Godly, Christlike love – the way & practice thereof – Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5; Micah 6:8; Mt 22:37-40; Pro 17:9,17; Roms 13:8; 14:1; 15:1; 12:1-2,9-13,14-21; I Cor 13:4-8a; Mt 5:43-45; I Jn 4:7-19:
On wisdom & wise speech: Js 1:19-20; Ephs 4:29; Pro 18:4,6-7,10,13*,17,20-21; 19:1,5 (be a truth teller – Pro 26:28; Jer 9:1-6),9,27; 20:19; 2:1-5; 15: 14,23, 26,28; 16:13,21,24; 17:27,28; 23:9,16; 25:11; 26:7,16; 10:11; 12:18-19,22.
On avoiding conflict: Pro 19:11; 20:3; 4:4-15; 15:1-2,4,7,18,28; 16:27-28; 17:20,27; 21:23; 22: 11,24-25; 26:22-23,28
The root cause of every problem of every human life (the foundational point of beginning in Biblical counseling – Pro 20:5,22; Roms 12: 14-21) is the sinful, willful ignoring of God, the reality of which is revealed in Gen 3:1-6; 6:5; Jer 17:9-10; Roms 8:6-8; 3:10-18; 1:18,19-32.
Pro 28:14b reveals what the root problem of every human heart is – “he who hardens his heart (a willful act/my emphasis) will fall into calamity.” (Roms 8:6-8; 3:18; 1:18). Pro 14a, in contrast, clearly reveals the one & only way of knowing, having, & practicing Godly, Christlike love – “How blessed is the man who fears always…..” (Pro 1:7; 9:10; Mt 22:37-40; Jn 3:1- 8; Col 2:9-10; II Ptr 1:3-4).
The Biblical conclusion of the matter is that to “harden” ones heart against God, in actuality, is to “ignore” God. A life that ignores God is clearIy described in I Cor 2:14, where Paul, inspired by our precious, infinitely faithful Holy Spirit, not only describes the one who ignores God, but he also clearly states why he does so – “…..a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”(emphasis mine).
Mt 5:6; II Tim 3:16-17; 2:15; Jn 14:15,21,23