He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will suffer harm (Proverbs 13:20).

This seems like common sense, but it is very uncommon sense. I remember when I entertained the notion of starting my own bank. My dad said, "Why don't you meet with the VP of Bank of America?" I said, "What?! He won't have time for me." He said, "How do you know unless you ask?" But I never did.

Why do we tend to fall for every gimmicky ad on television, emotional appeal from itinerant preachers, a stranger's stock tip, even marital counsel from someone who has been divorced several times? In other words, rather than seeking expert advice, we are more comfortable settling for something far less reliable. No wonder, as this Proverb teaches, we do more harm than good for ourselves.

When I think back at my own life, I recognize that I had the greatest success when I listened to expert advice, whether it was the advice of a person or counsel from books. I had the greatest success in investing in a local real estate market when I found help from the number one realtor in the area. I had the greatest success investing in the stock market when I followed the counsel of the number one mutual fund manager of all time. I discovered the importance and advantage of daily disciplines over a long period of time from one who has amazed me over the years with his very disciplined lifestyle: my father. And I have gained wisdom for every aspect of life and faith from the most influential book ever written, the Bible. 

Friends, what do you want to do? Do you want financial success through investing? Don't talk to just anyone, but find the best in the area of your interest and learn from them. Do you want to grow in faith, don't simply pick up the latest bestseller at the bookstore, but read the Bible, from which every great person of faith finds their guiding light. Be a reader of great books and find great people to be your mentors and companions in your journey of life. 

I have not done this as well as I would have wanted, but as I read this Proverbial couplet, I am reminded again of the importance of seeking out the wise rather than being a companion of fools. I realize that I cannot simply think about it and talk about it, but I must do it. 

This week our family enjoyed a week-long family get-together in Freeport, Texas. We enjoyed fishing right off the dock of the house we were renting. There was a house catty-corner from where we were staying. It was for sale, and we all seriously thought about purchasing it. We even went to look at it with local realtor.

But I remember seeing an elderly man fishing off a small pier right next to the house. He looked like the owner of the pier, because there was a "Private Property" sign next to it. I commented to my brother-in-law that it would be good if we got his take on the house. Normally, that would be it - just a suggestion. But something moved me to drive over and talk to the man. And I'm glad I did, because this man happened to have lived there for forty years. He was the first to buy on the canal, and he knew most everyone that owned property there. He also knew a lot about the house that we were interested in buying. He told me the whole history of the area, and the stories of the various people that bought in the area. He told me about the hurricanes that came through there and the kind of damage it caused. He also told me about the kind of fish that came there, and what were the best times to fish. He also told me that the house we wanted was structurally unsound and that the lot was too small to do much with the house. He told me that the owner was old and became disabled, so that that is probably why he was selling. In contrast, the realtor that showed us the house knew nothing at all about the house. That elderly man's information completely changed my mind about buying that house. 

Friends, why is it so important to be the companion of the wise? They have the right information as opposed to the sea of wrong information. Oftentimes, they have experienced many or most of the pitfalls in their area of expertise, and discovered both what works and what does not work. 

When we were fishing on the beach, I saw a man casting a net into the ocean waters and catching lots of good-sized fish every time. I had a net, so I threw it out into the water too, thinking I would catch a lot of fish as well. But even after many throws, I did not even catch one small fish. After about an hour of this, I went over to talk to the gentleman. He told me that he has been doing this there for over twenty years, and he could see the fish trails in the water, so that he knew exactly where to cast. He pointed to a trail of fish, but my eyes could see nothing there. He told me to look carefully at the current and the disruptions in the current. And then I thought I began to see a little of what he was seeing. But I realized that I would need to train my eyes through a lot of watching and casting to see as he saw. I had to leave right then, but I think what I learned from this man saved me both time and frustration with my futile attempts to catch fish by simply blindly throwing the net into the water. 

Friends, let us be companions of the wise. And let us also be wise ourselves, so that we can be companions to others that would seek out wisdom from us. 

