Our own little world

Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. (Proverbs 18:1-2)

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon)

The right use of knowledge - have you given that idea much thought in your lifetime? I have possessed some knowledge on occasion, never really sharing it, holding onto that knowledge because I never felt it an appropriate time to share it. We probably all have done that, but to really consider if there is a 'right use' for the knowledge we have been given is always an act of wisdom. Not all knowledge is something to be 'broadcast' or 'touted'. Sometimes it is meant to be held close to the heart, prayed over, and then released to God.

Fools take all the 'knowledge' they can get, then spread it around like it was some sort of treasure everyone had to hear. We might refer to that as gossip in some circles! Not every tidbit of knowledge is 'share-worthy'. The knowledge that comes from God himself may actually be worthy of the 'share', but there may be a timing issue that makes the 'share' appropriate. Some 'fools' find it hard to wait for appropriate timing, trudging ahead with fool-hearted abandon. The right knowledge in the wrong timing won't produce the best of results, though.

The issue with fools is that they want they own way. They might not realize it, but their own agenda drives what they are willing to learn. They may actually miss out on one very crucial aspect of learning - wisdom. When we are so intent on the knowledge WE possess, we can frequently miss the wisdom someone else may want to share. Wisdom doesn't demand its own way - it waits until there is a way prepared. Fools don't want to learn from others because they think they already know it all. 

God puts us together in a 'family' of other believers because no one can possess all of the knowledge all of the time. We need the 'learned wisdom' of other believers when our own fool-hearted ways are about to cause us great difficulty. We can either accept that we have been given 'wise counsel', putting aside what 'knowledge' we felt was so important for us to act upon, and grow up in Christ, or we can trudge ahead in our own little world. Just sayin!

More than the prophets ever had

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. (I Peter 1:10-12)

If the prophets could have known and experienced what we now know and experience in Christ Jesus, would there have been any stopping them? They longed to know more about his coming and what he would accomplish by it. They desired to see the fulfillment of all of God's promises - in the person of Jesus Christ. What the Old Testament prophets wanted to learn and experience we already know. We see a much bigger picture of God’s plan than they did. We can learn from the life of Christ and understand in depth God’s plan for redemption. Knowledge doesn't always change a person, though. It takes much more than a knowledge 'about' Jesus to change us. It takes an engagement between the mind and the heart in order for the knowledge we have to begin to affect us.

The mind decides - the heart follows up with action. What dictates our decisions? Is it knowledge alone? No, because we have a whole lot of knowledge, but we don't necessarily take action on it. We 'know' that clouds may carry rain, but do we always carry an umbrella when there are clouds in the sky? The knowledge that clouds carry rain on occasion doesn't change our actions unless we really perceive the threat of rain as 'real'. We don't always embrace truth the first time we are exposed to it but get rained on often enough and you learn when the clouds actually threaten rain! You likely begin to act upon that knowledge the next time you see the threat of rain.

Fill the mind with the 'right stuff' and the right actions are more likely to occur. Just fill it to overflowing with superfluous stuff and you will likely be so 'muddled' in your thoughts that it is hard to know what the right actions are when you need to take them. Idle thoughts let the mind run wild - it gives the mind permission to do whatever it 'thinks' it wants to do. Scripture reminds us that every thought is to be taken 'captive' because we don't want to give ground to foolish actions as a result of foolish thought. The prophets had knowledge and acted upon that which they had. Do we act upon the knowledge we have been given? If not, maybe it is about time we turn knowledge into wise action.

The more we act upon the knowledge we are given, the more we will avoid the pitfalls afforded us through all the new problems that come against us each day. We might want to consider just how much we let idle thoughts get the best of us and then ask God's help in engaging our minds in response to the knowledge he brings. When we take the first step toward incorporating that knowledge into our actions, we begin to see the Word of God become a living thing within us. Our actions may not immediately change, but the more that knowledge is embraced, the quicker we will see that change realized. Just sayin!

Discovery Required

No one can oppose you, because you have the power to do what you want. You asked why I talk so much when I know so little. I have talked about things that are far beyond my understanding. You told me to listen and answer your questions. I heard about you from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes. (Job 42:1-5 CEV)

There are always going to be things in life we have "heard about", but have never seen. If we are to be perfectly honest here, we have heard about a whole lot that we don't understand, but we just accept it as fact. If we take everything at face value which we see or hear, we will sometimes form some pretty wrong opinions of others, jump to conclusions about the issues, or get ourselves buying into something that will just rob us of things we hold dear. We often jump to conclusions based on what we hear, but never take the thing we hear about and put it to the test. In turn, we just "react" to the thing we hear and then we might find we are off-base in our understanding. We need both - hearing and listening; discovery and understanding.

Some people "talk a great deal" about what they know very "little" about. Just spend about 20 minutes one day scrolling through the posts online and you will find a great deal which may have your head spinning. It is a truly "prolific" period in terms of our "media" opportunities, is it not? We can post almost anything and in short order, it can go "viral". Why? People are hungry for the "scoop" - they just don't take time to investigate the facts behind the latest "rant", "fad", or "hype". Diseases like COVID19 or CDiff are not exactly beyond my understanding, as I have some basic microbiology classes and understand the basics of how viruses and bacteria find hosts, replicate, and soon cause devastating disease of mass proportion. I have a "working knowledge" of disease, but I cannot say I understand more resistant strains of these "bugs" any better than I understand the basics of the original disease. I "do" understand the principles of disease, how to protect myself and others from "contact" with potential disease, and the best infection control practices I have learned over the years. This is what I can speak to - but maybe not all the details of the actual disease I am protecting myself and others against.

Job is in conversation with God and at this very moment recorded for us for all time, he admits to what we all have a tendency to do on occasion - we talk about things which are beyond our present understanding. In time, we may come into fuller understanding, but if we just hold onto what we believe to be true and never expand our knowledge of the subject at hand, we may have either a "flawed" impression of the truth, or we may never get to the "full" truth. It is indeed God's intent for each of us to become students of the truth - to accept small bits of truth, but to go on to discover the fuller and deeper meaning of truth in our lives. Without this growth, we are always living with something less than the "bigger picture". God's view is infinite - ours is finite. Yet, even in our "finite" view of life, God gives us glimpses into truth beyond our means of discovery - asking us to embrace it and put it to the test. God never accuses us of wrongdoing when we put truth to the test.

