A great benefits package

Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer. (Proverbs 9:11-12)

I frequently speak of the importance of gaining insight into how God works, what he says about each of us, and where it is we can learn about all he wants for each of us. We find the majority of this information within the pages of his Word. When I signed up to work for various employers in my working career, I would look at the salary as only one part of that 'package'. The various benefits of working with that employer mattered significantly. The working environment and the people I would work with also played an important part. The more I knew about where I'd be working, who'd I be working with, what the work entailed, and what the rewards of that work were, the more I knew if the job was for me. The more we get to know God, his people, and his 'benefits', the more we will realize this 'life' is FOR US.

Wisdom gained through getting to know God in a deeper way really makes for a much more rewarding life, doesn't it? The superficial "I'm a Christian" lifestyle of so many is really lacking in so many ways. The more we dive into his Word, the closer we get to others who are also following closely after him, the more will see the 'environment' in which we engage on mission with Jesus becoming something we enjoy. The 'creature comforts' of this world will matter less and less to us. The 'benefits' of following Jesus far outweigh anything this world offers through those 'comforts'. Gain wisdom - gain life. Forsake wisdom - reap disappointment and death. Maybe not 'death' in terms of no pulse and no respirations, but emotional, spiritual, and even relational death for sure.

Wisdom is much more than just being able to apply knowledge we have gained in an appropriate manner at the appropriate time. Wisdom like that keeps me within the speed limit, watching for hazards in the roadway, and aware of the drivers around me. Godly wisdom might just be something we have to ask for more than gain through some type of learning such as driver's education. James 1:5-8 says, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do."

God's wisdom is available for the asking - but we must be committed to gaining it. Our loyalty must be sincere - not divided, selfish, or with insincere intent. Wavering faith is like the employee that has it all at their present job, but is constantly looking for something 'better' at other jobs. Just sayin!