Happy Monday! It's June 2, 2025. Proverbs 22–24 reads like the original master class on people skills—and trust me, Solomon doesn’t need a TED Talk to get his point across. These chapters offer 30 lessons—one for each day of the month—of pure wisdom in bite-sized brilliance for everyday life. Today, we grab just one nugget off the buffet line. Read on…
Today's Reading:
Proverbs 22,23,24; Romans 14
Scripture
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before officials of low rank.” (Proverbs 22:29)
Observation
Vision without hard work? That’s not a dream—that’s a hallucination! Dreams are wonderful—that’s what gets things started. Desires are great—that’s the stuff motivation is made of. But if they aren’t backed by sweat, discipline, and a few dozen cups of coffee… they’re just pretty Pinterest boards.
I often remind our students at New Hope Christian College: “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job, because when you improve, everyone around you gets upgraded for free.”
Skill isn’t genetic. It doesn’t come pre-installed. It’s developed the old-fashioned way—by doing what needs to be done even when you’d rather binge Netflix or scroll endlessly on social media.
Application
I’ll be honest—I’m a goal-setter. Vision boards, to-do lists, short- and long-term goals, daily routines… the works. But there are days when the drive runs low and the “oomph” gets stuck in traffic. That’s when I remember: inspiration isn’t accidental. It’s intentional. You’ve got to build your own “inspiration kit” and keep it stocked. (Mine includes worship, prayer, coffee, and a journal full of dreams.) Otherwise, the dreams of building skill will remain only that… a dream.
Paul said it best in Philippians 3:13–15: “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…”
Even the apostle Paul had to remind himself to keep pressing on. So, who am I to coast?
Prayer
Dear Father,
Sometimes life wears us thin and dulls our edge. Today, I ask You to sharpen me again. Breathe fresh wind into my sails and help me work not just harder—but wiser. Thank You that You’ve called me to more than just existence. You’ve called me to excellence—for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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