"Don’t believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. But when someone doesn’t say this about Jesus, you know that person has a spirit that doesn’t come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew that this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here."   (I John 4:1-3 CEV) Learning to speak about what we have clear and certain knowledge of is important because then we can identify when we are being "fed" something which is untrue or not quite on the mark. We can "judge" the spirit of a man by the spirit which indwells him, so we are told to test those who "claim" truth - not just accept it at face value. We can hear a great deal "about" God from others - coming into a revelation of what is true of God for ourselves is quite different. We can hear about - or we can discover for ourselves. The choice is ours. Just sayin!

Insight required

God has placed a premium on the responses we undertake. One of those 'premium' responses is listening. To those who listen, he speaks into their lives and helps them to grasp knowledge. Those who are too intent on just handling things without the instructions he brings, they hear, but they don't listen. Another 'premium' response God values is that of integrity - being truthful about what we don't know and then seeking to gain that knowledge is one way of revealing integrity in our lives. I often do crosswords, but there are times when the hints given just don't even make sense to me! It always amazes me when I see the answer key and see such a simple answer I never even considered. If I just plunged ahead, saying I understood the hints even though I clearly did not, it would not end up with the letters I need for completing the rest of the puzzle - the integrity of the puzzle is damaged. God doesn't place a premium on "faking it" or "just making something fit" - he places a premium on integrity.

Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good; impatience will get you into trouble. Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord. Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn, and you will prosper. (Proverbs 18:2-3, 8)

As we have been studying these verses over the past couple of days, it appears there is to be evidence of a person actually valuing themselves by the actions and attitudes they exhibit. To acquire wisdom is to love oneself - valuing yourself enough to actually admit you don't know it all and then to quiet yourself long enough to actually "get" some knowledge which you might apply to the situation at hand. People who cherish understanding will prosper - those who overlook it or think it is not important will know much unrest in their lives. Most of the time we think scripture doesn't support the "love of self", but in truth, when we love ourselves enough to learn at the feet of Jesus, this type of "self-love" is perfectly right. It shows we value the Creator enough to sit at his feet long enough for him to show us how this whole created life is supposed to work.

To acquire wisdom, one is determining to get it as their own - not being content with second-hand knowledge, but desirous of getting it for yourself. When we approach knowledge this way, God is delighted to give us exactly what we seek. He gives us new or additional character traits and abilities. We then hold these new truths as something we will cherish - hold dear, keep or cultivate with care and affection. When we cherish knowledge (learning) - we are taking what we are given and then allowing it to get deep into our brains, enough so that it affects our emotions and bolsters our spirit.

Wisdom is the ability to discern inner qualities and the relationship between these qualities - some call this having insight. We need to see that insight is something grown, not given. It needs to be taken in, find deep root within us, and then it becomes useful to us. Knowledge is superficial - wisdom has deep roots. Understanding is the ability to grasp even the hidden meaning which comes as a result of what we have come to learn over time. I like the last verse we are studying today - we do ourselves a favor when we learn all we can. Learning all we can depends upon a right frame of mind, determined commitment of heart, and an openness to act as we are instructed. Remembering what we learn is sometimes the biggest challenge! Just sayin!

Knowledge of my ignorance

It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance. 

(Thomas Sowell)

Since we are God’s children, you must not think that God is like something that people imagine or make from gold, silver, or rock. In the past, people did not understand God, and he ignored this. But now, God tells all people in the world to change their hearts and lives. (Acts 17:29-30)

God may let us get away with some things for a while, just because we really don't know any better. Let him begin to unfold the Word of God and his principles on how to live upright lives for a bit and he begins to ask for some change. Why? We are no longer ignorant - we know what is expected. Sometimes it does take quite a bit of knowledge to show us just how ignorant we have become - not because we are 'dumb', but because we have been influenced to ignore those things for so long. For a long time, God's people may go along, living as they want, then the day comes when they realize what they 'want' isn't exactly what God desires. Change is required. We are accountable for the knowledge we have been given and we cannot continue to just ignore those areas where God's Spirit is directing his attention.

This makes us a bit more than uncomfortable, because it is much easier to be ignorant of the need to change than to know one needs to change and ignores the instruction to change! Nothing makes us more fearful sometimes than the instruction to change what we are doing. I can recall some pretty uncomfortable discussions when others have been led to point out some ways I needed to change. My words were more hurtful than I intended - I needed to think before I spoke. My actions made others feel like their opinion didn't matter - I needed to give them time to express their ideas. My non-verbal communication made them feel I was better than they were - I needed to deal with my pridefulness. Ignorance was bliss - knowledge meant I needed to change.

When God tells us to change our hearts in some particular manner, how do we handle it? If you are anything like me, your first reaction might be to become a bit defensive - if not outwardly, at least on the inside. You might pout a bit - get quiet and withdraw. If we really want to see changed hearts, we must embrace what we may not know even exists within us. Changed hearts will yield changed lives. In other words, the knowledge of our ignorance begins to open up new choices. We choose to be cognizant of our words, non-verbal expressions, and actions. We choose to listen more than we speak. We choose to ask hard questions of ourselves - not just others.

As a child of God, we are no longer to dwell in our ignorance. In fact, we are to seek and develop wisdom. Do you know how to overcome ignorance? We take the knowledge we have been given and we put it into practice - we develop wisdom! Just sayin!

Information Overload or Knowledge?

