I’ve been thinking a lot about wisdom as of late…knowing God’s will, doing God’s will, making wise decisions, etc. I read Proverbs 8 today, which is all about gaining wisdom, and I’d like to share with you something about wisdom. The first verse of Proverbs sums it up… “Does not wisdom call out?”
For the longest time, I thought that wisdom was a state that you attained…sort of like a travel destination. Once you get there, you’re there. You know? Once you’ve got it, you’ve got it. But then, I always wonder what happens to church leaders who fall. Where was their wisdom when they made the fatal choice that brought them down? It seems to me that wisdom it not a state you attain…rather, it is a degree of connection to the Holy Spirit, Who “calls out” to us. As you grow in your knowledge of Christ and Who He is, you naturally gain wisdom because your relationship to Him keeps you close to Him. When you’re close to Him, it is very easy to hear His voice clearly and the dissenting voices of evil are drowned out. If your relationship with Him suffers, though, you decline in your ability to hear His voice. Without hearing His voice and being strengthened by Him, wise decisions are harder and harder to make because your connection to the Giver of Wisdom is hindered (or non-existent). Sounds simple, right? Yet, far too many of us (myself included) allow our relationship with Christ to suffer as we get busy. We skip our Bible Study, or miss church, or whatever. We treat that relationship with Him flippantly…until we have a crisis. THEN we seek His wisdom. THEN we’re ready to open the lines of communication.
I encourage you to keep focus on your relationship with Jesus this new year. Do not lose sight of Him as not only the source of your strength, but of wisdom.
For the longest time, I thought that wisdom was a state that you attained…sort of like a travel destination. Once you get there, you’re there. You know? Once you’ve got it, you’ve got it. But then, I always wonder what happens to church leaders who fall. Where was their wisdom when they made the fatal choice that brought them down? It seems to me that wisdom it not a state you attain…rather, it is a degree of connection to the Holy Spirit, Who “calls out” to us. As you grow in your knowledge of Christ and Who He is, you naturally gain wisdom because your relationship to Him keeps you close to Him. When you’re close to Him, it is very easy to hear His voice clearly and the dissenting voices of evil are drowned out. If your relationship with Him suffers, though, you decline in your ability to hear His voice. Without hearing His voice and being strengthened by Him, wise decisions are harder and harder to make because your connection to the Giver of Wisdom is hindered (or non-existent). Sounds simple, right? Yet, far too many of us (myself included) allow our relationship with Christ to suffer as we get busy. We skip our Bible Study, or miss church, or whatever. We treat that relationship with Him flippantly…until we have a crisis. THEN we seek His wisdom. THEN we’re ready to open the lines of communication.
I encourage you to keep focus on your relationship with Jesus this new year. Do not lose sight of Him as not only the source of your strength, but of wisdom.
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3 comments:
good thoughts there. And I have to agree with you about it being about connection instead of "arriving at the" level of something. Praying for you and your family today!
Love you and see you soon.
I have always felt that I lived a good life, led by example. I always felt that I would be judged by others for what I have done, lives I have saved, assaults that I had stopped ... but now question many things.... I have never " believed " or maybe if I had at one time, everything that I deal with has cast seems to be coming at me all at once. How do you hear the voice, or even make it coherent if it all seems like background noise ?
J
Good question J,
Hearing the voice of wisdom calling out to you (the voice of the Holy Spirit within you) begins with your relationship to Jesus Christ. Have you ever confessed to Him that you are broken, and that you need His forgiveness and need Him to take control of your life? In lots churches you'll hear that called "getting saved" or "accepting Christ" - but what it really boils down to is this. We must realize that we are broken and that our sin separates us from God, our Creator. Jesus though He was sinless, died to serve as the punishment for our sin - therefore through Him we can receive forgiveness. When we ask Him for that forgiveness, He not only forgives us, but scripture also tells us through the Holy Spirit lives inside of us. It is that voice that we need to hear - the voice of the wisdom. The closer we remain to God, the easier it is to hear His voice.
So getting close to God begins with accepting forgiveness through Jesus, but to keep close to Him and to keep His voice from blending into the background noise we must consistently read scripture (the Bible) and pray. Just like spending time with a friend teaches you about that person (what drink they always order at the restaurant, how they always snort when they laugh, etc.) so that you know what they will think/feel/do in any situation - the more time you spend with someone, the better you know them. Same thing with God. The more time you spend reading the Bible, the more you'll know God's heart and how He wants us to live. God's Spirit inside of you calls out to you with wisdom when the time comes.
The key to it all, however, is your relationship with Jesus. So J, have you taken the step to ask Jesus for forgiveness of you sin and to take control of your life? That's the first and most important step.
Email me if you have any more questions...I'd be happy to dialogue with you about this.
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