Like a man who seizes a wild dog by the ears, so is anyone who walks by and meddles in someone else’s argument. Proverbs 26:17 (VOICE) Before becoming a pastor, I used to work in emergency rescue, and I remember hearing an interesting story that highlights the lesson in today’s verse well. Two rescue workers were called out to respond to a domestic dispute call. Because the police hadn’t yet arrived when they got there, they found themselves in a tricky situation. The dispute had become physical, so they had a choice: wait for the police to arrive or stop the fight themselves. Fearing for the wife’s safety, they chose to pin the man to the ground, thinking she would be relieved. To their surprise, …

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV) If you hang around wise people, it’ll make you wiser, according to today’s verse. This verse also contains a warning for those of us who choose to hang around people who make foolish decisions. For example, let’s say that you’re trying to position yourself for advancement at work. If you surround yourself with coworkers who slack off every chance they get, they will negatively affect you. You may need to distance yourself from these people. The same is true if you’re trying to build a new habit or ditch an old, destructive one. I’m not suggesting that you drop every friend who thinks differently than you do, …

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV) Do your friends challenge you? We’ve been on a series about wisdom for relationships we can gain from the book of Proverbs, and today’s verse challenges us to be choosy about our friends. It’s saying that just as iron sharpens iron, a sharp friend can inspire and challenge you to become sharper. What kind of friends make you sharper? One very important thing to look for in your friendships is the willingness to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). You see, we all need friends who are willing to tell you the truth, even when they know it’s going to hurt. Of course, developing a friendship like this …

A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; and a gossip separates the best of friends. Proverbs 16:28 (NLT) We’ve been on a series talking about the book of Proverbs’ wisdom for relationships, and today’s verse broaches the subject of gossip. Gossip is something we need to watch out for when we’re establishing new relationships. Why is gossip harmful to relationships? As today’s verse says, gossip can separate the best of friends. You see, some people just love to stir things up. They are quick to focus on other’s flaws and they seem to take offence with everything. Because of this, they can create problems in your other relationships. In fact, sometimes people will gossip and try to find fault with your other friends in order to …

Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot. Proverbs 25:19 (NLT) Have you ever trusted someone, only to regret it later? It’s happened to us all. We want to believe that people are trustworthy, and all too often we hand over our trust too quickly. Part of the problem is that we confuse love and trust. As believers, we’re told to love and accept others unconditionally, but if we package trust in with these two, it gets us in trouble every time. You see, trust must always be earned. It’s not something you just give away; it’s built over time and is not based on what people say they will …