T. S. Eliot posed a very thought-provoking question I would like for us to consider this morning: "Where is all the knowledge we lost with information?" It seems like we get more and more information, so much so that we could honestly declare we are on 'information overload', but where is the true 'knowledge' that was supposed to come with that information? Eliot's full quote is: "Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" Information overload is the difficulty we each have making a decision about how to proceed when we have too much information. We can demand more information, but it won't make the subject any clearer to us. Sometimes we have just enough information to make a wise decision, but that wisdom seems to fly out the window the more information we receive on a matter!

If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone and doesn’t find fault. But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. That’s because a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. They shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. This kind of person can’t make up their mind. They can never decide what to do. (James 1:5-8)

It isn't more information we need - it is the ability to sort out the chaff from the wheat when it comes to the parts we are to retain and those we should just let go. We need wisdom to act upon the right information and to avoid the pitfalls of seeking more information once we have acted upon it. We 'act' because we have some form of 'confirmation' within our minds and hearts that allows us or encourages us to actually take that action. To second-guess our action by seeking more information after we have acted isn't going to help us - it will just confuse us. Information comes to us in different forms, but when we ask God to bring clarity to the information we have, then trust him to turn it into actionable knowledge, we are taking one step closer to wisdom.

Actions must be 'solid' - in other words, they must be taken with an assurance. If you have ever taken an action that you were 'reasonably sure' was the right one to take, but not been totally convinced it was when you took it, you know how scary that can be. It is like stepping out on a limb and hoping it holds up under your weight. God gives 'solid' knowledge - he isn't going to give us wishy-washy information that we have to sort through and find the right solution. He is going to give us enough information to make a decision and then we must trust him with the decision we have made. Whenever we take action upon the information God reveals, we are on solid footing. When we insist on more information, we are sometimes opening ourselves up to delaying the obedience God desires.

We all need wisdom - we all need to sort through the information we receive from every direction in life. I need to sort through the mail to find the things I need to pay attention to and those I can quickly discard into the rubbish bin. These days the rubbish bin is fuller than the 'inbox' on my desk! The information that comes to my mailbox isn't all that important. Just because it is in front of me doesn't mean I need to contemplate it. I am free to discard information as quickly as I receive it. I must ask God to give me wisdom about what to keep and what to allow to fall away. We all encounter information in proportions that will eventually 'clutter' our lives if we don't sort through it with the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we rely upon his help to 'declutter' that information, we are less likely to be on overload! Just sayin!

Let me show you something....

Truth be told, many of us are more concerned with a list of lessons we have amassed during the time we refer to a "living" life. What we need to be doing is asking God directly for lessons that would help us "live" life. Sometimes I think we approach things the first way - making mental note of what we learned FROM the moments we just finished living rather than making heart notes of what lessons God wants for us IN those moments. We get focused on it from a 'historical' perspective more than we are focused on it in the 'present' perspective. We might just be missing out on some of what God has for us in the 'living'.

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response. (Psalm 119:33-34)

Most people know that I am a planner, so I value the "notes" and "plans" - the agendas, outlines, and even the doodled notes all help me to 'organize' my life. I think our psalmist was kind of that way, too. He was organized in his thoughts, skilled in the direction of his troops, and a great "commander" of his armies. You don't get people to follow you if you are haphazard about everything in life! Yet, we find him asking God (Jehovah) for some "plans" - the 'organized' instructions as to how he should proceed in life. Herein is a great truth - 'plans' are not 'well-planned' until they are aligned with the ones God has for us.

He looks to the one who is unchangeable in his promises, reliable in his expectations, and consistent in his justice. The "list" he hopes to hear God give him is first and foremost one that is consistent! It doesn't change tomorrow and then be something totally different the next. He is looking for something we refer to as "standards". The standards that God sets for living are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He knows he can stand on them - counting on God's consistent justice to evaluate his progress in life by those standards he has already established for "living" life.

When we are more focused on making the MENTAL notes of what we learned from living life, rather than getting the HEART notes of what lessons God wants for us to glean in living life, we get things backwards. Our purpose in asking for God's "list" up-front is to ensure that we might live IN the insight God gives us. INSIGHT is much better than HINDSIGHT! Insight is the ability to see (to discern) the true character of what life is dealing us - then making the right decisions based on what we know. Insight doesn't mean we know it all from the start, but we come to appreciate what God is doing as we are walking through it.

The goal of having such knowledge is obedience! Life is complex - there are really no "easy days". If we seem to be sailing through life, we are probably just oblivious to the dangers all around us! I have traveled through some pretty rough storms - snow flying so wet that you could barely clear the windshield, or dust rolling through so thick you could not see your hand in front of your face. In those times, I relied on those things that I was taught beforehand about driving in those conditions. It was in the lessons learned BEFORE the conditions arose that I was able to traverse THROUGH the conditions. I had INSIGHT. That is really what obedience is all about - learning the lessons before we have to put them into practice! We get INSIGHT by allowing that "sight" to be built deep within us through times of taking "in" God's Word, allowing it to affect our "planning" for life. When we face the "conditions" of life, we are better prepared for how to respond TO those conditions - obedience is the result.

One of Mom's favorite expressions is, "Listen to me!" It wasn't spoken often, but when it was, I knew that she was telling me something that would actually serve me well later in life. God gives us teachable moments much in the same way - times when he specifically says, "Listen to me!" In those moments, we need to have the heart response of gaining the insight he so longs for us to have. It will be that insight that gives us the foresight to miss the bumps and obstacles that our poor planning put in our paths. Yep, we learn from our mistakes, but wouldn't it be wonderful to learn how to avoid them BEFORE they have an opportunity to be made? When God inscribes his lessons for life on our hearts, our ability to LIVE life well is much better than any "mental notes" we might make along the way! Just sayin!

Hey, I've got something for you!

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. (Psalm 119:66)

Here we find the very personal invitation to "learn of God". Jesus was calling his disciples in the early part of his earthly ministry - a calling they'd never really understand until after he was taken from this earth. John was curious about where it was that Jesus stayed - where did he lay his head at night, how did he make a living, who was this guy really. He asked Jesus where he lived and Jesus' response was to "come and see". This is perhaps the most rewarding invitation anyone can receive - come and see. It implies the ability to come into a fuller revelation of all that we are curious about. To come is an action on our part, but to truly see as we need to see - well, that is all on him!