The word "but" is used in these chapters 76 times. The writer of the proverbs deals with just about everything:

money matters (13:11) integrity (14:2) righteousness (14:34)

to the kinds of people we deal with everyday and their classifications:

fools (14:3,7,9)  mockers (14:6)  the sensible man (14:8) disloyal (14:14) inexperienced (14:15) quick tempered (14:18,29) patient people (14:29)

The kind of person we are supposed to become is not based on how much money we have, or how many cars and mansions and stocks in our portfolio. We are supposed to become people of wisdom, knowledge, experience, knowing what is really important in life. The Bible has a lot to say about the fool. The fool is the person standing on the side of the road, with head knowledge of God but believing he can get to heaven without God, or he denies there is any God, and arrogant enough to believe he is not a fool. The fool is the person putting other things before their families, friends, and relationship with Christ. That is my definition of a fool.

Friends, the Book of Proverbs provides observations on life from the perspective of the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 1:7). So lessons on humility, diligence, honesty, discretion, prudence, discipline, righteousness and wisdom, which are found in chapters like today's chapters, arise out of a heart that is devoted to trusting and obeying God. Yesterday, I shared that many of the biblical benefits, rewards and blessings find their fulfillment in heaven rather than on earth, and often a lifetime of suffering rather than peace is the lot of the righteous. One large lesson from this is to not to make temporal benefits the motivation for trusting and obeying God. As Solomon would write elsewhere, everything under the sun is vanity, a chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Even so, Ecclesiastes concludes with the counsel to "fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Solomon is pointing to the rewards "above the sun;" that is, in heaven. He is pointing to eternal rewards from an eternal God. What Jesus would identify as "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). Likewise, let us follow the counsel of Scripture, trusting and obeying the Lord, with this motivation as well, not for temporal benefits, but the surpassing riches of heaven.

What does this mean practically? It means, let us be humble, even though we see the proud succeeding. Let us be diligent, even when we see the lazy prospering. Let us remain honest, even when the dishonest seem to be making greater progress. Let us pursue righteousness, even when we suffer for doing it. Let us bless when others curse. Let us love when others hate. Let us do all of these things till the day we die, knowing that whatever we suffer in this life cannot compare with the glory that will be revealed in us in heaven (see Romans 8:18-25). It is our hope of resurrection, our expectation of being with the Lord forever, that makes all this doable.

In our Martial Arts organization, we have these principles: Be patient, be polite,... respect yourself and others. And I often teach that we must be patient, even when others are impatient with us. We must be polite, even when others are rude to us. We must respect even those that disrespect us. This is what we do, but I recognize that not everyone has the motivation that makes this counsel reasonable, namely, a vital relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is only by virtue of our hope in him that such self-deprecating actions can be done. It was the "joy set before Him" that enabled Jesus to "endure the cross and the shame" (Hebrews 12:2). So Paul would argue that if Christians have no resurrection hope, we would be the most pitiful fools (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). But we do have a very real hope of heaven and eternal rewards; therefore, we can endure all things through Him who strengthens us (Philippians 4:12-13).

As a small business owner Proverbs 11 resonates in my mind and heart as a guide for myself and anyone who feels like there is a duplicity (v. 3) inherent with making a living.  We are taught to make as much money as possible in order to take care of our families and even retirement.  Is this God's will?  Personally I once lived to work.  It was all about climbing the corporate ladder.  More money, more status, more authority.  Not anymore.  Especially for those that are self-employed, Pro. 11 should illustrate what's important - honest scales (v. 1), humility (v. 2), integrity (v. 3), kindness (v. 16,17), discretion (v. 22), generosity (v. 25), seeking goodwill (v. 27).  The "more" attitude in this perspective changes to more about others than more about me.  What a great opportunity to be a light on a hill (Mt. 5:14-16).  Pro. 11 also tells us what to turn from - dishonesty (v. 1), pride (v. 2), duplicity (v. 3), gossip/slander/lying (9, 11, 13, deceptiveness (v. 18), greed (v. 26), confidence in riches (28).  Individually these may seem easy to do but in the context of work and trying to provide for your family it may prove to be a greater challenge.

I truly believe God takes care of each one of his children.  Furthermore he entrusts kingdom opportunities to those that are trustworthy (cf. Mt. 25:29, Lk. 16:12).  Building a business, livelihood or ministry is no different.  How one approaches it has everything to do with what is entrusted by God.  Learning this is part of the journey and applying it can be a life work.  Pro. 11 is a key part of the roadmap to successful business stewardship.