Living Wisely: Open Your Life and Pour in Proverbs

By J. Matthew Nance and Avery Willis

Living Wisely: Open Your Life and Pour in Proverbs gives you the recipe for smart, effective living. Hidden within these ancient Eastern sayings are life-changing secrets waiting to be discovered. In Living Wisely, J. Mathew Nance introduces a life coach whom you need to meet. He is an ancient sage from the East, where Matthew has spent more than twenty years of his life. Find out how this coach, whose advice is way different than that of most westerners, has been a huge help to those he trains. His methods are very specific and have been tested true and timeless. The most amazing thing is that he is willing to be your personal assistant!

Why read Living Wisely: Open Your Life and Pour in Proverbs?

Gain practical insight for setting a right life direction.

Begin now to build a life that works.

Break free from whatever holds you back.

Gain the wisdom of the ages.

Funny, pointed, and filled with wisdom! Matthew not only dug deeply into ancient Eastern wisdom, but he fleshed out practical principles with humorous experiences.

Bill Smith, trainer emeritus, International Mission Board, SBC

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973636502

J. Matthew Nance

J. Matthew Nance and his wife Cheryl live in the hills of Northwest Tennessee, where Matthew pastors First Baptist Church, Union City. He is the Author of Whoopin’ Up on Stinkin’ Thinkin’, Adventures of Nikki Dog, Breaking Free from Me, and Living Wisely. Their son Josh is married to Erin, and their son Jon is married to Samantha. Matthew and Cheryl have two granddaughters, Taylor and Adelyn.

Book preview

"If you want to take a serious look at yourself and come away laughing, spend some time with Living Wisely: Open Your Life and Pour in Proverbs. Matthew Nance has compiled a classic tonic for the soul that should be read by all of us."

- Roy J. Fish

Retired Professor of Evangelism, Southwestern Seminary

"I really enjoyed reading Living Wisely. Matthew offers practical applications for wisdom in everyday life. Now I am excited about re-reading it and sharing it with friends."

- Miss Harah Chon

26 year old MBA Student, Hong Kong

"Matthew has skillfully and practically integrated the timeless principles of Proverbs into daily living for us all. His candid discussion of the topics, personal openness, and varied international experiences combine to make Living Wisely: Open Your Life and Pour in Proverbs more than a devotional book. It is a practical manual for living as God would have us all live no matter where we live."

- C. Gene Wilkes, Ph.D.

Author of Jesus on Leadership

— FOREWORD BY AVERY WILLIS —

LIVING WISELY

OPEN YOUR LIFE AND POUR IN PROVERBS

J. MATTHEW NANCE

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Copyright © 2018 J. Matthew Nance.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3649-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3650-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018909711

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/24/2018

To the one I call my precious.

Because God has given me you, Cheryl, as my wife,

I am most blessed among men.

And to our two fine sons,

who were the inspiration for this book.

Joshua and Jonathan, a major goal of my life is accomplished

as I see you launching well into adulthood.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Every human being should have parents like mine! Mother and Daddy, by your example you raised me to intuitively know how to live day by day with wisdom as my coach, and for that guidance, the mere words thank you fall way short. This book was shaped in a practical way by your careful reading of each chapter and in a profound way by how you raised me.

The family of believers at International Baptist Church of Hong Kong served as a sounding board for the principles on these pages. For your affirmation of these timeless truths, I am grateful. Betty Chan, you encouraged this book into reality. Nancy Mock, you carefully proofread each chapter and continued to motivate me forward. Ron Brown, you inspired me to make this book happen. Marilyn Critzer, you gave it a final once-over. Thank you all.

Heavenly Father, above all, I thank You for speaking so clearly during these two years spent probing the book of Proverbs. What You have done in my heart through this study was worth it all!

FOREWORD

by Avery Willis

Bruce Marchiano, who played the part of Jesus in The Gospel of Matthew, tells of a time when, shooting the movie in the middle of South Africa, he became distracted by a pretty young extra. Although he was doing everything he could to be like Jesus, he noticed her every time she walked by.

A dear Christian friend came to him one morning and said, Good Morning, my bro! The Lord gave me a word for you this morning. He opened his Bible to the book of Proverbs and shared, The one who winks at you plots your destruction (Prov. 16:30).

Does this mean anything to you? he asked.

Not a thing, Bruce replied.

Bruce said, "It wasn’t a minute later that our new crew member drove up. She looked her usual wonderful self and smiled broadly at me, no doubt matching the smile that was beaming back at her. Then, as she passed and said good morning, she did something she’d never done before that moment. You guessed it—she winked at me! I couldn’t believe my eyes! And as if that weren’t enough, every time she walked by that day she winked- again and again! It gave me the scare of my life, and all attraction for that woman immediately transformed into stark terror. From that moment on, I ran the other way as fast as my sandals could take me." ¹

The power of the proverbs is proverbial!