In the spiritual sense, there is a great deal that causes us to be curious, if even just a little bit - figuring out how the whole Trinity thing works, understanding the mystery of just how a virgin could be found with child, working through the idea that a loving God allows bad stuff to happen to good people, and the list could go on. It is always good to ask God to teach us knowledge and good judgment - we need more than knowledge - we also need to know how to put it into operation within our lives. We come to God for revelation - wanting God to disclose to us the things that we are curious about. Our request does not stop at the gaining of knowledge because we need to ask God for good judgment, too.

What is the difference? Knowledge is gained through study, seeking intently, and being wide open to learning. Good judgment is the wisdom to apply that knowledge that we have received. One without the other is like only wearing one shoe! You will stumble along with one foot well-protected from the elements while the other is exposed. 

If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as you would for silver and search for it as for a hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  (Proverbs 2:3-5)

The knowledge of God is not something for the weak-hearted or half-baked. It requires a commitment to really seeking it out - but in that seeking there is a guarantee that it will be found when we seek with an intensity. Never forget - with knowledge comes the accountability to use what it is that we have been given. That scares some people - being held accountable is not something we naturally gravitate toward. We often resist being held accountable - because it is work on our part! The invitation to come into knowledge is both rewarding and a little frightening. If I can dissuade you from turning tail and bolting right now, I want to let you know that the reward is much greater than the effort to learn of God, or the issue of being held accountable. So, I encourage you to come into knowledge - spend time with him, getting to know him and learn of him. He delights in having all men come to a knowledge of the truth! (I Timothy 2:4) Just learnin!

I think I have separation anxiety!

Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. Do what I say and you'll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. They'll be with you to fend off the Temptress—that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress. (Proverbs 7:1-5 MSG)

Scripture speaks of Wisdom and Insight as a person - the person of Jesus Christ. God's primary purpose in telling us of the 'person' of Wisdom and Insight is for us to get to know Jesus' character a little better. The character of a person is what we sometimes call the 'real person'. A person's character is more than their personality - it is made up of their code of moral conduct and even their consistency in being honest or true in their actions. Keeping the commandments of God has great reward - a reward of developing the character traits we so often read about when we discover the truths of Christ within scripture. All of character is formed by the keeping of a two-part command: 1) Do and 2) Treasure. One is an action, the other a condition of the heart that influences the action. The reward of the action - life will be well for us.

There is this wisdom that comes from wise counsel and then there is the wisdom that comes from the Word of God - both combined are to be as precious to us as our eyesight. I remember a time when I had to have one eye patched for over a week due to a problem with the cornea of my eye. The pain in my injured eye was so significant that the other eye had a "sympathetic" response to the pain, making it almost impossible to keep my good eye open and responsive to stimuli. The doctor was uncertain if my eyesight would be affected by the injury to the cornea and he actually had nothing hopeful to offer me as I recovered. I naturally felt anxious about the possibilities of losing my eyesight or having some permanent impairment from this ulceration that had formed. Why? We depend on our eyesight so very much. Yet, if we are totally truthful here, we almost take it for granted. There is a warning to us of taking God's leading and direction (his wisdom) for granted - whether it comes through the wise counsel of a friend, the tender nudges of the Holy Spirit, or the personal revelation of truth from the Scriptures - it is never to be taken for granted.

We are to talk to Wisdom as to a sister or brother; treat Insight as our companion. Think about the very nature of our Savior. He is closer to us than a sibling - as a matter of fact, he is our older sibling! My two grandsons are inseparable. The youngest follows after the oldest, getting into his "space" as much as humanly possible - even to the point of falling all over him with hugs and physical affection - and sometimes wrestling matches that don't always end up as well as he'd hoped. When they are separated - there is a tendency of the younger to want the oldest back. Is this is our relationship with Jesus? Are we earnestly "connected" to him as our sibling? Are we lavishing him with our affection and praise? Are we lost without him in our 'space'?

Jesus is our wisdom. He has the ultimate knowledge of what is true and yearns to show us truth at every turn. He knows what is right and he couples that with the understanding of what actions produce right living. It is nice to have a "big brother" to look up to for direction in our lives. Treat Insight as your companion - what better companion to have than Insight. Jesus has the complete understanding of the motivation behind our every action. We don't even possess that on our own - if we did, we probably wouldn't have done half of the dumb stuff we have done in this lifetime! No wonder God urges us to spend time getting to know our "sibling", Christ Jesus! He wants us to have our lives deeply affected by the one who can reveal even the deepest secrets of our heart and bring true revelation of sound judgment into our circumstances. When we get to know Jesus with this kind of intimacy, we can be assured that we have all we need to avoid the tempting seductress we can easily call "sin" in our lives.

Let's get to know our "big brother", Jesus! Talking frequently with him and spending time in companionable enjoyment of his presence is not a short-cut to some 'special place', but it is a 'space' to be experienced as often as possible. Perhaps we will develop the heart of a loyal sibling, never wanting to be separated from him, always seeking him out, and never being afraid to get in "his space" as often as possible. Just sayin!

But I DO love you!

This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between what is important and what is not and choose what is important; that you will be pure and blameless for the coming of Christ... (Philippians 1:9-10 ERV)

What is important and what is not - - - isn't this the question of the ages? The answer to that question can actually differ from person to person, based upon the situation, people involved, and even the phases of the moon! "Important" to my 9 year old grandson is much different than what is "important" to my 13 year old grandson. One may want to sequester himself away deep inside a book while the other wants to be making the stinkiest bait he can concoct in order to catch those elusive catfish in the pond! To me both of these are "important" for the tasks at hand are as unique as the children who are pursuing them. When God looks at his kids, he sees what is important to each of us - and he works to meet those needs as long as those things won't harm us in some way. "Important" is to be defined by God's principles - if the thing isn't violating one of those principles, it is probably fine to be pursuing it, but we must balance all our "important pursuits" with what others around us also need.

