Listen to advice and accept instruction, so that in the end you may be wise. Proverbs 19:20, TLV
Again and Again and Again? Does today’s proverb seem a bit repetitive? Simple? More like the proverbial fortune cookie message? We’ve read various iterations of this theme while reading through Proverbs. But there’s a really wise reason for that.
Did you know we only retain 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, and 30% of what we see?
When we use multiple modes of learning, those percentages increase: we retain 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we speak about, but 90% of what we speak about and do. Remember the saying: Walk the talk? It really is true.
The more ways we receive information, the better our chances of retaining and processing it. But the most effective way, clearly is to live it. However, even then, we need reminding.
GOD is so good to help us with that. Lessons that are important to our Wisdom and Faith Journey He will repeat again and again — and again and again.
This is why I repeat again and again and again the importance of living Proverbs by reading them every day — as best we can—for the rest of our lives.
Did you know . . .
Did you know there are 915 verses in Proverbs? If we meditated on one verse each day, it would take a little over 2.5 years. That’s just reading it once. If we only retain 10% of that, we’ll need to keep reading for a long time to retain the wealth of wisdom available to us. Maybe, for a lifetime?
Studying the Proverbs like a one-time Bible study is useful, but how many of us remember the coursework we did in college? In high school? Unless we use the information, every day or someone reminds us, probably not very much.
Be creative, too
I love encouraging you all to read a chapter of Proverbs each day, but I also want to encourage you — and me — 
to get creative. Discuss the verse with a friend. Sing the verse. Draw the verse. Needlepoint the verse. Paint the verse. Walk the verse and speak it out loud. Dig deeply into what the Holy Spirit might be showing us.
These are all amazing things we can do when we live the word — live the Proverbs — every day.
May we take this advice and be wise, my friends.
What are some creative ways you live Proverbs?
Thanks for stopping by again and again and again . . . Love your comments, grateful for your shares.
