As we look at this verse, we no doubt see the character of King Jesus on display. We should be thankful for a God who personally rules us in mercy and truth; and His character should continually draw us to Him for communion and fellowship. However, as we come to this text, in this book, we miss the intention of the author and the intention of God if we walk away from the text with the application of applying this only to God’s character. The book of Proverbs is a book dedicated to imparting wisdom. Growth in wisdom occurs as our lives are transformed through seeing and understanding the world and our everyday life through the filter of God’s revealed will. It is not uncommon to hear teachings that assert that wisdom and godliness occur as we grow in our practice of thinking on the character of God. While I would never want to diminish the practice and value of meditating on the character of God; I also do not want to ignore the biblical teaching that we are called to more than meditation. In Ephesians 5:1, Paul calls us beyond the practice of meditation to the practice of imitation. So, we might say that growth in wisdom occurs as we meditate on, and imitate the character of Christ. That being said, what do we learn from our text today? Here we have a lesson that should be learned by all who hold a position of authority. Your influence will be established and kept through a consistent practice of love and kindness coupled with an uncompromising commitment to truth and righteousness. This will occur as you see how loving Christ has been to you in the midst of your own rebellion and failures. As you reflect on the faithfulness of Christ to confront you with truth in love, you will find the strength and motivation to do the same to others. May God bless us to be faithful, wise stewards of the authority He has given us; that we might be conformed more and more to the image of Christ.