Got WISDOM?

I'm reading the Bible through this year, but more than just reading, I'm pondering the words I read. This month I'm in the Book of Proverbs I've noticed that the central theme is found in Chapter 4:7 "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; yes, with all your getting, get understanding."

In yesterday's reading, I was inspired for today's post, especially in the light of this political whirlwind that seems to consume our media, our conversations, and our hearts. Oh, how I wish that our politicians cultivated these words in their lives. Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Verse 16: "How much better to get wisdom than gold!"

It's obvious that there is a battle going on. A battle for our hearts and our minds. There are two camps, two sides, each claiming to have wisdom. Each claiming truth. Each telling us what we need to do to be successful in our lives. Ironically, we need wisdom to choose between these two forms of wisdom. If ever we needed wisdom to determine who we believe has the most wisdom, we need it today.

So how do we get wisdom? The Apostle James is a big help in this matter. In James 1:5, he says “ Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone." This wisdom is a wisdom from God. The Old Testament prophets taught that the fear of the Lord was true wisdom. True wisdom is to look to God, to worship him with our whole being, to let Him rule and guide our lives. To let Him and His teaching be the foundation of all we do.

We’ve seen that wisdom in different people’s lives and actions. We see it in their families, generation after generation serving the Lord. We see whole families -- from the grandparents to the grandchildren all worshiping the Lord together. This is the harvest of sowing the seeds of God’s wisdom. We see it in families who live in harmony and who are able to express their love for each other and who are able to disagree with each other in healthy ways. Families and relationships that can survive through difficulties, and not just survive but thrive. We see co-workers who can sort out their differences. We see people who have a gift of bringing harmony and unity in a tense and possibly explosive situation. We see God’s grace lived out in their lives and in their interactions. We see this because these people are following a wisdom that is pure, considerate, and full of mercy, instead of a wisdom that is full of envy, bitterness, and selfish ambition. THIS wisdom is what our Country needs.

Every day of our lives we must make a choice. A choice to follow the wisdom of the world or the wisdom of heaven. It’s an important choice because it will impact not just us, not just our eternal situation, but it will also impact the generations to follow. It will impact whether we harvest a crop of disorder and evil or a harvest of righteousness. Essentially every day we must ask ourselves, “What kind of wisdom will I follow?”

Just maybe the change we desire in our country, is the change we need to start in our own homes and families. What if our little seed of wisdom was the mustard seed that God could use to start the ripple effect into our cities, our states, our country and our world?

Let there be wisdom in our Country and in our leaders......and let it begin in ME!