Session 13 • Proverbs 13
Companions, Correction & Slow Gain — Theme 2: Path & People
Proverbs 13 links the voices you listen to, the people you walk with, and the way you handle desire and money. Correction, companions, and patient gain quietly shape whether your path grows brighter or harder.
Scripture should always be read first in your own Bible, with prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit for understanding. North & Narrow’s notes are created with the help of technology and reflect a fallible, interpretive layer. Use this program as a supplemental guide, not a replacement for Scripture itself.
What today is about
Proverbs 13 shows how receptive hearts, steady effort, and wise companions build a good future, while stubbornness, shortcuts, and foolish company lead to loss and regret. It emphasises correction, “slow” wealth, and the deep impact of who walks beside you.
- Those who receive correction gain wisdom; those who refuse it stay stuck.
- Desire without effort leaves empty; diligence quietly satisfies.
- Slow, honest gain is better than fast, crooked increase.
- Walking with the wise shapes you; so does friendship with fools.
- Hope deferred weighs the heart; fulfilled desire is like a tree of life.
Section 1 — Correction, Desire & Diligence (vv. 1–4)
Proverbs 13:1–4 (KJV)
Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
Explanation (v.1): Wisdom is first shown in listening—receiving instruction and correction. The “scorner” treats rebuke with contempt and therefore shuts himself off from growth.
Proverbs 13:2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
Explanation (v.2): Words return as fruit. Those who speak wisely and truthfully enjoy good outcomes, while those who speak in sinful, harmful ways reap conflict and trouble.
Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
Explanation (v.3): Guarding speech protects life—holding back impulsive words guards from needless damage. Unrestrained talk opens the door to ruin.
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Explanation (v.4): Mere wishing leaves a person empty; diligence turns desire into provision. The “fat” soul is well-supplied because effort has matched desire over time.
Section 2 — Honest Wealth & the Long View (vv. 7, 11)
Proverbs 13:7, 11 (KJV)
Proverbs 13:7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
Explanation (v.7): Appearances deceive. Some project wealth but are empty in substance; others seem modest or “poor,” yet possess real riches—character, wisdom, or hidden provision.
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Explanation (v.11): “Vanity” points to empty, dishonest, or speculative gain. Wealth built by such means tends to evaporate, while patient, honest work tends to grow over time.
Section 3 — Hope, Companions & Consequence (vv. 12, 20–21)
Proverbs 13:12, 20–21 (KJV)
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Explanation (v.12): Delayed or disappointed hope weighs heavily on the heart. When longed-for desires are rightly fulfilled, they refresh and nourish like a living tree.
Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Explanation (v.20): Companionship is formative. Walking closely with the wise shapes you toward wisdom, while staying close to fools pulls you toward their outcomes.
Proverbs 13:21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.
Explanation (v.21): Sin invites trouble that eventually catches up; righteousness aligns with God’s goodness and, in due time, meets a fitting return.
Recap — Proverbs 13 (Key threads)
- Wisdom starts with receiving instruction and rebuke instead of scorning it (v.1).
- Guarded speech protects life; reckless words invite destruction (vv.2–3).
- Desire without effort remains empty, but diligence satisfies (v.4).
- Appearances of wealth can be hollow; honest, slow gain is what lasts (vv.7, 11).
- Hope deferred weighs down the heart; fulfilled desire refreshes like a tree of life (v.12).
- Companions shape you—walk with the wise to grow wise, avoid being pulled down with fools (v.20).
Today’s practice — Walk with the wise, choose slow gain
Aim: Let your inputs, companions, and money choices move you toward wisdom instead of regret. This session especially supports the Finance • Wood (no new “vanity” gain), Relationships • Wood (wise companions), and Identity • Wood (teachable heart) medallions.
Quick — Today (5–10 minutes)
- Name one “wise companion” input you want more of (a person, a book, a message, a pastor, a mentor) and schedule or start one brief contact with it today.
- Identify one “vanity” money temptation (get-rich-quick pitch, impulse buy, risky shortcut) and deliberately say no, aligning with Proverbs 13:11.
- Pray briefly: “Lord, make me someone who walks with the wise, works diligently, and is patient with Your timing.”
Medium — 7 days (“Companions & Gain Audit”)
- For a week, keep a tiny daily note with two lines: “Today’s wise input/companion was…” and “Today’s small honest-gain step was…” (for example, 25 minutes of focused work, paying a bill on time, or skipping a shortcut).
- Gently reduce time with one “foolish input” (gossip thread, cynical feed, complaint circle) and replace that slot with a wiser voice.
- At the end of the week, write 5–6 sentences: “Here is how my desires, my sense of hope, or my view of money shifted even slightly this week.”
Deep — 30 days (“Walk with the Wise & Slow Gain Rule”)
- Choose one relational focus and one financial focus: (a) who you walk most closely with, and (b) how you pursue progress or gain.
- Set a 30-day covenant, for example: “I will seek at least one wise conversation or input each week,” and “I will avoid new debt or speculative schemes, focusing instead on steady labour and honest saving.”
- Keep a simple log each day: “Today’s step toward wise companionship was…” and “Today’s step toward slow, honest gain was…”
- After 30 days, review patterns and write a short testimony of how your path, people, and peace around money and hope have begun to change.
Comparative lenses — Other wisdom echoes
Aristotle — Friends & Habits of the Soul
Aristotle notes that friends profoundly shape character and that virtue grows by repeated choices. Proverbs 13’s “walk with wise men” and emphasis on diligence and slow gain fit this view: companions and daily habits steadily form the kind of person you become.
Confucius — Learning, Teachers & Right Company
Confucius emphasises respectful learning from elders and the importance of upright companions. The wise son who hears instruction and the warning about being a companion of fools parallel this: teachability and honouring those who correct you are essential to moral growth.
Socrates — Examining Desire & Appearances
Socrates pushes people to question appearances and examine their desires. Proverbs 13 exposes the gap between appearing rich and truly having substance, and calls you to ask: “Am I chasing image or reality? Desire without effort, or desire shaped by wise work?”
Buddha — Craving, Patience, and the Path
In Buddhist teaching, craving and impatience deepen suffering, while a disciplined path leads to greater clarity. While the worldview differs from Scripture, the warning against “wealth gotten by vanity” and the call to patient, honest gain resonate: shortcuts and cravings tend to end in loss, while long obedience in the same direction builds something that lasts.
Closing prayer (optional)
Lord, thank You that You care about my companions, my desires, and how I handle money and hope. Make me teachable when You correct me, diligent in the work You’ve given, and wise in choosing who I walk closely with. Guard me from empty shortcuts and help me to value slow, honest gain and the tree of life that comes from desires aligned with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.