“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
The Few
This proverb names winning souls as evidence of wisdom directly, worth holding as this whole book’s own repeated theme, genuine investment in others is not merely a nice, optional addition to an otherwise wise life, but named here as itself the actual, defining evidence of genuine wisdom.
Notice tree of life, the specific image paired with this wisdom, life-giving, sustaining fruit, worth examining against however much your own life has produced other kinds of fruit, impressive by various measures, while this specific, life-giving fruit, souls genuinely won, has remained comparatively rare or entirely absent.
This is worth applying today as genuine self-examination, not measuring your own wisdom by conventional markers alone, knowledge, achievement, reputation, but by this proverb’s own named standard, he that winneth souls, worth holding as the actual, deeper measure this whole book has been describing throughout.
Consider today whether winning souls, genuine investment producing genuine, life-giving fruit in others, actually characterizes your own life, and if this proverb’s own standard currently feels distant from your actual, daily practice, consider what one concrete step toward this described wisdom might genuinely require.
Pour Into the Few
- Examine your own life against this proverb’s specific standard, not merely conventional markers of wisdom.
- Take one concrete step today toward genuinely winning a soul, not merely impressive, other kinds of fruit.
- Consider this proverb’s own connection between genuine wisdom and this specific, life-giving investment.
Prayer
Lord, let me be wise according to this proverb’s own standard, winning souls, bearing this life- giving fruit, not merely impressive by other, more conventional measures. Amen.
Carry this today
Winning souls is itself the defining evidence of genuine wisdom, according to this proverb.