Paul writes of a couple of these "balanced needs":

Love - notice that he speaks of this first. It is to be the primary thing we allow to be developed in our lives, for as long love is in the lead, all the rest of the actions that follow should be coming along in line with what God desires. It is to be a growing thing - not something we allow to be momentary or fleeting. It is to be consistently growing, evident in our actions - for all of love's actions speak much louder than love's words.

Knowledge and Understanding - to love, Paul reminds us to add knowledge and understanding. In fact, it is quite important that we grow in our knowledge of how God works, and what his purpose is for us. It is also important that we seek to understand each other, developing in our knowledge about what matters most to those around us. There is a young man next door who loves working on his car, which means revving the engine way more than one might think necessary and at times some might think a little intrusive to rest. This matters to him - so when the used suspension parts are hanging out at the side of the yard for a little longer than I might want, I just have to turn the cheek on that one. To love, we add knowledge and understanding - because both will help our love to grow.

The result - we will see the difference between what is important and what is not. Love opens our eyes, knowledge enhances our understanding, and our understanding creates a culture in which each of us may grow. What is important to us may pale in comparison to what another sees as important. We must remember to balance our responses to each other with the love that comes from Christ. Only then will we gain deeper understanding of how God wants us to reach a hurting world. Just sayin!

Discovery

6 Anyone who makes fun of wisdom will never find it, but knowledge comes easily to those who understand its value. 

(Proverbs 14:6 ERV)

Socrates reminds us the only true wisdom is in knowing that you know absolutely nothing! On occasion, my BFF will ask me a silly question that goes something like, "Is there anything you cannot do?" I usually just glare at her or answer there are a lot of things I don't know and have never tried. Some will never be known by me, nor tried, for they are not in the plans God has for me in this lifetime. There will always be things we cannot know or do in this lifetime, but we can count on this - the things we need for today are readily at our disposal simply by asking God for them!

The knowledge we need for today's decisions is at our disposal - we often just don't go to the right source. I have several websites I consult when I want to figure out something challenging with a spreadsheet function or formula at work. The problem comes in knowing what it is that I want to do (at least knowing how to describe it in "Excel-speak"). I know what I want to accomplish, but I may not know the right name for the formula or function, so I spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what something is called before I can ever accomplish doing it!

In life, we often spend more time trying to put a "name" to what it is we hope to accomplish and a lot less time actually accomplishing it! This is not always a problem, because the time we spend discovering the destination is often helping us to get ready for what it is we shall encounter once we arrive. The issue comes in not asking for the wisdom to get from where we are to where we want or need to be. Wisdom is best exercised in the time we spend asking - for in asking we make discovery - in discovery we make steps forward or stop what we are doing. Part of asking is in listening - for whatever we desire in this lifetime will only be accomplished when we are wise enough to discover through listening to the voice of God. Just sayin!

Knowledge or Truth?

If you have the Son, you have eternal life. If you do not have the Son of God, you are not acquainted with true life.  (I John 5:12 VOICE)

As John wraps up his letter to the believers in the New Testament church of the first century, he is attempting to confront a belief system known as gnosticism.  In general, the belief perpetrated by the gnostics of the day valued the gaining of knowledge in ever-increasing way because knowledge broadened one's understanding and they believed a broader understanding would help you "transcend" evil. I don't know about you, but I have discovered just knowing truth doesn't mean I actually act upon it all the time!  I can have all the knowledge in the world, but until my heart is changed, which affects the choices I make, I will still continue to do dumb things!  As John puts it, no life comes to us by just gaining more knowledge - we need to gain Jesus, the Son of God, in order to really know life.

Most of us would agree that knowledge is important - John isn't advocating that all knowledge is evil.  Yet, knowledge alone doesn't make for life-change.  True change occurs when there is a deep, inward connection with the one who actually is truth Himself. We all have a measure by which we evaluate knowledge when it comes our way.  You could tell me the blue sky before me was actually green, but based on what I learned when I got my first box of crayons, was "studying" colors in kindergarten, and mastered my color wheel in art class, the color before me most closely resembles the blue in my crayon box!  I evaluate what you tell me against what I have already gained as knowledge.  When the gaining of knowledge has been correct, the tool by which I measure all you tell me is going to be more consistently "correct". If that knowledge is a little skewed in one direction or the other from what is total truth, I am going to use a flawed tool to evaluate the knowledge you are trying to convince me is true - making me susceptible to accepting untruth.

As John states earlier in this chapter, "To love God means that we keep his commands, and his commands don't weigh us down." To some of us, we might feel as though God's commands are a weight around our necks - keeping us from doing what we really want to do.  They are a burden, not a delight.  We don't appreciate their value, nor do we see the boundaries they set as warranted in our lives.  At some point after we ask Jesus into our lives, we begin to see these commands from a different perspective - because our understanding of truth is impacted by the presence of truth within us. Apart from Christ, we cannot truly evaluate truth. We might come close on occasion to making an accurate judgment apart from Christ, but reason and intellect will only get us so far in keeping us in alignment with truth.  We need the person of truth within in order to really live as we should.

"True life" is only known in Jesus.  Until you have experienced it, you just cannot appreciate that truth all that well.  It doesn't make sense to evaluate truth solely based upon our own knowledge. Each of us possesses a different perspective on how we don our clothing each morning.  No one is more "right" on the matter than the other person.  We all end up with our clothes on in some fashion or another, so we can walk out in public without shame or finding ourselves arrested for indecent exposure!  Some will wear socks, others will not.  Is one person "right" and the other "wrong"? It could be we are both right - but we arrive at that conclusion by the degree of knowledge we possess at the moment.  Even those who have invited Jesus into their lives don't "get" all the knowledge they have at their disposal, though.  It takes us a while to "undo" things we have come to accept as truth - but in time, the presence of truth within begins to realign our beliefs and practices so that we are closely aligned to the truth which resides within.

