

3. Turn the volume down from 11. Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly (Prov. 14:29).

4. Don’t make things worse. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention (15:18).

5. Their platform is pointless if it makes an end run around humility. The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor (Prov. 15:33).

6. There is nothing impressive about being a hothead. Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city (Prov. 16:32).

7. Make good news public, and keep bad news as private as possible. Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends (Prov. 17:9).

8. Most Twitter brawls are a waste of time. A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool (Prov. 17:10).

9. Don’t mess around with trolls. Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly (Prov. 17:12).

10. Seriously, don’t get into fights on Twitter. The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out (Prov. 17:14).

11. Just because you think it, doesn’t mean you have to say it. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent (Prov. 17:28).

12. Get the facts first. If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame (Prov. 18:13).

13. Don’t rush to get your hot take out there as soon as possible. The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him (Prov. 18:17).

Honoring the Wisdom of Age

Let’s be a church that has a counter culture that says we respect people in old age. We don’t say, “Well, you’re retired and you don’t have much left to do.” or “You’re in your eighties, it’s time to get a bingo card or something.” But, “What can we learn from you?” and “How might we be able to benefit from the wisdom that God has given you?”

  - Kevin DeYoung at University Reformed Church

Learn From the Master

From Radio Free Babylon

(Click on picture to enlarge)

...And You Can Quote Me On That

How to enjoy and benefit from a good quote- Don't Kill That Quote by Tim Challies

...Now it all sounds very simple, and it really should be. But I have found, rather to my surprise, that many people do not know how to enjoy a quote. To the contrary, too many people ruin a perfectly good quote because they just don’t know how to make the most of it. Within 10 minutes of posting a quote, no matter what it says or who said it, someone will object. It is inevitable. No sooner do I post the quote than someone replies to tell me why they disagree with it (and, very possibly, why I am a rank heretic for ever sharing it in the first place).

The most common objection is that the quote does not contain the entire truth. The quote may be true, but not always true or not wholly true. John Flavel says, “A twig is brought to any form, but grown trees will not bow. How few are converted in old age!” But someone objects to say that his grandmother was saved at the age of 72. “The true test of our worldview is what we find entertaining,” says Al Mohler. But that person’s conscience is clear and she says she can thank God for the entertainment another person might find objectionable.

The very thing these people are objecting to is the beauty and value of the quotes: They provide a dimension of truth and give us the opportunity to reflect on what is true. Few single sentences contain exhaustive truth—that is too great a burden for 20 words or 140 characters. I can say, “Christ died for our sins and was raised” as a summary of the gospel, or I can write a 10-volume series exploring every nuance of the gospel. Both are true, but one far more completely true. In that way the quotes I share are much like Solomon’s Proverbs—rarely exhaustively true, but always true to at least some degree. This is why Solomon could share contradictory proverbs, because neither one is true all the time and in every situation (see Proverbs 26:4-5). The benefit of a good quote is in pondering it, in considering the extent to which it is true and the situations in which it is true. The joy of a quote is in thinking about it, yet without over-thinking it.

Quotes are like lozenges, great for savoring but terrible for just straight-out swallowing. Learn how to savor good quotes.

Holy Folly

You Turn Worldly Wisdom into Holy Folly 

From Your hand, O Lord,
we receive everything.

You stretch Your powerful hand,
and turn worldly wisdom into holy folly.

You open Your gentle hand,
and offer the gift of inward peace.

If sometimes it seems that Your arm is shortened,
then You increase our faith and trust,
so that we may reach out to You.

And if sometimes it seems that You withdraw Your hand from us,
then we know it is only to conceal the eternal blessing which You have promised -
that we may yearn even more fervently for You.

         - Soren Kierkegaard, 1813-55.

HT: Trevin Wax

Use Wisely

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HT: @ChristineCaine

Things We Chase

"Martin Luther famously stated “Sin is the self bending in on the self.” A fruitless cycle we find ourselves in, much like a dog chasing its own tail. When “self” is the motivation and goal, we run and run and only ever end up with something less than what we’re after. 

This is exactly the problem. We chase so many things for our own personal gain, and if/when we finally get them, it doesn’t actually fulfill us. Even if we think we’ve arrived and reached that long pursued goal, it doesn’t last long as something newer and shinier lies along the horizon."

           - Jamie Munson

Proverbial Wisdom

Found some good material from R.C. Sproul on how to interpret the Book of Proverbs.

Every culture seems to have its own unique, collected wisdom, pithy insights of the wise. Oftentimes, these tidbits are preserved in the form of the proverb. We have proverbial sayings in American culture. I am thinking of sayings such as “A stitch in time saves nine” or “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

The Bible, of course, has an entire book of such pithy sayings—the book of Proverbs. However, this compilation of proverbial wisdom is different from all other such collections in that these sayings reflect not just human wisdom but divine wisdom, for these proverbs are inspired by God.

 We must be very careful in how we approach and implement these wise sayings. Because they are inspired does not mean that the biblical proverbs are like laws, imposing a universal obligation. Yet, some people treat them as if they were divine commandments. If we regard them in that way, we run into all kinds of trouble. Even divinely inspired proverbs do not necessarily apply to all life situations. Rather, they reflect insights that are generally true.

He goes on to give some examples on how to understand seemingly contradictory proverbs. I recommend reading the whole thing.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does...

