Heeding Words of Wisdom

Lately I have been reading the Bible in the book of Proverbs. The Proverbs are intended for giving wisdom, knowledge, understanding to those who heed its words. Not everyone is willing to listen to wisdom. I'm certain there have been times in my life where I fit the description of someone who is unwilling to listen.

I heard a saying some years back that I find funny and sad at the same time. It goes: "Wisdom comes with age but sometimes age comes alone." It's funny, no? But it is like one of those sitcoms that are on in the evening. Funny, but not in real life.

I learned a long time ago that the right kind of wisdom comes from God. Other forms of so-called wisdom are unreliable at best. We people love to come up with things that sound good, but don't take us very far. I'd personally rather rely on wisdom that is divine, not fickle advice that man provides one day and changes his mind about the next.

Accepting God's wisdom as divine and true can bring great joy. However, it can also cause a great deal of discomfort, even pain. The reason is it sheds light on my own, human shortcomings. Sound like a recipe for self-condemnation? No, on the contrary it leads me to trust in God even more. Why would I want to believe in someone who is like me? Flawed, fickle, changing. My God is above anyone or anything in this world. I find great comfort in that.

This morning I found myself in a Proverb. It was in chapter 19, verse 2. It reads: "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way." Shazam! That Proverb is talking about me! What I get from it is this: Zeal is enthusiasm (not a bad thing) and knowledge is, of course, understanding about a person or event. But to have zeal without knowledge and taking action on an event or with a relationship without seeing a clear picture of the truth is foolish. It causes one to miss "the way." The way, as I see it, is God's plan in the situation.

Here's the deal. I sometimes find myself in a situation that seems exciting  new, challenging. I jump right in. Or, I meet someone new and think they are just great. Instant trust, instant relationship. Wow! What a jam I can end up in. I run ahead of God's plan in the situation. Maybe there wasn't even a plan there for me to begin with. Sigh.

I talked with a friend about it and asked, "How do I make myself stop being so compulsive, stop running ahead with things." She gently and lovingly responded, "I think it's a huge step to even identify this in yourself."

Here's what I'm taking away with this information. I am blessed to have identified this problem with such clarity. I could be self-condemning and hard on myself (another shortcoming), but I won't. I will thank God and seek His wisdom in the matter. After all, I'm human and I suffer from the same problem the rest of the human race suffers from: imperfection.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Don't beat yourself up for your shortcomings. Acknowledge them, work on them, trust God to help you.