This little-known Proverb holds a profound statement for living a life that matters. When the accumulation of possessions becomes our driving force, we will not thrive. Yet when we make a unique contribution to society, we will grow, both as an individual and as a community at large. Thrive offers practical principles for living that will guide you to fulfill the life God has planned for you. Like a mentor walking alongside a friend, author Lisa H. Toney helps you celebrate your unique and God-given role and then encourages you to live life to the fullest. Life should not just happen to you. Thrive provides resources to shape your life for fulfillment and contribution to our planet.
This little-known Proverb holds a profound statement for living a life that matters. When the accumulation of possessions becomes our driving force, we will not thrive. Yet when we make a unique contribution to society, we will grow, both as an individual and as a community at large. Thrive offers practical principles for living that will guide you to fulfill the life God has planned for you. Like a mentor walking alongside a friend, author Lisa H. Toney helps you celebrate your unique and God-given role and then encourages you to live life to the fullest. Life should not just happen to you. Thrive provides resources to shape your life for fulfillment and contribution to our planet.
eBook
Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
Related collections and offers
Overview
This little-known Proverb holds a profound statement for living a life that matters. When the accumulation of possessions becomes our driving force, we will not thrive. Yet when we make a unique contribution to society, we will grow, both as an individual and as a community at large. Thrive offers practical principles for living that will guide you to fulfill the life God has planned for you. Like a mentor walking alongside a friend, author Lisa H. Toney helps you celebrate your unique and God-given role and then encourages you to live life to the fullest. Life should not just happen to you. Thrive provides resources to shape your life for fulfillment and contribution to our planet.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781426775925 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Abingdon Press |
| Publication date: | 08/20/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Thrive
Live Like You Matter
By Lisa Toney
Abingdon Press
Copyright © 2013 Lisa ToneyAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4267-7592-5
CHAPTER 1
BURIED TREASURE
The Wisdom of an Ancient Proverb
WELCOME TO THE PLANET. I'm glad you could make it.
When you were born, you were given this time and place to be alive. You have made it this far. Congratulations. The question is, now what? What will you do with this one life you have been given? How will you make the most of it? How will you make a difference? How will you thrive?
You did not just fall out of the sky. The stork really did not drop you off at your parents' front steps. You were created with purpose and intentionality. God wants you to be here in this time and place as part of the seven billion people who fill our planet. Even if you have never felt as if anyone wanted you, God does. God created you. God breathed life into you. God does want you to be here. God wants you to have this amazing life where you live life to the fullest and experience the wonder of the human existence through the relationships that you have. God wants you to thrive.
A life that thrives can impact our planet by leaving a legacy of goodness and generosity. A life that thrives has the ability to benefit others as well as find personal satisfaction. Doesn't that sound good? I'm in.
How do we get there, though? How do we thrive? Good questions. It always seems like something that happens to someone else, doesn't it? Yet this discovery of a life with meaning and purpose can be yours too. It is as thrilling as lifting the lid off a treasure chest. Are you ready to go treasure hunting?
I grew up in Michigan, so just finding the ground again after a snowy winter was like discovering buried treasure. But at the little lake near my childhood home, summer provided the best opportunities for treasure hunting. The water was so transparent, my two sisters, friends, and I could see minnows swim by our feet. We plucked them out of the water, staring eyeball to bulging fish eyeball as they squirmed and wiggled to escape our grip. The tiny hidden crayfish that peeked out from the shadows of docks and boat hoists were our dire enemies; those pinchers morphed in my mind into giant lobster-sized claws that could attack at any moment.
The clams were our treasure. They burrowed into the sand, often hidden with only slivers of their shells visible. But they did not hide as well as they thought. They left clam tracks—little lines drawn in the sand as they dragged their shells along the bottom of the lake. They snuggled down in the sand, tantalizing us in our search.