When the Bible Calls You Stupid

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
 but he who hates reproof is stupid. - Proverbs 12:1

"...I am not aware of many places in the Bible where God calls someone stupid. God obviously does not think very highly of those who hate reproof. And neither should we. The question we should be asking ourselves is to what degree does our life welcome and receive reproof? Are we prone to getting defensive, prideful, or offer justifications? Or do we receive them, like David, as a kindness and “oil for my head”? Are we creating a culture in our gospel communities and church gatherings where Scripture is truly profitable in both constructive and corrective ways? Or, are we be negligence, failing to appreciate the sufficiency of God’s Word and creating a people whom God calls stupid?"

Two Kinds of Wisdom Distinguished

“We may say that a fundamental difference between divine wisdom and human wisdom is that God’s wisdom exalts what the cross stands for and human wisdom is offended by what the cross stands for...

...what offends human wisdom about the cross is that it humbles man and exalts the unearnable grace of God. I makes humans look dependent and helpless - like little children - and makes God look all-sufficient and all-providing and absolutely free in giving salvation to sinners.”

   - John Piper, Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, pages 146-147.

  

A Mini-Guide to Living Wise

I've been reading Proverbs as part of this year's Bible reading plan.  Therefore, I was pleased when I saw this article from Tim Keller at the Gospel Coalition website discussing Proverbs chapter three as a summary of the whole book and  A Mini-Guide to Life ( The Gospel Coalition Blog).  He notes five points in that chapter as a summary of wisdom and guide to living a wise life. 

1. Put your heart’s deepest trust in God and his grace. Every day remind yourself of his unconditioned, covenantal love for you. Do not instead put your hopes in idols or in your own performance.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart (Prov 3:3-5a)

2. Submit your whole mind to the Scripture. Don’t think you know better than God’s word. Bring it to bear on every area of life. Become a person under authority.
Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov 3:5b-6)

3. Be humble and teachable toward others. Be forgiving and understanding when you want to be critical of them; be ready to learn from others when they come to be critical of you.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Prov 3:7-8)

4. Be generous with all your possessions, and passionate about justice. Share your time, talent, and treasure with those who have less.
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Prov 3:9-10)

5. Accept and learn from difficulties and suffering. Through the gospel, recognize them as not punishment, but a way of refining you.
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. (Prov 3:11-12)

The Great Cleavage Between Faith & Unbelief

“There is no greater cleavage between faith and unbelief than in their respective attitudes to the cross. Where faith sees glory, unbelief sees only disgrace. What was foolishness to Greeks, and continues to be to modern intellectuals who trust in their own wisdom, is nevertheless the wisdom of God. And what remains a stumbling-block to those who trust in their own righteousness, like the Jews of the first century, proves to be the saving power of God (1 Cor. 1:18-25).”

- John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, Ill.; InterVarsity Press, 1986), 40.

Hat Tip: Of First Importance

Scripture for E-Mail, Blogs, Twitter and Facebook (Josh Harris)

Joshua Harris has some paraphrased Scriptures for those of us who blog, twitter or e-mail at Scripture for E-Mail, Blogs, Twitter and Facebook (Josh Harris)

Psalm 141:3

Set a guard, O Lord, over my keyboard; keep watch over the door of my send button!

James 1:19

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to read, slow to reply all, slow to click send.

Proverbs 10:19

When blogging is abundant, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his keyboard is prudent.

Proverbs 12:18

There is one whose comments on blogs are like sword thrusts, but the comments of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 14:7

Don't follow the Twitter feed of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

Proverbs 12:23

A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the Twitter feed of fools proclaims folly.

Proverbs 13:20

Whoever "friends" the wise becomes wise, but the Facebook-friend of fools will suffer harm.

Words of wisdom from the Books of Wisdom.

Wisdom of The Proverbs 31 "Woman"

A friend was discussing the famous Proverbs 31 Woman as the ideal for Christian femininity, and I was reminded of something I read at NETBible last year regarding Proverbs 31

The book of Proverbs comes to a close with this poem about the noble wife. A careful reading of the poem will show that it is extolling godly wisdom that is beneficial to the family and the society. Traditionally it has been interpreted as a paradigm for godly women. And while that is valid in part, there is much more here. The poem captures all the themes of wisdom that have been presented in the book and arranges them in this portrait of the ideal woman (Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, 92-93). Any careful reading of the passage would have to conclude that if it were merely a paradigm for women what it portrays may well be out of reach – she is a wealthy aristocrat who runs an estate with servants and conducts business affairs of real estate, vineyards, and merchandising, and also takes care of domestic matters and is involved with charity. Moreover, it says nothing about the woman’s personal relationship with her husband, her intellectual and emotional strengths, or her religious activities (E. Jacob, “Sagesse et Alphabet: Pr. 31:10-31,” Hommages à A. Dont-Sommer, 287-95). In general, it appears that the “woman” of Proverbs 31 is a symbol of all that wisdom represents. The poem, then, plays an important part in the personification of wisdom so common in the ancient Near East. But rather than deify Wisdom as the other ANE cultures did, Proverbs simply describes wisdom as a woman.

This argument makes a lot of sense to me. If wisdom can be personalized in Proverbs 8:1-36, why not in Proverbs 31:10-31. This interpretation makes the passage apply to both men and woman equally. Plus this takes some guilt of the ladies who may feel guilty for not perfectly living up to this standard.

What do you think?