The Real Meaning of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/proverbs/10.htm

I am not perfect by any means. But I can tell you that my father indirectly led me to be upright. My father lived through the depression. He was a hard worker, dropping out of school in the 6th Grade to go to work to help support the family. He used to talk about the economy, about how he earned 25 cents a day, but that he could buy a pair of overalls for his brothers for that same 25 cents.

My dad was gentle. I can count the number of times on one hand that he ever lost his temper. As an example of his character, I remember once he was working on something and got angry with it, and he mutter, “Hell!” Immediately his face turned red with embarrassment, and he was instantly remorseful that he had cursed. To him, “hell” was a curse word, but today, it is nothing to hear the F-bomb or the MF-bomb thrown around like it’s a color on a pallette wheel. My dad was kind to everyone he met, full of love, respect, and honor. He was well known in town as he drove the City’s street sweeper, and everyone knew the “street sweeper guy”.

I can tell you, I had it within me to be bad. I had it in me to be rebellious, to break the law, to get into fights, to be a thief, or worse. But what kept me on the straight and narrow path was my dad. He didn’t rule over me, he didn’t threaten me to be a good guy, I stayed on the straight and narrow because of my love for him. The last thing I would have wanted to do, was ruin the reputation of the Tracy name and bring shame to my father. No one, and I mean no one, could find a bad thing to say about my father, and I certainly wasn’t going to ruin the reputation that he had built.

As I was writing this, it suddenly came to me about how symbolic that should be with our Heavenly Father as well. We should live good and righteous lives because we love God, and if we profess to be Christians, we should do everything possible to honor Him and not bring shame to His name. Just as I strived to keep my father’s name in good standing, we should do the same with God.

All too often I heard people say they don’t go to church because they didn’t like the people at church. If those church goers lived to keep God’s name in a good light by living right, how many of those visitors would gladly return to church. As Jesus said, we are to be His light. People should be able to see Jesus in us through our actions and lifestyles.

There is no way I can comment on each and every verse in the Book of Proverbs (well, I could, but I won’t). Just realize that even though the book was written centuries ago, the wisdom in the book is still applicable today. If you have trouble with some of the words here, certainly read it in another version such as the New International Version or the New English Version or some other version interpreted to be understood in the English language we speak today.

God bless everyone!