walK with THE Wise ~ Honor ~

A person’s wisdom yields patience;

it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 19.11

According to Strong's Concordance, the word translated glory can also be translated beautiful... brave... comely... fair... majesty... splendor... honor... Sometimes insight comes when I substitute some of those Strong's synonyms directly into the verse, trying to understand different nuances of a scripture.

• A person's wisdom yields patience; the one who overlooks an offense is beautiful.
• A person's wisdom yields patience; to overlook an offense, one must be brave.
• A person's wisdom yields patience; it is comely to overlook an offense.
• A person's wisdom yields patience; how fair it is when one overlooks an offense.
• A person's wisdom yields patience; the one who overlooks an offense is majestic.
• A person's wisdom yields patience; splendor shines for each offense overlooked.
• A person's wisdom yields patience; it is honorable to overlook an offense.

I love the first part of this verse in the King James Bible: The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 

We live in a world that is quick to take offense... I'd even go so far as to say we live in a world that is quick to go searching to find that for which they can take offense. Yet that isn't a sign of wisdom. And it is not a path leading to honor. Rather, that path is one that passes right over the offense or the transgression. It doesn't mean the offense is not seen, that it is not painful, that it is not unjust, that it is not frustrating, that it doesn't lead to difficulty or to injury. It simply means that the one offended chooses not to do anything about it.

And then boasts only in His gracious God, without whom he would have been powerless to make that choice: “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things.” (Jeremiah 9.23, 24)

A few years ago, my brother-in-law retired after a long career as a medical doctor in the Navy. He was honored because he "tarried long" in his position despite frustrations, separations from his family, long hours and all of the regulation that goes along with being part of the military.

Are you willing to tarry long?

When you do, do you honor with your boasting the One Who so graced you?