You Need To Read This One

Wisdom - noun

The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment

The quality of being wise

Ability to discern inner qualities and relationships

Good sense

Generally accepted belief

Everyone has their favorite books. Whether they are fiction, biographies, educational, or else, books bring value to our lives. I have heard people say that you cannot be a reader and not be intelligent. I have always loved reading, even though through time and life events I have had less and less leisure time to read. However, my favorite books have always been the ones that teach me great life lessons, help me grow, teach me how to think for myself, and that can be qualified as ‘tested and true’.

I will be doing a later post about the books that changed my life, but my all-time favorite one is The Good Book (the Bible). Having a Bible to read is like having a friend, a parent, a spouse, and a therapist combined in one, always there to guide you through this thing called life.

In the Bible, the book I have been obsessed with for the last decade has been the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs have truly impacted the way I think and behave, for the better. I would even go as far as saying that it pulled me closer to God and awakened my curiosity, which led me to read the rest of the Bible.

What I would like to do is argue that all of us need to read this book, Christians and non-Christians alike. See why below.

What it is:

In the Bible, we find what we call the ‘Wisdom literature', and Proverbs is one of its three books, along with Job and Ecclesiastes (some people also include the Psalms and the songs of Solomon, but it does not really matter for what we are trying to accomplish here). It is part of the Hebrew Bible, in the Old Testament. It is believed that it was written close to a thousand years before Christ. Proverbs is also called Proverbs of Solomon, as it is supposed King Solomon was its author, with his name appearing in the book. He then references other people, calling them ‘sages’, for the content.

If you are wondering why there is such a book in the Bible, the beauty of it is that it is self-explanatory. The purpose of the book is actually stated in the very first chapter:

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction

Why I like it:

The book is in the form of instructions and poems, and advice for specific situations and circumstances that WILL occur in your life. What I love about it, also, is that it is written as if a parent was teaching a child, of as if a mentor was teaching a protegee.

It is universal as I find it targets both men and women, old and young. It is applicable whether you are a Christian or not, because advice is advice, and wisdom is wisdom. And who does not want to learn how to live a long peaceful life here on earth?

What it covers:

Speaks of wisdom, folly, adultery, parents, conflict, wealth, laziness, leadership, womanhood, manhood, life, death, and everything in between.

Why Christians should read it:

1. Because it is part of the Bible, and you already know you want to read your Bible, friend!

Why non-Christians should read it:

1. Easy to read, no complications

Because the Proverbs are not too complicated to understand, you will retain the life lessons that are included. Whenever there is a word or expression that you are unfamiliar with, it is easy to quickly research it. All in all, you should have little to no difficulty comprehending the content.

2. Easy to find, in different forms

You can find a Bible at your local book store. You can find a Bible at the nearest church, most even offer them for free. You can find the Bible online; you can download the Bible App (many versions available). The Bible is one of the easiest books to find, in a multitude of languages. So really, a piece of cake.

3. Pleasant, related, and unrelated verses

The cool thing about the way Proverbs is presented is that the verses can be read separately, as they are all a part of a bigger message. I sometimes just open a random page and read the couple verses on that page, then meditate on them. I don’t necessarily have to read the previous chapters to understand what I am reading. So, you can do the same. There is also the option to search online with keywords about a certain subject, and go through the verses applicable to that topic in the Proverbs.

4. It really is about imperfect people trying to learn

Even if you are not a Christian, I would like to tell you that Christianity is not about perfect people living a perfect life. Quite the contrary, it is about imperfect people seeking to improve, learn, grow through reading the Word of God. It is about recognizing our flawed nature and realizing we NEED guidance through it. As I often say, opening Proverbs is like sitting down, putting your shield down, being vulnerable enough to receive the message.

5. Universal values, timeless advice

As I often say, wisdom is such that it remains true in changing circumstances. What is wise is applicable no matter the place you are, no matter your age or situation in the world. Like so, the Proverbs provide universal truths and advice that remains true at all times, and that is why non-Christians can rejoice in them as well.

6. You will never regret investing time in self-development and growth

Just in case you doubted this, no one will ever serve you in this department better than yourself. You can listen to Youtube videos, scroll on Instagram, read blogs like Penpal Gigi😊read motivational books, and speak with wise people, those are all good things. But in the end, you and only you are responsible for dedicating time to self-development. All the aforementioned sources are OTHER PEOPLE providing you with wisdom, but the beauty of the Proverbs (well, the whole Bible to be honest), is that it is already finished. It is already there. It is already perfect. Invest sometime in yourself by tapping into a generous, inexhaustible source.

7. The world you live in is messed up

Speaking of Youtube and Instagram, please realize that the world we live in is deeply disturbed and it reflects in what’s trending on social media, television, and pop culture. I wrote about this here. That being said, you cannot always trust people’s temporary opinions as a guide for your life because we all evolve and learn better if we choose to, but sometimes people would rather do what is popular at the moment since it gets them the attention they seek. Other times, we tolerate something that is clearly messed up because we feel powerless and helpless about it. And so, we stay passive.

All in all, we cannot just trust flawed individuals to guide us, we need something more stable, more powerful. The benefit of the Proverbs is that it does not try to be trendy, and it sure doesn’t encourage us to tolerate nonsense. What I am trying to say is that it is trustworthy, and the world we live in is not, sadly.

8. You would not be here if you did not care.

One thing I do know is that if people are not interested in what is in front of them, they will be out the door quickly! Especially in 2021 where everyone’s attention span is one of a goldfish. So, if you are still reading this argument for gaining wisdom through a book, it is because you care or are at least curious about it. I suspect that you are intelligent, introspective, and want to do better. I promise you reading Proverbs will edify you if you give it your attention because it was written for people just like you, my non-Christian brother or sister.

So, there you have it, the reasons for you to dive into the Proverbs.

“A wise man will hear, and will increase in learning … but fools despise wisdom and instruction”.

So, what are you going to do with this gem of information?

Like this to let me know you are sold on the idea or leave me a comment below sharing why you are not!