The important thing is that we invite truth in - not in the form of book learning or schooling, but in the form of the Son of God, the person of truth, becoming the center and focus of our lives. As we do, all truth begins to align in our lives - we don't get truth and then transcend into a new dimension by some means.  We "transcend" by connection - not by knowledge.  Just sayin!

One plus one equals two

There are times we think if we just have the intelligence and good judgment to make pretty solid decisions, we will do well in this life.  That works some of the time, but not with great consistency.  I have pumped the right type of gas in my car from the station on the side of the road which made it easiest to get in and out of with the least amount of cross-traffic, only to find a station on the opposite side of the road just a little further down the road offered me the same gas at a much more reasonable price!  I made the right choice of gas.  I even made the right decision of what provided me with the greatest of safety when it comes to the traffic issue.  Yet, I didn't make the wisest decision about cost - I factored in everything else, but forgot the cost.  We cannot ever forget there is a cost to each decision we make.  We need more than just intelligence and good judgment to help us out there.  Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge - aren't they the same thing?  Not really, for each carries a little bit of unique meaning as is evident in our passage today.  Wisdom helps us build up our lives; understanding helps us have a sure foundation; and knowledge is what gives us the insight to embrace the right stuff.  

Wisdom is required to build a house; understanding is necessary to make it secure. Knowledge is needed to furnish all the rooms and fill them with beautiful treasures. (Proverbs 24:3-4 VOICE)

Wisdom is the knowledge of what is true and right, but it also carries the idea of having the sound judgment to know what to act upon and when.  It has been said that wisdom is the application of knowledge - knowledge being what we can gain by watching, listening, and processing the things we take in through our "senses".  In this particular case, that would make knowledge kind of "practical", more or less gained by what we entertain in our minds and interpret through our senses.  Understanding is that "dawning" which comes when you finally fit all the pieces together of this little bit of knowledge and the other piece.  Then we tie it all together with wisdom - putting all the pieces into order, with the ability to know when and how to use them.

Build your life by knowing how and when to take particular action, with reasonable and purposeful intent.  The importance of knowing both where to build and with what materials the building should be built comes from understanding the various "agencies" which will operate both within and without the walls of that home.  For example, if I build a thatched roof house in the high winds of the open desert, I may get shelter from the sun for a little while, but when the summer winds come and that thatch is completely dried out, it will blow away in a flash.  I may have had the materials with which to build, and they didn't cost me much, but I didn't stop to take into consideration the forces which would work against those materials in the long run!

Knowledge is what some may call the gaining of "principles" in life.  A perfect example of this is the study of mathematics.  You don't begin the study of mathematics with complex geometric equations.  You begin with the basics of addition, then move to subtraction, eventually mastering multiplication and division.  In time, the principles of two numbers added together bringing you a greater quantity and one number removed from another leaving you with less become the basis of how you make decisions in life.  My daughter was on the phone with me the other night and she said she came across a bargain at a local retailer, but she needed me to tell her what 40% off of the price came to.  She prefaced it with her usual statement of not being good with math.  I gave her a quick lesson in dropping the zero on the 40 and multiplying it by the first number in the cost.  Then in the end she would add back in the remaining zeros.  A $6 item at a 40% discount could be figured at 4X6 or $2.40 off.  It was like the dawning of a new day for her!  The principles of math don't make much sense until we put them into application in our lives - knowledge is just knowledge until we allow those principles to help us make practical decisions based upon that knowledge.

So, when we build our lives by taking what we know to be true and right, then placing those things upon the foundation of what is purposeful and reasonable, we build a stronger, more secure life.  We then see our lives become enriched by applying the principles we have gained along the way consistently and in multiple different ways, until our lives become enriched in all ways.  We might make some pretty good decisions quite by mistake in our lives, right?  The problem with this kind of "success" in life is that it is fleeting.  It doesn't last very long - for the next problem will arise and if we use the same "principles" in that moment, it may not yield the same results.  As with math, there are times when the principles build upon the other and then we see more consistent results.  It was like when the math teacher used to tell me that I could get to the right answer the way I performed the solution to my math problem, but I would not reach that same answer each time I used that method of reasoning.  

We need all three to be operational in our lives and to be used in conjunction with each other.  The house built well on a great foundation, but left empty on the inside without any furnishings will just be a house!  The house built with shoddy materials, but furnished with great finds will not protect those finds very well.  The gaining of truth is important, but learning how to apply it in our lives is equally as important.  The principles we gain along the way help to give us "points of reference"  by which we compare, make judgments, and take actions in particular directions.  These go hand in hand and cannot be focused upon one over the other.  We need God's help to keep all three in mind and then to use them appropriately - hence, we need the mind of Christ!  Just sayin!

Who is "in residence" in your life?

Wisdom has a couple of companions "in residence" with him - Good Judgment, Knowledge, and Planning.  All three make the best "roommates" for Wisdom.  If we want to have a "full house", we want all of these "in residence" within!  Get Good Judgment, Knowledge, Planning and Wisdom inside of you and you will find you make decisions a little differently - these "residents" create a culture quite different from what might be the "norm" in your life right now.

I am Wisdom. I live with Good Judgment. I am at home with Knowledge and Planning. (Proverbs 8:12 ERV)

Wisdom is not a thing, he is a person - Christ Jesus.  All wisdom comes from God because God is the embodiment of wisdom.  Wisdom is the applied knowledge we amass over the years - to have both in residence in your life suggests you are in a position of learning on a continual basis - not just to amass knowledge, but to figure out how it applies to the daily decisions you make.

Good Judgment may seem like it is the same thing as Wisdom, but it stands alone because we can possess a whole lot of knowledge and still make bad decisions.  Wisdom and Knowledge are good companions, but we need Good Judgment to assist us when we don't have time to think things through - when we need to be spontaneous or instantaneous in our decision-making.

Planning is the companion of the rest because when we apply our knowledge, we find ourselves planning our steps.  We aren't as quick to take steps which are not well-ordered and appointed as the best ones for us to take.  We find we are more apt to avoid missteps when we have invited a little Planning into our lives.

