As we are in our “A Word to the Wise” series, we thought we would take some time and ask some of the amazing people in our community to share their thoughts on the book of Proverbs and what it means to live with wisdom.
Q: Johan, you joined the Life Changers team just before lockdown, but you are mostly behind the scenes so why don’t you tell the amazing Life Changers people a little bit about yourself?
As you mentioned, my name is Johan van Tonder. I recently got married, I play the drums, and I head up the production team at the church.
Q: You’ve made some big decisions in recent years, one of them being your move down to Cape Town, so what verse from Proverbs has helped throughout all of this change?
3 Before you do anything, put your trust totally in God and not in yourself.
Then every plan you make will succeed.
Q: How has this proverb helped you when making big decisions in life?
There have been multiple times in my life where I have felt like the only way to get something done or make something happen is to do it myself.
Without intentionally thinking “if you want something done, do it yourself” would creep into my thought-life and this would often result in me feeling discouraged, scared, or overwhelmed because it never works out the way I want it to or think it should.
But there is always that moment where I am reminded of this scripture, and I take a pause, pray, ask for forgiveness, and actively trust and rely on God. Time after time the situation is almost immediately turned around!
My life is a testimony of this.
Q: Has there been a recent moment in your life where this Proverb has become really applicable to you?
An example that comes to mind is when I recently got married. When I was planning on proposing to my then-girlfriend, I had no idea how I would be able to afford the ring that she wanted & deserved.
For weeks I started to do what I could in my own strength to get the money – selling things, trying to borrow money etc. The more desperate I got the less I relied on God and trusted him. One day in my quiet time I was reminded of this scripture. So, I prayed and chose to fully trust God.
By the end of that day, I had received two freelancing jobs on top of my normal work that would pay the exact amount I needed!
Q: You have a pretty simple perspective on the book of Proverbs. Why would you encourage people to read it?
Simply put, it is a “how to do life for dummies” book.