I sincerely believe God used Proverbs to restore my life, leading to the sale of my business to eBay in order to earn my master's and doctorate degrees in religious studies, allowing me to become a carrier of Christ's message of grace and wisdom. He has made me a better father to my four daughters and husband to my wife, Susan...
Mitch Kruse has an exceptional life story to share. While this is somewhat of a self-help by which the author has shared that personal story, it is also easy to apply the references and concurrent narrative as you think about your own life... I have found this the best way to deal with study guides rather than to review the book simply as written...
Indeed, this is a resource book that should be kept in your personal library for immediate access. Because of the chaos in today's world, however, I am choosing to dwell on the Chapter on Justice... By the way, you will find study videos on each of the points covered in the book, such as the following:
The thrust of the book, or subtitle, is to help readers understand how to navigate through conflict to community. The justice system itself is under scrutiny and I found this chapter helpful. I would recommend the book if only to help us live through each day when truth, lies, and lack of wisdom seem to be so prevalent and divisive.
Key points to resolution is to consider the person with whom you are in conflict. Then: Pray...Define the Conflict...Examine... Reflect...and...Determine. Many of you may realize this process is close to the scientific approach to any research and may already be routinely following the steps... But have we been praying before we start??? Whoa! Have we been neglecting that? I admit I have too, too often...
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| The simple fool is gullible. "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. 14:15. ~~~ |
Now none of us want to think of ourselves as fools, do we? Yet right there in Proverbs 1:7, we are confronted with the options... And we are told over and over in Proverbs to seek wisdom...knowledge...
Next we find out that there are different types of fools: The gullible fool and the stupid fool. The second stage in the progression toward a hardened heart is the stupid fool. He repeats his gullible behavior "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." 26:11 This fool repeats anger, strained family relationships, wickedness, deceit, slander, and shame. Unlike the gullible fool who learns from his mistakes and doesn't make them again, this fool's repetitive folly carries deeper consequences...
And then there is the stubborn fool, the scorning fool, and the Godless fool... Quite a number of options to see if we fit in anywhere...or maybe just sometimes, does that count? Well, the point is that this book is full of content that makes us think...to attempt to understand... and hopefully gain knowledge...and wisdom...
At that point, readers begin to consider the key to unlocking wisdom, using the acronym WISE: Will, Intellect, Spirit, and Emotions. By considering the revelation in Proverbs of twelve words to the wise: righteousness, equity, justice, wise behavior, understanding, wise communication, prudence, discretion, wise counsel, discipline, knowledge, learning...and readers will proceed on to study each word, beginning with a chapter on righteousness...
Interesting to me was that the first section in that chapter was "Listening to Others." I have known all my life I was better at listening in a conversation/conflict than I was to extemporaneously respond. Many have found they start thinking about their response before they actually listened and that just leads to further the conflict. You know, though, as I grew older, I found I had grown hesitant to voice my own opinions but now that I am, that has, for the first time in my life, increased conflict...with comments like, "You've changed..." I mention this because each of us must know ourselves sufficiently to see what the real issue is we must address...
Somehow Proverbs 16:11 in the New American Bible started me thinking about this issue in my communication norm... A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern. Had I created my present situation since I had not applied equal balance in my listening and talking? Spotlighting "Be Impartial" seemed to expand my thoughts. When it comes to interpersonal conflict, do you tend to be one sided? Do you favor a particular kind of person or behavior over another? I found I had favored the listening role in relationships because it was easier to maintain equilibrium with the individual(s) and save myself from potential arguments... But God tells us that justice is of paramount value for our relationships: "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." 21:3
I included this personal experience with the book to show that each of us will be reading and receiving knowledge that we will learn, for ourselves, and for our communication with others. Or, through continued reading, reevaluate our communication choices. May you read Street Smarts openly and honestly. In my opinion, you too will find advancement of your knowledge and wisdom. Highly recommended because of that...
GABixlerReviews
MITCH KRUSE is known for his contribution to the collector car and real estate auction arenas. For seventeen years, he was owner, CEO, and auctioneer of the world's largest collector car sales organization. Kruse and his father developed the world's first auction park, home to the annual Auburn, Indiana, collector car auction that attracted three hundred thousand collectors each year. Mitch and his wife, Susan, live in Auburn, Indiana, just 15 minutes north of Fort Wayne, IN, on their family farm, first homesteaded by Kruse's great-great-great grandfather in 1854. They have four daughters.
D.J. WILLIAMS has been in the entertainment industry and nonprofit sector for twenty years. His writing credits include Restoration Road with Mitch Kruse, The Disillusioned, Waking Lazarus, and contributing writer for Holy Bible: Mosaic. Currently based in Los Angeles, Williams continues to add to his producing and directing credits by continuously developing new projects for television, film, and print.
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