Want to Jump In to Proverbs 4? Click here.
Hi there! In case you missed it, I extended an invitation a few weeks ago to join me in walking through Proverbs. Jump in ANY time. You can read the chapter we’re looking at before reading on (optional but definitely good for you if you can swing it!) I also recommend asking a friend to join you on the journey. (Click this link to take you to the introduction to this series if you want to know more.) I think we might need this wisdom these days more than ever!
One of my kids asked a very important theological question at the dinner table: Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons? We discussed the possibility that they did, just for show, and the possibility that they didn’t, since they would not have had an umbilical cord, being created by God Himself and all.
One confident child amongst the bunch made a suggestion he was sure would answer the question:
“I know, Mom! Ask Siri!”
It took a while to explain that there are some questions Siri, or the entirety of the internet, just can’t answer.
Do you give much thought to how truth and opinions — both good and bad — can pass down from one one person to the next, or even one generation to the next? What do we believe about coronavirus? Do we believe God is still on the throne? Do we believe He can use anything for His purposes and His glory?
Someday when they’ve left the nest, where will my kids look for wisdom?
Out of all the hundreds of thoughts, lessons and observations a father might give to a son, Solomon writes in Proverbs 4 that one thing King David said to future-King Solomon stood out the most:
Get Wisdom!! Get understanding!!
It stuck with Solomon, right down to his core, because long after David had passed on, the Lord asked Solomon “What do you want?” and though he could’ve asked for anything, what did he ask for?
Wisdom. Understanding. A wise heart to rule well.
The lesson of the father was passed on to the son.
We might have a lot of knowledge readily available at our fingertips. But how does that knowledge compare with true wisdom?
After taking a total media hiatus over Lent a couple of years ago, I began making an interesting observation upon re-entry to the worlds of Facebook, Instagram and other social media.
I found that after spending twenty minutes randomly scrolling through the news feed, I almost always had a less positive feeling about my life than I did twenty minutes earlier.
The news feed shows me friends getting together with friends, and I am not there.
The news feed shows me places other people are going that I haven’t been.
The news feed shows me things other people are doing I never heard I could do. Or didn’t know I needed to do. Or wasn’t invited to do.
These days, the news feed is full of fear and concern.
Why is it that my heart sometimes feels so heavy after twenty minutes on Facebook?
Lady Wisdom — the gal we talked about in Proverbs 2 who truly ought to be a BFF to each of us — she makes an appearance again here in Chapter 4. We’re told that her wisdom, her good judgment is the best thing we can look for in all the world.
Clearly the man who asked for wisdom and got it didn’t regret his decision.
Wisdom is like a gift card that you can spend at a store called Perspective. Bring that life dilemma to the checkout, present the Wisdom card, and boom — you will walk out with a completely different perspective on your situation than the one you walked in with.
It can guard these prone-to-wander hearts of ours (v. 23) in a way that will completely change our lives.
It can speak truth when the news feed whispers false perspectives or wants to encourage FEAR over FAITH.
So here’s a question worth pondering. What will the information you take in each day do for you?
Will it make you want better hair and nicer clothes?
Will your social media soirees make you feel like you’re just not as cool as the cool kids who are going here and there, wearing this and that, doing that and this?
Will the words you’re taking in encourage faith and hope, wisdom and discretion and bravery… or will they make your heart beat a little faster with fear for what’s going on the world?
While the shouts of the world lead your heart away from truth, beauty and goodness, Lady Wisdom whispers:
I will show you a better way. Don’t let seeking after things that don’t matter determine the course of your life.
Guard your heart, let my words filter out the noise so that the Truth can direct your steps.
What are you digging into when you open your phone or laptop, or turn on the TV? What are the habits determining your course of action at the end of a workday, or after the ring of the alarm clock?
Your heart’s going to determine the course of your life, and what you’re taking to heart most will be where most of your truth is coming from.
Ponder Solomon’s words, Lady Wisdom’s whispers today:
Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
xCC
Now… give some thought to what you believe about your life today. Ask Jesus to help you see where you’re believing the truth about your life, and where the world might be shouting a little too loudly for you to hear the real Truth.
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In case you missed it, I shared a post this week with lots of tips and ideas for the many families who find themselves suddenly homeschooling thanks to COVID-19.
You can check it out right here!
I hope you’re encouraged today, friend.
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