In our mighty sailing vessel—my dad's rowboat equipped with oars twice our size, a bucket of water, and a giant fishing net hanging from a pole—we cast off and followed clam trails, leaned over the edge of the boat, dug into the sand, and cast out our net. As those little clams emerged from the waters into our net, we piled them into our bucket of water and whooped with excitement. Again and again, one clam at a time, we searched, dug, and rejoiced. What a rush for a ten-year-old sailing the "high seas" in two feet of water.
With our bucket overflowing with treasure, we carried our hoard to the end of the dock. After counting our haul, we cast them back into their sparkling aquatic home so we could chase them again. Sure, they had all night to get a head start, but we'd be back. They could run—or crawl—but we would find them again. Half the fun was the search and, of course, the big net.
But the real thrill was definitely the treasure. On one of those perfect summer days, my dad decided to let us keep our bucket of treasure. Sitting on the dock, he opened up all those tiny clams with a knife and put all those pieces of clam meat in a pile. Back in the kitchen, my mom kept a watchful eye as my dad turned our treasure into homemade clam chowder.
As we set the picnic table with bowls and spoons, we were ready to dive into our delicious fresh catch. I slurped a creamy spoonful. Creamy and . . . gritty. I could taste sand in every bite. This story would have been way better if the clam chowder had been amazing, right?
FINDING TREASURE IN A PROVERB
Searching for buried treasure is exhilarating; there's the potential of a mystery solved. Everyone I know loves a good treasure hunt, especially if the pursuit uncovers something rare of great worth.
That was how I felt when I first found a little life gem. It had always been sitting there, just waiting to be discovered ... buried treasure. This time, though, it was a treasure I wanted to hold on to, not throw back. It was not an ingredient of sand soup. Instead, it shone like a valuable gold nugget.
This treasure was hidden in an ancient Hebrew proverb, a simple saying packed with truth. Although it has existed for many years, it positioned itself differently for me one day.
I was developing a spiritual coaching program, and I stumbled across this treasure as I was looking for a way to adequately describe the amazing changes I saw taking place when people lived with purpose and focus. As we matched spiritual life coaches with their mentees, I saw the power of intentional relationships to spark growth and hope. These purposeful relationships were helping people thrive.
As I reflected on the people who had invested in me, I noted so many who had intentionally poured time and wisdom into my life, thereby helping set me on a thriving course. As a child, I had parents who cherished and guided me. As a deeply depressed teenager who felt betrayed by a dear friend, I found healing through the care and nurturing guidance of a local pastor. As a cynical college student, I had the unwavering relational commitment of an unexpected kindred spirit who restored my faith in friendship. As a young professional, I benefited from a supervisor who offered wise counsel and direction. As a newlywed, I met weekly with a respected friend for advice and encouragement. When the parenting adventure began, the wisdom and experience of my older sister and parenting friends became priceless. The list goes on and on of people who devoted themselves to invest in me. Each offered me healing, direction, and wisdom.
Something significant happens when people invest in another life in a positive way. It can change the entire course of that person's future.
As I reflected on my experience and heard more stories of growth, healing, and hope from the spiritual coaching program, I searched for a word to communicate this way of life. I felt as if I were on a treasure hunt.
One day at home, as I flipped through the pages of my Bible, this proverb with the word thrive seemed to jump off the page. It shouted exactly what was happening in these relationships—successful living with health and balance. Then I looked at the entire phrase encompassing the word, and the idea rang true. This profound statement, just waiting to be discovered and put into practice, zeros in on the human capacity to thrive:
"Those who trust in their riches will F A L L,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."
Who doesn't want to thrive? We all want that for ourselves, our families, our businesses, and our friends. Thriving means you are doing life well.
This proverb is attributed to Solomon, an ancient king of Israel who was renowned for his good judgment. He had the ability to accurately assess a situation and make helpful and accurate decisions.
In the midst of a hotly debated custody battle, King Solomon offered an extraordinary solution. While accusations flew and emotions ran high between two women asserting parental rights, King Solomon suggested the baby be cut in two so that each woman could have half the child. A solution bordering on the barbaric was enough to prompt the real mother to immediately relinquish the child to the other woman rather than see her baby harmed. King Solomon affirmed that woman as the true mother because of her selfless love. The baby, still in one piece, was returned to her care.
