Wisdom: The Principle Thing

Proverbs 4:7 – Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

We live in a world that puts a high priority on education. I have heard it said that the generation of Americans 40 and under has the highest percentage of college graduates in the history of the world. At the same time, it contains the lowest percentage of people with any true job skills. Whether or not these statistics are exactly accurate, the issue is real. Modern education has produced an overabundance of people with degrees in the humanities and arts who don’t know how to use a wrench. As I consider this, I am forced to ask this question: what good is all that learning if it doesn’t translate into any marketable skill? (I do not mean this to be derogatory; I myself am an academic and not a tradesman.)
The same idea can be applied to the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts. Wisdom is the skill to use those facts in a needed situation. Allow me to give an illustration. Knowledge is knowing that a desert path is 12.4 miles long. Wisdom is packing enough water for the hike (Scuderi). (To go a step further, insight is the forethought to build a lemonade stand at mile 6.)
The Bible has much to say about wisdom. The fear of the Lord is referred to as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). Wisdom will give the discretion to know when to keep silent and when to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Wisdom let us know that a gentle answer will turn away another person’s anger (Proverbs 15:1). Wisdom lets us know that it is not good to borrow because it makes us a slave to someone else’s desires (Proverbs 22:7). These are more than just head facts.  They are sound principles of advice that, if heeded, will help one avoid many of life’s unnecessary pitfalls. In short, wisdom keeps us from acting hastily in adverse situations. It will help us make careful, informed decisions based on reason and logic instead of the emotion of the moment.
In II Samuel 1:27 King David has just learned that his father-in-law, King Saul, has been killed in battle. In David’s grief he utters these timeless words: “How are the mighty fallen.” Though his words are spoken as an exclamation, the questioning tone of David’s lament is unmistakable. How did one such as King Saul fall so far from God’s grace? I believe the answer is very simple. Saul thought he was smarter than God. He thought he didn’t need the advice of Samuel, the prophet of God. He thought he didn’t need the advice of his counselors and men of war. He was a law unto himself. Though he was a very talented and capable leader, his lack of wisdom caused him to fall far and hard. How are the mighty fallen!
The lesson for us today is noteworthy. None of us is an island. We are all in need of direction and guidance. Our own experiences are not enough. We must know how to apply the head knowledge we have in times of difficulty. We need the wisdom of the word of God and the advice of our elders. We don’t want the next generation to be a nation of people who can quote Shakespeare but can’t use a screwdriver.
We also don’t want the next generation to call itself Christian but not understand sound Biblical principles such as the sanctity of marriage, the principles of hard work, the value of spending less than you make, loyalty, etc. These things have made this country great and will preserve it into a new generation. The lack of these things will destroy us quicker than any terrorist organization. In short, we need wisdom. It will preserve us. Education is good. Knowledge is good. Wisdom is necessary.

Let us cling to wisdom. It will preserve us.

Blessings,

Spanish Pastor Jones

Works Cited

Scuderi, Royale. “What Are The Differences Between Knowledge, Wisdom, and Insight?”Likehack. Web. 18 March 2016

 

 

Is God Dangerous?

Is God dangerous?

“The intelligent person recognizes that his or her well-being lies in being in harmony with God …God is not mean but he is dangerous (Willard  2012).

When I read this quote I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the Chronicles of Narnia: “He is not a tame lion.” The lion, Aslan, was C.S. Lewis’ representation of Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. In this scenario two people who had gone astray were discussing whether to give themselves willingly into the hands of the Lion for judgment or to run away. When one asked another how the Lion would respond, this was the answer. “How should I know?” “He is not a tame Lion.”

The depiction of Jesus Christ here is near-perfect. God is holy and just, but he is not tame. Some have a picture of God as a heavenly Santa Claus who gives out gifts to good little boys and girls. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though there is a reward in serving God, we must not serve God only for the rewards. We must serve him because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He breathes fire on His enemies and devours His opponents. There is no one that can stand before the fierceness of His anger. When Jonathan Edwards depicted this in his now-famous treatise, Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God, it is said that people fainted in the audience for fear of God’s anger.  

I do not serve God for fear. I serve Him because I am in love with Jesus. He is my dearest and best friend. He is an ever present comfort in every situation. Yet I would be a fool to say that I do not fear Him. This would be more than dangerous. I would be gambling with my soul. I am afraid that the modern church is guilty only of preaching John 3:16 and omitting Hebrews 10:31 and Hebrews 12:29. Let us love God. He is lovable. But let us never cease to fear Him. After all, He is God!

Willard, D. (2012). Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NAVPRESS.

 

Yes, I can.

I Samuel 30:6 - David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
One of the more difficult parts of counseling is overcoming the "I can't" syndrome. If a person thinks s/he can't, s/he won't even try and thus is defeated before s/he has begun. An effective way to overcome this is to have the counselee tell you about something s/he has overcome in the past. This can be done with an open ended question. Can you tell me about the last time you started a new job? How did you overcome the anxiety that time? How did the job turn out for you? If s/he starts thinking about it, s/he will convince him/herself that s/he can do this after all.

Church folks have a phrase for this as well. It is called a testimony. You know that time we used to give on Wednesday night for people to stand and say something for Jesus? Often these testimonies followed a pattern:

1. I had a problem.
2. I didn't know what to do.
3. I knew God had done it before.
4. I prayed and he did it again.

Did you notice the pattern? The person had to remind himself that he had come through a trial before and he would make it through again. Often the answer to the problem was simply getting rid of the "I can't attitude." There is something powerful about believing in oneself and one's own ability to get the job done.

We Christians have an even greater advantage. We are not just trusting in our own ability. We are trusting in an all powerful God who has an awesome track record. He has never lost a battle and never will. He is always in control and never lacks self confidence. Are you facing an obstacle today? Is there a difficult decision directly in your path? Are you uncertain of what to do? Don't despair. Just follow the above guideline with a few modifications.

1. I have a problem.
2. God knows what to do.
3. He has done it before.
4. He will will show me what to do (or not do) this time.
5. Therefore it is not a problem.

Above all, face the situation with an " God and I can" attitude. Remember, God is on your side. Together there is nothing you can't accomplish. Sometimes we wonder why God has not already worked out a certain situation for us. I believe it is often because he wants us to take the first step. Like a parent coaxing a child to try, God wants us to realize that we can. Sure, He is there to help us, but He can't help us if we won't try. "Believe in yourself" is not contrary to the word of God. "Believe in God and yourself" is an unstoppable combination.

Believe in yourself! God does and you should to.

I can,

Sullivan Jones