14:4 When a farmer has no oxen, the stable will be clean, but he will be unable to make a living. The only way to keep your life free of people problems is to keep it free of other people. But if your life is empty of people, it is useless; and if you live only for yourself, your life loses its meaning. Instead of avoiding people, we should serve others, share our faith, and work for justice. Is your life clean, but empty? Or does it give evidence of your serving God wholeheartedly?
14:6 We all know scorners, people who scoff at every word of instruction or advice. They never find wisdom because they don’t seek it seriously. Wisdom comes to those who apply God’s Word to their lives and seek out godly counselors. If the wisdom you need does not come easily to you, perhaps your attitude is the barrier.
14:9 How rarely we find “favour”—good will—around us today. Angry drivers scowl at each other in the streets. People fight to be first in line. Disgruntled employers and employees both demand their rights. But the common bond of God’s people should be good will. Those with good will think the best of others and assume that others have good motives and intend to do what is right. When someone crosses you, and you feel your blood pressure rising, ask yourself, “How can I show good will to this person?”
14:12 The “way which seemeth right” may offer many options and require few sacrifices. Easy choices, however, should make us take a second look at the options. Is this solution attractive because it allows me to be lazy? because it doesn’t ask me to change my lifestyle? because it requires no moral restraints? The right choice often requires hard work and self-sacrifice. Don’t be enticed by apparent shortcuts that seem right but end in death.
14:14 When God slips from first place in our lives, everything else loses its meaning. Life seems to be no more than the tiresome process of getting through the day so we can do the same thing again tomorrow. However, for a godly person, even routine projects take on meaning and promise because they hold a greater purpose. If you are “filled with [your] own ways” and bored with life, check your relationship with God. Your boredom could be a signal that you are sliding away from him.
14:29 Anger can be like a fire out of control. It can burn everything and us in its path. Anger divides people. It pushes us into hasty decisions that only cause bitterness and guilt. Yet anger, in itself, is not wrong. Anger can be a legitimate reaction to injustice and sin. When you feel yourself getting angry, look for the cause. Are you reacting to an evil situation that you are going to set right? Or are you responding selfishly to a personal insult? Pray that God will help you control your anger, channeling legitimate anger into effective action and conquering selfish anger through humility and repentance.
14:31 God has a special concern for the poor. He insists that those who have material goods should be generous with those who are needy. Providing for the poor is not just a suggestion in the Bible. It is a command that may require a change of attitude on your part (see Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 15:7, 8; Psalms 113:5-9; 146:5-9; Isaiah 58:7; 2 Corinthians 9:9; James 2:1-9).