People came from near and far to hear Solomon's wisdom. Even the famed Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia and Yemen decided to set out to meet King Solomon and personally assess this wisdom. She brought some of the riches of her kingdom. Would his wisdom be an equal trade? Solomon insightfully answered her questions, and she admitted, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me."
Solomon's proverbs were collected to offer wisdom to whoever could benefit from them. Royalty and commoners alike were permitted access to this gift of wisdom given to Solomon by God.
So, is it possible that an idea written by a respected leader thousands of years ago still holds valuable truth for us today? This book honors this one little jewel of a sentence, buried treasure, which speaks about what it means for a person to thrive.
Solomon captured a truth about our ability to thrive. When we trust in riches—things like possessions and money—we will not flourish or grow. We will fall, like a leaf, off a tree. Riches may create a gust of fun around us for a while, but during high winds, even more leaves end up falling off trees.
In writings attributed to an older King Solomon, he said, "There is nothing new under the sun." The pursuit of riches and the accumulation of possessions have apparently been desires of humanity for a really long time. Even nearly three thousand years ago, people trusted their lives to what they had rather than invest in who they were or what they could contribute to the planet.
The pursuit of riches may be fast and furious, but it doesn't fulfill the purpose for which we were created. If you have ever survived the stampedes of Black Friday, immediately following our day of thankfulness, you know our love of stuff is alive and well. With this false pursuit, in the end, life can come crashing down, falling all around us. When King Solomon shifted his focus to his riches rather than righteousness, his own proverb crashed down upon him as he lost much of his wealth, power, and status.
According to this proverb, trusting in riches may make you fall like a dead leaf, but there is something that will lead you to thrive like a green leaf.
I love putting new plants in the garden because I cannot wait to see their transformation from small green seedling to bountiful food-giving plant. What a thrill to find a plant covered in juicy red tomatoes or to discover a cascade of fresh berries bursting forth from the plant. My urban garden attempts to sprinkle the slight land space with bushes and vines that offer fresh produce throughout most of the year. Grapevines wind their way up our property border wall. Raspberry vines fill tight corners. Green bean and tomato vines climb in a small side garden next to our house. In tight spaces amidst a whole lot of cement and brick a healthy green plant peeks out, which one day will explode with delicious veggies or fruit.
Unfortunately, I am not a very competent gardener on my own. I require a team approach to growing most things. I put the plants in the ground and let God take over. Then I hope they survive and grow. Occasionally it works! Other times things start turning brown and funky. Sometimes there are bugs and fungus and mildew. The garden reminds me that hardly ever do things thrive without intentionality. Plants will not thrive without water, sun, weeding, fertilizing, and care. Neither will we.
THE TREASURE OF RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS
This treasure of a proverb proclaims that there is something that will actually cause a life to thrive. It's being righteous.
You probably haven't said that word today yet. Go ahead, say the word out loud. Move it around in your mouth. Roll your r.
We don't use the word righteous much anymore. This is part of our treasure hunt, discovering this word either for the first time or all over again. Let's dust it off and hold on to it for a bit. It might just be treasure.
Back in 1962 the word righteous was huge. Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield gave it fame as they adopted it as their stage name as the Righteous Brothers. I'd like to think they were intentional about this name. But the story goes that they adopted it after performing in a Los Angeles bar where a member of the crowd shouted, "That was righteous, brothers!" The name stuck. It was a moment of genius—or maybe a bit of fermented brew—that launched them and the word righteous into celebrity.
The Righteous Brothers might not have been saints, but they sang great songs like "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."
Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch ...
You've lost that lovin' feelin', Whoa, that lovin' feelin' ...
OK, back to business. This wise ancient proverb has more to offer us than a great band name. So let's spend some time with it and unearth this gem for our lives.
Solomon said those who were righteous would thrive. So what does it mean to be righteous? The Hebrew term tzadik (pronounced tseh-dek) means "righteous," and the Hebrew term tzedakah (pronounced tzeh-daw-kah) means "righteousness." Righteous and righteousness describe good relationships in terms of our words and actions. This is good living that treats people and situations honestly and displays integrity and care.
