Proverbs 21: 29 A wicked man hardens his face,
But as for the upright, he establishes his way.
Brothers are often raised to be “hard.” And there’s a good reason. The reason is that the world is In fact a cruel & vicious place, & if you’re not strong enough it will chew u up & spit you out in soggy, flavorless chunks. A man can’t afford to be blinded by emotion, but neither can he afford to be hard-hearted & therefore blind to his feelings & the feelings of others.
In practice/ in life, the emotionally blind (hard brothers) & the emotionally blinded (‘soft” brothers) are the same. They both react out of fear; they both live w/out a plan.
Hard/ hard-hearted brothers are afraid so they fight when there’s nothing to fight over. Soft/ emotionally weak brothers are afraid so they flee when there’s nothing to flee from.
Hard/ hard-hearted/ emotionally blind brothers refuse good advice & refuse to consider the consequences of their actions either on themselves or on others. They do without thought/ plan. Therefore they fail.
Soft/ weak/ emotionally blinded brothers are incapable of refusing advice. They do what everyone tells them, hopping from path to path & never charting a clear direction. Therefore they fail.
The wise & godly balance is neither hard nor soft; it’s STRONG.
A strong brother doesn’t react out of fear. A strong brother acts out of love & righteousness. A strong brother chooses his response based on how to do right by others (love) while always doing what is right (righteousness).
A strong brother listens to advice & correction, but makes the final decision his own. A strong brother understand his place in His plan & makes his personal plans according to His Divine will & Word.
A strong brother doesn’t move blindly along a random path. A strong brother consciously establishes his way.
Soft breaks. Hard shatters. Strong endures.
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
But as for the upright, he establishes his way.
Brothers are often raised to be “hard.” And there’s a good reason. The reason is that the world is In fact a cruel & vicious place, & if you’re not strong enough it will chew u up & spit you out in soggy, flavorless chunks. A man can’t afford to be blinded by emotion, but neither can he afford to be hard-hearted & therefore blind to his feelings & the feelings of others.
In practice/ in life, the emotionally blind (hard brothers) & the emotionally blinded (‘soft” brothers) are the same. They both react out of fear; they both live w/out a plan.
Hard/ hard-hearted brothers are afraid so they fight when there’s nothing to fight over. Soft/ emotionally weak brothers are afraid so they flee when there’s nothing to flee from.
Hard/ hard-hearted/ emotionally blind brothers refuse good advice & refuse to consider the consequences of their actions either on themselves or on others. They do without thought/ plan. Therefore they fail.
Soft/ weak/ emotionally blinded brothers are incapable of refusing advice. They do what everyone tells them, hopping from path to path & never charting a clear direction. Therefore they fail.
The wise & godly balance is neither hard nor soft; it’s STRONG.
A strong brother doesn’t react out of fear. A strong brother acts out of love & righteousness. A strong brother chooses his response based on how to do right by others (love) while always doing what is right (righteousness).
A strong brother listens to advice & correction, but makes the final decision his own. A strong brother understand his place in His plan & makes his personal plans according to His Divine will & Word.
A strong brother doesn’t move blindly along a random path. A strong brother consciously establishes his way.
Soft breaks. Hard shatters. Strong endures.
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
