We are cruising down the highway of life, minding our own business, when something jumps up and cracks the integrity of our lives.

Why is praise the ultimate test for maturity and depth? Because it strikes at the very center of what nearly all of us tend to treasure most: our pride.

But what are we missing out on if we continually refuse to engage in accountability? What could we begin to experience if we were a measure braver than we were afraid?

Instead of abolishing our emotions, what if we took a different approach? What if we built a Holy dam on the river of our emotions that, like the Hoover Dam, released what was appropriate at the proper time and in the adequate quantity?

Our failure to trust in God's daily provision can lead us towards the temptation to steal what is not ours or hoard what has been given to us, both of which dishonor Almighty God and shortchange our intended purpose in life.

If God has called you to marriage, He will lead you to such a woman. If He has not, continue to live a life in full pursuit of the wisdom He has freely poured into your life through the Proverbs.