A Path to Growth

Where do you turn when you need advice? To an expert, right?

But experts can be expensive. Why not turn to a community instead?

As we ask our questions and provide great answers to one another, we're creating a valuable resource for everyone else who wrestles with these challenges.

I recommend four practices:

**First, prioritize knowing God.** Our lives must reflect an ongoing, passionate response to God's love.

**Second, study!** It's crucial to know what we're talking about. We strive to be humble learners who engage with the Scriptures and the best scholarship on any given question.

**Third, be kind!** We're not here to boast about our spiritual achievements. Instead, we want to show respect, kindness, and gentleness, pointing people to Jesus.

**Finally, show up and participate!** We learn by doing. The more you engage, the more you will grow.

One invaluable source of wisdom is the book of Proverbs. These principles are not just good ideas but truths worth pondering. They offer us guidance on how to listen, speak, and relate to others in a godly way.

Consider these highlights from Proverbs 15: - A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. - The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness. - The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit. - A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. - Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. - The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things. - The fear of the LORD is what wisdom teaches, and humility comes before honor.

A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness. The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good. The tongue that heals is a tree of life, but a devious tongue breaks the spirit. A discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering, but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things. The fear of the LORD is what wisdom teaches, and humility comes before honor.