Proverbs For Living

Living the Life Series: Proverbs For Living (PFL)

Scripture Reference: Proverbs 2:1 – 10

Introduction

We are a culture that is overwhelmed with acronyms, initials, abbreviations, and catchy phrases that paint the picture or tell the story of people, places, or things.

There is no shortage of creative ways conjured by marketing executives, entrepreneurs, and just plain ordinary who people who dazzle us or woo us with quirky quips, three/four letter abbreviations, or phrases that speak without really saying a word.

The idea is to capture the event, circumstance, product, or person and connect it with letters, words and pictures that by themselves would have not really say anything at all.

Let me see if I can paint the picture for you. I will toss out a serious letters or phrases and let me see if you can guess what it is associated with.

NBANHLNFLMLBWNBANCAA TBSWBCNNESPNAMCMTV/BET NAACPUPSFED EXAir Force OnesUSDAPETA

Even the youth and young adults in this generation have formed their own list of colloquiums, catchy phrases, and abbreviations to communicate with each other.

1. Banging v 1. to be very attractive. ("She’s banging!")

2. Bling-bling adj 1. fancy. Often suggests that a person is showing off. ("Oh, look at Mr. V, all bling-bling with the new cell phone!")

3. Busting v 1. to be very unattractive. ("She’s busting!")

4. Holler v to return a call, respond via e-mail, etc. Usually pronounced "holla" in this usage. Also holler back. (A message left on an answering machine: "Well, I guess you’re not home. Holla back!")

5. Rep n 1. reputation. ("I’m just trying to protect my rep.")

6. Benjamins – hip-hop term referring to money.

7. Slammin’ use to refer to something good

8. Wack used to refer to something or someone that is not fair

9. Digits used to refer to getting someone’s phone number

10. Bounce used to refer to leaving a particular place

11. Tight used to refer to something that is very nice

12. Playa or player used to refer to a guy who has one girlfriend, but sees other girls

or a girl who has one boyfriend, but sees other guys.

13. Drama is used to refer to a serious problem.

14. Ballin’ is used to refer to someone on the court.

15. Peeps is used to refer to someone close to you.

16. Jacked up is used to refers to someone or something that is messed up.

And there are other words like “da bomb”, “phat”, “chillin”, “bama”, “dirty”, “fresh”, and some too numerous to mention.

In order not to be considered outdated or not connected with times I decided to introduce to you my own contribution to the every increasing ever changing vocabulary table. I introduce PFL – Proverbs For Living.

Transition

This book of Proverbs is a fathers’ counsel to his son. Every young person and young at heart ought to read a verse from this book on a daily basis. This book speaks to life and how it can be lived. You can live it for the good and receive reward or you can live it for the bad and receive consequences.

In the book of Proverbs you can learn about

Adultery – Proverbs 5

Anger – Proverbs 27

Having confidence – Proverbs 3

Having courage – Proverbs 28

Cursing – Proverbs 20

What happens when you disrespect your parents – Proverbs 30

The value of education – Proverbs 2

Employment – Proverbs 27

Etiquette – Proverbs 25

Bad friends – Proverbs 1, 4, 13, 22, & 29

Good friends – Proverbs 13, 17, 27

Greed – Proverbs 1

Reputation – Proverbs 22

It also offers a word on laughter, laziness, and leadership; money giving, money saving, and money wasting. Did you know that Proverbs addresses the subject of peer pressure, scams, and sexual impropriety? Don’t forget that the subjects of wealth, violence, and women or covered in some details.

This book of wisdom reminds me of a cartoon that shows an automobile balancing precariously over the edge of a cliff, with an embarrassed husband at the wheel and his disgusted wife sitting next to him. Meekly, he says to his wife, “Honey, there’s got to be a lesson here somewhere.”

There’s a lesson there all right, and it’s this: The only way to end up at the right destination is to choose the right road. If you’ve ever made a wrong turn in a strange place and found yourself lost, then you know how important that lesson is.

The metaphor of life as a journey is a familiar one; it is found in the Bible as well as in classical literature. The Odyssey of Homer describes Ulysses’ ten-year journey from Troy to his home in Ithaca, and Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is an account of Christian’s journey from the City of Destruction to the heavenly city.