Verse 1
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If you have a home, and you're wise, you will keep it clean and organized, and your presence will be edifying for your family. A poor living condition and poor conduct destroy a family.
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Be encouraging and helpful to your family, and keep your conduct and living environment in good order.
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Verse 3
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When you are prideful, your words and actions, to others, are like a painful strike with a rod. Continue in pride, and you will have to be humiliated with the rod of correction! Humble yourself, seek wisdom, and speak what is helpful to others instead.
Verse 4
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Hard work for God's kingdom will create messes and problems that will require attention, but such will bring greater value in the end. Being lazy might make things appear to be easier to deal with, but you will be impoverished and ultimately judged by God.
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Choose productivity and do not be afraid of challenges! You will grow from these.
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Verse 6
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It will be easy to gain wisdom and knowledge if you value it, and if you are humble enough to seek further understanding and correction from others. But if you are prideful, and do not think beyond your own ways, you will not be able to truly grow in wisdom. You will accumulate information, but not true, transformational knowledge.
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Always seek further understanding by praying for it and by seeking it from other mature believers.
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Verse 7
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Don't spend much time with people that only speak foolishly. It will waste your time and theirs if, when you're around them, your conversations are only meaningless.
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Be strict with your time, and build relationships with people that you can positively influence or that will bring value to you.
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Verse 8, 15
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If you are wise, you will understand the reasons behind all of your actions.
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Live intentionally. Understand why you should do something, in the Word, before you do it.
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Don't believe everything you're told or take actions based on other people's opinions. Take actions that are grounded in what the Word says.
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Verse 12
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Don't do anything just because it seems or feels right. Don't live by your feelings.
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Always confirm that something is right in the Word, before you do it.
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Verse 13
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Don't conclude that a person is doing well just because they seem joyful on the outside. Don't use outward appearances to judge who needs help and who doesn't.
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Remember that laughter can hide pain.
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Verse 16
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Wise people have a healthy fear of God and of the consequences of sin, so they won't go near sin. But foolish people are self-confident and think that can play around with sin and go unaffected.
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Don't think that you can sin a little bit and be ok. This is foolish thinking! If you are wise, you will avoid all sin!
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Verse 17, 29
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Do not act out of quick or impulsive emotions. Otherwise, your actions will be foolish.
Verse 20
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You will be able to have more influence if you have money (Proverbs 18:16); money is a tool to make friends that you can bring to Christ (Luke 16:9).
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Desire to have extra money, if it's for the purpose of using it for generosity that will draw people in (Proverbs 19:4).
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But remember that if you are poor, by your choice, you won't have as much influence (Proverbs 19:7).
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Verse 23
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If your activity is good, you will gain value from it—whether that be skills, financial gain, or growth.
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But if you are lacking in something, it's because your activity is wasteful. Don't be busy; be productive.
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Verse 24
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Wisdom brings wealth, and this wealth will show the world that you are skillful in your life.
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This will make many in the world more likely to listen to you, if you are skilled in this area that they value—which is money.
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Understand the importance of skill with money as a tool to attract people for the kingdom.
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Verse 30
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Remember that pure and godly thinking is healthy for your body, but sinful thinking will hurt your body.
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Also work on thinking without sin if you want your body to be stronger.
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Verse 31
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You cannot honor God if you do not consider the poor and needy. Remember that helping people in areas of their need is a way you worship and honor God.