Why are these important "residents" to invite into our lives?  I think it begins with our choices.  When we have these companions living so close to us, we find that our choices are a little different than they were without these companions. I can tell you I live a little differently today with my elderly mom in residence with me than I did when it was just me living in the house.  When it was just me, I could choose to stop at the stores and window shop instead of coming home to make dinner.  I could eat a bowl of cereal at dinner if I didn't feel like cooking. I would not be concerned with shutting the doors when I showered or changed clothes.  Why?  Alone I make different decisions than when I have someone "in residence" with me. 

To have these companions in residence in our lives begins to affect how we live our lives on a daily basis.  Wisdom is the governing companion - helping us make wise choices when we might not possess all the knowledge we might need up front.  Wisdom calls upon Knowledge to reveal truth to us so that we might stand in strength in the decisions we make.  Good Judgment will tweak our choices a little - giving a little "tempering" to the ones which may not be the optimal for us.  Good Judgment helps us live life at the "optimal" level - by helping us pick and choose what it is we will respond to.  Planning is kind of there as the "leveling" factor in our lives.  When we invite a little Planning into our lives, we are taking steps to avoid wrong decisions, but also to plan for the right ones to be made.

We don't just want Wisdom - although it is a good start.  Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom - Good Judgment and Planning help us in our actual walking out of what we have learned and what we are actively applying in our lives.  Just sayin!

Principle 26: Eat honey

Honey in scripture often is used to describe all that is sweet and pleasing - both in the natural and spiritual sense.  Therefore, when scripture declares we should eat honey, it is saying we should pursue those things which will bring delight and satisfaction to our spiritual man.  There are definitely some things which are better to pursue than others - especially as it applies to being "built up", encouraged, or finding peace.  These are the things God wants us to become "acquainted" with in our daily "intake".  It is important to note that honey in the Old Testament region of Palestine was not harvested from bee farms, but rather had to be dug out of crevices in the rocks and the hollow of trees.  As such, we receive a word picture of having to "mine" the bountiful goodness God has prepared for us.  It requires some effort on our part, but it well worth the investment!

Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you—and delicacies that melt in your mouth.  Likewise knowledge, and wisdom for your soul—get that and your future’s secured, your hope is on solid rock.  (Proverbs 24:13-14 MSG)

It is also a word picture of the abundance of all the goodness God has in store for us.  In Palestine, the bees were abundant - no hive was ever abandoned - it was always active and a place of provision.  The same is true of God's grace, love, and goodness toward us - it is always active and a place of provision.  In case you didn't know this, the bees found in the Syrian deserts and hill country are some of the hardiest bees and are often "imported" by other bee keepers around the world to assist in developing a thriving hive population among their bees.  This also speaks to us of the "hardiness" of what God provides to us - it is substantial and able to multiply.

The instruction is to "eat" - consume, take in, make it nourishment.  We can have all kinds of food at our disposal, but until we take it into our bodies, it has little potential of assisting us in anyway.  The intention of the food is to feed - to bring nourishment.  To simply look at it, and simply consider it as nicely colored or presented, is to shun the very purpose of the food.  We have to exercise a little effort to get the food into our bodies, don't we?  It just doesn't "feed us" on its own.  We need to take the fork to our mouths in order to ingest it.  The same is true of all God has for us in his Word and those times of quiet repose before him.  It takes some effort, but once we take the first step, he promises the intake of all he provides will be like delicacies in our mouths.

Knowledge and wisdom for our soul is like the "honey" of the desert - it is pleasant, nourishing, and packed with all we need to help us along a long journey.  In Palestine, honey was a good source of energy.  Lack energy in your life?  Take in a little more of the Word, let it sink in and see if you don't feel energized with the refreshing intake.  Even when the Word corrects something which we may not have been willing to deal with, it brings refreshing.  A thunderstorm with torrential rainfalls will purge the earth of the top layers of dirt, uncovering the hidden and bringing it new life.  God's words may correct - uncovering a little of the dirt, but exposing the newness underneath just burgeoning to grow forth.  The word applied will bring newness of growth - this we can count upon just as much as the bees will return to the hive to make honey over and over again.  Their purpose is to make the honey!

We can have all kinds of "good stuff" at our disposal, but until we avail ourselves of the good stuff hidden in the crevices and hollows of the trees, we will never really experience all God has for us!  Just sayin!

Eating your delicacies?

Can you remember the last time you enjoyed some "delicacy"?  For some, this might be a lobster tail with some fresh vegetables, or it may be something such as the lusciousness of a creamy cheese cake cascading with fresh berries of the season.  Still others might be drawn to those delicacies of a kind we might refer to as a little exotic such as caviar, or escargot.  The last two I have never experienced, so if you find these as luscious delicacies, please don't judge me, but there is nothing really all that appealing to me in eating the eggs of a fish or the slimy little creatures I would rather play with in the garden!  Technically, a delicacy is anything which is extremely pleasing or delightful.  So, there are probably a long list of things we can label as "delicacies" for some, but not so much for others.  God refers to two "delicacies" for the soul which are to be pursued and enjoyed:  Knowledge and Wisdom.  According to our instructions today, when we enjoy these delicacies for our soul, we find our future secured and our hope on a solid rock!

Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you—and delicacies that melt in your mouth.  Likewise knowledge, and wisdom for your soul—get that and your future’s secured, your hope is on solid rock.  (Proverbs 24:13-14 MSG)

The soul is mind, will, and emotions.  Knowledge and wisdom are to influence our thoughts, our memories, the determination by which we make decisions, and the balance we maintain some sense of evenness in our "inner man". Knowledge is the stuff we need to figure stuff out - like understanding yellow and blue mixed together give you green.  In other words, knowledge is what gives us the basis to make decisions upon which we will act - but...knowledge alone will yield some pretty bad decisions because without wisdom's balance, knowledge is just not reliable.  Wisdom is often gained through experience - because we put into practice the practical knowledge we have gained. Knowledge comes by learning - study and you will gain knowledge.  Wisdom comes because we take time to glean information from all that we experience. 

