Mental Health In The Proverbs: Straight Paths Series

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PROVERBS: STRAIGHT PATHS

Proverbs 3:1-8

#mentalhealth

INTRODUCTION

What makes a wise saying wise? I think it has a lot to do with the source of the person making the comment or who wrote the particular book you are reading from. I think it also has to do with the topic the saying is addressing, our situation, and if the wisdom can actually help us in our daily lives. Not that wisdom is subjective, but certain factors make wisdom easier to take some times than other times.

Let’s start by playing an interactive game this morning and I am going to ask you to raise your hands. Some of you may need to stretch a little bit so you don’t hurt yourself. I will mention a “wise saying” and you first vote with a raise of a hand if you feel the saying is wise. Secondly, you will raise your hand if you feel the phrase is from the Bible. Wise or not? Bible or not? Got it? If not, too bad, we’ve got to move forward as this is only a half hour show.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” [Wise or Not?] [Proverbs 4:23]

"Hate the sin, love the sinner." [Wise or Not?] [Mahatma Ghandi]

“This too shall pass.” [Wise or Not?] [English Poem “Lament of the Doer”]

“A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day” [Wise or Not?] [Proverbs 27:15]

“When one door closes another opens.” [Wise or Not?] [Chinese Proverb]

“Not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also.” [Wise or Not?] [Chinese Proverb]

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” [Wise or Not?] [Proverbs 27:17]

“He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.” [Wise or Not?] [Proverbs 28:23]

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” [Wise or Not?] [Proverbs 3:5]

Well, how did you do in our interactive game? Did you pull a muscle voting? Do you know your Bible as well as you think you do? There are many wise sayings out there that are not in the Bible. Speaking of that…

CAUTION WITH WORLDLY WISDOM / SYSTEMS OF SPIRITUALITY

Before we get too far into talking about wisdom from the Bible in how it relates to mental health, which is our topic today, I want to acknowledge that there is knowledge and wisdom outside of the Bible, but it is not knowledge or wisdom we should wrap our lives around. I give you a word of caution when it comes to wisdom not found in the Bible for several key reasons.

First, is the source of the authority. Believers in Christ believe that the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God and so the Bible is not just any ‘ol book, but carries with it the authority of the God of the Universe. Nothing else has that authority. Nothing… Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. There may be other paths or other religions or other options presented to us in this world, but only the Bible comes to us God-breathed. The Bible is the expressed Truth of God and carries with it His authority. We should be very careful under whose authority we place ourselves and to what or who we give loyalty.

For example, in the phrase we heard earlier “When one door closes another opens” we have a good thought. However, this phrase comes from a secular worldview. Sometimes “when one door closes another opens” is true and sometimes not. Sometimes God closes the door and the window because the answer is “no.”

Second, is differences in worldview. A believer in Christ has a particular worldview about how life should be lived based on the teachings of Jesus. Jesus is the foundation. He is a sure foundation of rock and not a foundation of sand (Matthew 7:24-27). Wise sayings often reflect the values of the culture or philosophy they come from. Christian wisdom is shaped by God’s character, grace, willingness to forgive, love, self-sacrifice, and eternity. Other kinds of wisdom can sound good, but can often prioritize self, self-discovery, emotional success, or comfort.

For example, the phrase “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” comes from Proverbs 4:23. This wisdom, which in my opinion is in the form of a command, is directly opposite of the worldview that we should “follow our heart” or “give the heart what it wants" or “give 100% of your heart to people.” All of those sentiments are destructive to the human soul if you follow them. The Bible teaches us that it is wise to guard our heart and other passages tell is to be wary of our own hearts (Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21-22).