Whenever I see a new book, I always ask the question, Why should I read this book? If you are like me, your busy schedule demands that there be one or more really good reasons. So, why should you read Living Wisely?

You will like this book because it is personal. As Matthew Nance explores Proverbs and tells his story, you may feel that he has been reading your mail or your thoughts! This book is helpful because he is willing to be vulnerable and transparent.

This is not your ordinary book. It is a fresh approach to the writings of the wisest man in history. No doubt, Solomon got his great wisdom from God. He also collected the wisest sayings from the chosen people of God. Many people value this wisdom so much that they follow a Bible reading program and read a chapter of Proverbs every day until they have read through the book twelve times a year. Matthew’s fresh look at the proverbs will help you incorporate their teachings and apply them to your daily life.

Another reason to read this book is that it is written by a missionary who has experienced life in several different cultures and looks at truth from many perspectives. You will notice as soon as you begin reading that Matthew Nance is not your stereotypical missionary. He is a fun loving guy who takes a humorous approach to life. Yet, he always takes you to the truth of Scripture.

I had the privilege of going to college with Matthew’s parents, and serving as a missionary with them in Indonesia. As the Senior Vice President for overseas operations of Matthew’s mission board, I also watched him grow as a missionary. I have listened to his wisdom as he talked with me about some very serious matters he was dealing with on the mission field. He incorporates his fun loving approach with dead serious advice throughout the book. You will enjoy this extraordinary book.

You will find this book very practical. It comes from life experience and is easily applied to life. Matthew’s application of Proverbs is both easy to make and memorable. It will make a difference in your life. Read it with joy!

Avery T. Willis, Jr

Executive Director

International Orality Network

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DANCE WITH GRANDMA!

Let The Wisdom of the Ages Teach

You How to Really Move!

COOL IT!

Break Free from Anger!

TIRED OF PLAYING VOCATIONAL

TRIVIAL PURSUIT?

Proven Methods of Failure and Success on the Job

SPEAK WORDS OF BLESSING!

Enjoying the Positive Results of Your Words

GO GET THE BALL FOR GRANDPA!

Learning from Life

GET ALONG!

Mastering Human Relationships

LIVING AT PEACE WITH THE

SEXUAL PART OF SELF

How to Be Pure without Moving into a Monastery

BANK ON IT!

Follow God’s Plan of Economy!

DO IT RIGHT!

Finding the Right Course of Action Every Time

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DANCE WITH GRANDMA!

Let The Wisdom of the Ages Teach You How to Really Move!

Do you sometimes wish you could hire a personal assistant to coach you toward a better life destination? Do you sometimes find yourself regretting what you’ve done or decisions you’ve made? Do you occasionally say I just don’t know what got into me? Does the sweat you’re putting into life seem to bring little results?

If you answered yes to any of the questions I just asked you, then surely you are interested in a recipe I found. It’s a recipe for living wisely. Are you willing for life’s ingredients to be remixed? Are you ready for change? Here’s the recipe for wise, smart, effective living: open your life and pour in Proverbs! Hidden within these ancient Eastern sayings are life-changing secrets waiting to be discovered. As you let the wisdom coach change you, some ingredients of your life will be taken out, others added, and unexpected spices will be sprinkled in along the way. The result will be a life creatively cooked, fully baked with delicious zest oozing out, wholeness packed within, power and fragrance steaming forth, and integrity in every solid bite.

Whether you are desperately seeking a new direction or just have some vague feeling that maybe life could be better, this book is for you. Are you young enough to believe that change is possible? Are you old enough to be open to receiving guidance? I have a coach you need to meet. He is an ancient sage from the East, where I have spent twenty years of my life so far. I meet him frequently. He’s way different than most westerners, but what a huge help he’s been to me and to those I’ve introduced to him. Though he is not perfect, he teaches us from his victories as well as his mistakes. His methods are very specific, and have been tested, true and timeless. And the amazing thing is that he is available to be your personal assistant! More on that later. First, here’s my clear challenge to you.

Begin now to build a life that works. All of the resources of heaven are at your disposal, ready to change your life. Change is possible. Maybe you feel that up to now life has sometimes been working against you. Let Proverbs build a life that works for you. Follow the way of wisdom day by day, and soon the label on your life will clearly read Built by Wisdom.

I was sitting in a plane at the Bangkok airport, waiting for take-off when the announcement came. Because of a large number of transferring travelers coming from a delayed plane, we would have to wait for take-off. The people from the other plane finally began arriving by bus, boarding the plane from the rear. They came running in, and to my surprise, among them was the wife of my good friend Jaime, and their two children. I only saw them briefly from a distance as they passed me on the opposite aisle. Then came a man who looked just like my friend Jaime. He had the rounded bald head, the height, and the build of Jaime.