Righteousness encompasses our whole existence because who we are is mostly defined by our relationships in our families, workplaces, neighborhoods, places of worship, and more.
Righteous living does not just happen. You are not born righteous. Righteousness is intentional and takes constant interaction with your relational community. A life of righteousness requires investment not of money but of time and energy spent wisely.
Righteousness means having your relationships in a right order. Your relationship with God is right. Your relationships with others are right. You are in a good relational place with others and with yourself. Righteousness can be understood most simply as right relationships. Jesus talked about these right relationships this way: love God, love people. This treasure of a proverb that we have unearthed reveals that right relationships— righteousness—are essential if you want to thrive.
In ancient cultures and even until recent centuries, life could not be separated from the relationships of the surrounding community. The entire village celebrated weddings for days, extended families lived together in the same house, and occupations were handed down from one generation to the next. Life was inseparable from your relational community.
Many of us today do not live in similar strong community environments, but we still share with them one central component: the human need for connection with others. Even in our Western culture where we value our independence, people thrive best when they are upheld by and uphold others in healthy relationships.
Good relationships take work. They take intentionality. Most of us have some difficult relationships. They are strained; they are hard; they are complicated. If this ancient wisdom about righteousness is true, then we are going to be stuck until we can get these relationships healthier. Is it worth it? Is it possible? Yes, it is.
Do you want to live life to the fullest and enjoy it to the max? Do you want to contribute to humanity and make your life count? Do you want to thrive? Only you can answer these questions. People who answer them and decide to pursue righteousness are walking down the road that leads to a life of meaning and purpose—that is good living.
When we begin to thrive, we are living up to our potential. Jesus' brother James put it this way: "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Notice the word complete. This is an English translation of the Greek word teleios (pronounced tel-e-i-os). This word does not mean that you are done with life. Rather, it refers to fulfilling the purpose for which something or someone was designed. A child who grows to be an adult is accomplishing teleios. A boat that has been built and sails the seas is reaching teleios. A garden that is planted, grows, and is harvested is fulfilling teleios. A buried treasure that is found is teleios. It is completing that for which you were created.
To thrive in life is to be teleios. It is to have the sense that we are doing what God intended for us to do with our lives.
Life rarely turns out the way we envision it. The beauty of being human and having free will is that we get to make choices constantly. These choices can lead to both rewarding and hurtful relationships. As I talk with people who are seeking to thrive, I hear many stories of loneliness, anger, or disappointment that have left deep wounds that seem to get in the way. Often the hurts of life prevent us from thriving as we desire.
Yet there are always those people who are able to do so. Life does not defeat them. What do they know about thriving in spite of their circumstances?
A MAP FOR OUR TREASURE HUNT
Life on earth this side of heaven will never be perfect. But it can still be fulfilling. The chapters that follow zero in on character traits that will help you thrive in your relationships. These are life qualities that will encourage you to be a person who pursues right relationships, the righteousness highlighted in Solomon's proverb. Every relational encounter moves us closer to or further from thriving.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Thrive by Lisa Toney. Copyright © 2013 Lisa Toney. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Chapter 1. Buried Treasure: The Wisdom of an Ancient Proverb,Chapter 2. "Aye, Aye, Captain": The Power of an Honest Yes,
Chapter 3. Construction & Emoticons: The Protection of a Thoughtful No,
Chapter 4. Splinters: The Relief of a Pulled Barb,
Chapter 5. Live Out Loud: The Celebration of a Worthy Pursuit,
Chapter 6. Dragon Slaying: The Freedom of Vanquished Fear,
Chapter 7. Swat: The Honor of Fighting Injustice,
Chapter 8. Random Rainbows: The Triumph of Hope,
Chapter 9. Don't Waste Oxygen: The Peace of a Reasonable Pace,
Chapter 10. Skeleton Key: The Pursuit of Excellence,
Notes,