SERIES: Practice Being Better, Succeed at Being the Best, Say Yes to the  Responsibility to Lead....

START with YOUR GREATEST WEAPON, not your SWORD, not your biceps not your triceps, not even your wide chest, or beautifully sculptured body, but your EARS !

Proverbs Chapter 1

The Proverbs are Wisdom given to the King by GOD and to anyone that may take the responsibility to lead other people or excepts the privilege of being citizens of a kingdom to which GOD calls us to. King Solomon gave simple and practical instructions for people to follow in listening and obeying GOD and honoring the King Jesus!

How Does a man become wise?
He listens (Honors) GOD with fear and Reverence

He trains at being slow to speak and quick to hear (James 4)

First step in gaining wisdom or receiving anything from GOD is the FEAR GOD who teaches us to submit to those in authority which when you are young is your parents (Father and Mother). 

But for a young person (and even those that have a sense of entitlement) they confuse HONOR (GODLY FAVOR) with POPULARITY and FAME. Seeing others honored they think that it is their popularity instead of the GODLY favor that comes as a result of listening to GOD and being obedient to those in authority. 

HONOR is gained by honor given that is why GOD instructs all to begin their lives by 

Honoring HIM and then HONORING your FATHER AND MOTHER. This was not a request but a command and GOD attached a long life promise as a present for a person's obedience. 

Parents, it becomes your responsibility to help your children understand how important it is to listen. We have these books that teach parents how to listen to their children but very little that trains the children to listen to GOD and their parents. Yet, though I started with the young generation LISTENING is the HONOR that is missing out of the Church. We have selective listening we pick and choose. But great listeners become great leaders. Listening is one of the can do's (acts) that fall under humble submission.

v. 9 FROM THIS DISCIPLINE YOU WILL BE POSITIONED FOR GREATNESS...

IF WE DEMONSTRATE (SHOW) GOD THAT WE ARE LISTENING BY PRACTICING WHAT HE HAS TAUGHT OR SAID!

Once GOD knows that HE has trained you to listen then HE can prepare you to speak (when you are trained to listen GOD can prepare you to speak), as HIS instrument and not as excited  your own voice with your own motives. CAN YOU HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT ? WHAT DOES IT SOUNDS LIKE?ARE YOU READY FOR GOD TO USE YOU? THEN TRAIN YOURSELF TO SPEAK LESS AND LISTEN MORE. It is then GOD will bring forth  the Spirit of Purpose. In Fact, most people talk themselves out of the will of GOD.

The world is training us with lies making us believe that talking more will get you more and talking great will make you great. But how many of us remove ourselves from the presence of people that need their batteries pulled out, they simply talk too much; in reality most of what they say isn't worth anything. The truth is, LISTENERS are always kept in the crowd, in the know---'talkers' people can't wait until you shut up. The bible in proverbs teaches us that sin comes with many words and that a person should number (limit) how they use their speech. Some of you always say that GOD doesn't answer me but do you shut up and wait for HIM to answer you.
See Exodus 14:14....GOD will fight for you but you will hold your peace---in other words the LORD will defend you when you shut up and stop complaining or attaching your own faulty reasoning behind the experience when you have little to no information to make a righteous interpretation.

Never Confuse Honor with Popularity or Fame...

One of the things that we have to be careful about is not confusing popularity and fame with HONOR and FAVOR one is the accolades of man the other comes from GOD.