After take-off, I made my way up the opposite aisle to find him. Suddenly, a mischievous idea came to mind. I walked forward until I found that familiar bald head, snuck up quietly from behind, and crouched down behind his seat. Carefully and quietly, I reached up and, after quickly thumping his left ear, got back down as low as possible so he couldn’t see me. I waited, but there was no response from Jaime. So I did the same to his right ear, only adding a little bit more force to the thump!

Still, there was no response. I thought, How strange! Maybe he is asleep. So I stood up and walked around to see his face. Though the back of the head was exactly Jaime-like, the face on the front of that head was not at all that of Jaime! I had been thumping the ears of a total stranger! How foolish I had been. How fortunate that I was still alive! I searched the plane until I positively identified Jaime’s wife and kids, then told them what I had done. They laughed hysterically, and told me Jaime was not on the plane.

Sometimes our assumptions need to be challenged. We think we know how to do life, but after following our own way, we see how foolish we were. What assumptions of yours hold you back from enjoying a better life? For instance, do you tend to assume that most people cannot be trusted? Or do you assume that you deserve better treatment than what is offered? Faulty assumptions lead us to wacky behavior, like thumping the wrong ear! Too often we find ourselves in tough spots of our own making. We have thumped the ear of the wrong person. At such times we may feel that life is over. The truth is that during such teachable moments life can begin to change for the better. We become more open to change.

When we’ve made a mess of things, it’s then that we finally realize we need to change. Proverbs not only challenges us to change, it also shows us how change really is possible. The ancient wisdom of Proverbs gives us the practical steps of how to change.

Though you only have one life, every day is an opportunity to change the course of your life. It’s never too late to change. Live each moment as a teachable moment. Don’t worry so much about the times you thumped the wrong person on the ear! Begin now to build a life that works. The ancient words of Solomon, the Eastern sage, are not lofty philosophical ideals. Solomon gives us earthy, common sense insight for living life as it was intended to be lived.

So get a life! Get the truth of Proverbs working on your mental assumptions. Let Proverbs challenge your areas of faulty thinking and the negative emotions that may be holding you back. Proverbs will show you ways you didn’t even know you needed to change. The big question is this: are you willing to change? There is one simple key that unlocks Solomon’s treasure chest of wisdom. Here is that simple key: have a teachable attitude. Are you teachable? Take this test.

• When making decisions, do I actively seek out the opinions of others?

• Am I willing to admit my mistakes to others?

• Do I open-mindedly consider viewpoints other than my own?

• Am I willing for my life’s destination to change?

Become eager to gain practical advice from others, and see how your life’s destination changes.

My wife, Cheryl, spoils me with home cooking every day. A few years ago, our work took me to Taipei, Taiwan, for several weeks by myself. While there, I barely survived on my own cooking. Toward the end of my time there, I was running out of groceries. The frugal side of me would not allow groceries to be bought. The inner voice said Put together whatever ingredients you have leftover, and do some creative cooking. So into the skillet went four eggs, some mushrooms, and, at the last minute, a bag of multi-colored peanut M&Ms. The resulting psychedelic omelet was delicious enough and colorful enough to patent! Ask me later about the chicken I once boiled in orange Fanta. It needs a patent, too.

Are you and I willing to let wisdom do some creative cooking with the ingredients of our lives? Follow this recipe for living wisely: open your life and pour in Proverbs. You will find yourself becoming truly intelligent.

In 2002, Cheryl, our two boys, and I packed up twelve years of life in Korea, prepared two bags each and moved to a creative access country. On the way from the airport to downtown in our new city, we saw local restaurants where dying animals were hanging upside down by the front door. Needless to say, we didn’t have much of an appetite that day. By the next day we were hungry, but we were not yet brave enough to go out to eat. We wanted to go buy groceries, but on the way from the airport we had been traumatized by glimpses of the open market. Chickens were running around everywhere on a dirt floor where raw meat and vegetables were piled high.

I just wasn’t ready to go to the market. So being a smart father, I sent our two boys Joshua and Jonathan! They were sixteen and twelve years old at the time. I told them, Please go buy some eggs. Remember, we saw chickens running around at the market, so surely they have eggs. So, as boys do, off they went on their big adventure. When they got to the market, they felt like they had dropped in from another planet. Everyone began staring at those two big, tall white boys.

Joshua and Jonathan looked in vain for the eggs. The grandmas selling live chickens were trying to figure out what those guys wanted. To communicate, those two smart young men began giving a visual display. Twelve years of cross-cultural living had taught them many survival skills. Joshua and Jonathan began acting like chickens. They flapped their wings, squatted up and down, and squawked like chickens. Bak bak bak BAAAK! Not getting the results they wanted, a further step was added. When they squatted down, they pretended to lay eggs, grabbed the dropping eggs with their hands as they laid them, and proudly showed the eggs to the grandmas! Calling all