God combines the two as giving us the foundation upon which our soul will find firmness and stability for the walk ahead of us.  When we consider our mind and emotions, we definitely need both firmness and stability there - for all action begins with thought and almost all emotion will direct our thoughts into a frenzy quicker than we might imagine!  Add our will into the mix and you can see how the wrong knowledge could get us into the middle of something we might not really want to face.  A secure future is important - mind established in truth, will determined to follow Jesus regardless of the cost, and emotions correctly balanced under the authority of the mind and will.  This comes by applying knowledge - allowing wisdom to be incorporated into our lives.  We cannot stop short - we need both knowledge and wisdom. The problems which arise when there is an imbalance between one or the other affect our stability - being able to maintain without changing one's position.

The advice to us is to get as much of both as we can - allowing them to deeply affect our mind, will, and emotions.  The one to provide these delicacies for our enjoyment is God himself.  The foundation we receive in taking in all God has planned for us is often not noticed until we veer from either the intake of knowledge, or the overlooking of the influence of experience in allowing wisdom to be developed.  Just sayin!

Heard or applied?

As with most of the proverbs, contrast is the tool by which life responses are evaluated.  Pride enters, destruction is close on its heels.  Haughtiness results in a fall; humility results in an increase in one's life.  Pride or haughtiness are set out as "wrong" paths for a Christian's life.  Wisdom and insight are presented as better than all the wealth we could accumulate. Trust in God and listening to wise instruction outweighs doing things our own way. God commends the wise, because they have come to the place of doing more than appreciating good teaching - they embrace it, putting it into application and then seeing the results of its application born out in the reputation they form.  Two paths may lead to the same destination - but only one is right. Contrasts are set forth in order to get us to evaluate our choices.  

Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money; choose insight over income every time.  The road of right living bypasses evil; watch your step and save your life.  First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.  It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God.  A wise person gets known for insight; gracious words add to one’s reputation. (Proverbs 16:16-18, 20-21 MSG)

Pride comes through in so many of these contrasts, does it not?  Wherever there is this inordinate amount of "self-esteem" or conceit, things are surely not going to turn out well.  Delight or some form of elation over some action we have performed, a possession we come to own, or a relationship we enter into can turn from simple pleasure to a moment of "prideful" display quicker than we can bat an eye.  How do we guard against allowing pride to taint what God intends as good things within our lives?

I think it may just come from this idea of listening to instruction and learning to trust in God.  When we first begin to listen with the intention of applying instruction, we are learning to pay attention to things so as to "heed" the instruction.  We want to "catch" what is being taught - not just make good notes we can keep in a journal we will allow to gather dust over time.  When we are attuned to hear, we can be led.  When we are obeying his leading, we are prospering.  When we learn from him, our lives are secure.  When we rely on his ability, our ability seems way too limited and untrustworthy.  When we are good students of the precepts he teaches, our lives become strong and flourishing.  All action is based in trust, all trust is reinforced by action.

Sometimes we just need a little discretion in our actions - a little caution before we act.  This is especially true with any action involving speech. Really, God is trying to teach us to make responsible decisions - by learning to separate one choice from another.  This is the purpose of the contrasts - to help us see one choice and its outcome versus another choice and its consequence.  Not every thought needs to be spoken; not every action needs to have a counteraction.  We have to learn the caution we should exhibit in both our speech and action.  The contrast of wise words and those of a fool involves the "flavor" of the words and the "effect" they lend to the relationship.  Kind words are like honey, bringing energy to the relationship. Just the opposite is true of unkind words - they diminish the energy within the relationship.

An empty stomach is a powerful motivator, isn't it?  I wonder if we'd say the same thing about an empty spirit?  Does it motivate us to become students at the feet of Jesus, eager to embrace what he teaches and in taking it in, find nourishment for our souls and delight for our spirit?  God's comparisons set forth in the proverbs show us we might take a gamble on the outcome of our pursuits if we are unclear about what it is we are pursuing.  The most important question we can ask is not "what" we are pursuing, but "who" we are pursuing.  If our eyes are inwardly directed, we are likely pursuing things which will tickle our fancies.  If our eyes are outwardly directed, we are likely to pursue things which will please others around us, but may totally leave us feeling unfulfilled.  If our eyes are upwardly directed, we now enter a different plane of action - we move from self-direction or other-direction to divine-direction.

To gain wisdom, apply knowledge.  To grow strong, exercise your knowledge. To impact your actions, understand where they are based.  Contrasts set forth in order to help guide our steps and to keep us safe.  All a contrast does is to show us the differences between one thing and another - one action over another; one bit of "heard" knowledge over one bit of "applied" knowledge. Opposites are presented because they speak the loudest.  Just sayin!

Short-cut to fruit-bearing

If you have ever had something begin to grow in your garden and then wondered what it might be, you may have left it grow a little longer because you think it resembles a flower or perhaps a plant which will produce some type of "fruit".  As it grows, you can begin to tell if it is what you thought it might be or not.  When it no longer resembles what you thought it was, you pluck it up because you now recognize it as not being the "fruit-bearing" plant you imagined.  I feed birds - this produces a variety of "undergrowth" in my flowerbeds because they fling seed everywhere.  I have seen one-eyed susan, an occasional sunflower, and a lot of tall blades of grass as a result of this "seed flinging".  There is also a whole lot of stuff in there I don't recognize.  I just pluck those out right away because I have no idea what they will produce. A whole lot of "seed" gets "flung" in life, doesn't it?  Much of it can begin to grow wherever it is "planted" - but not all of it is beneficial.  Some of the fruit produced may not be as helpful or beautiful as others.  

You will know these people because of what they do. Good things don’t come from people who are bad, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes, and figs don’t come from thorny weeds. In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.  (Matthew 7:16-18 ERV)

What I am doing when I first take notice of these little sprouts in the garden is something you might label as being an "inspector".  I am looking for evidence of two things - I have to recognize what it is, and I have to know if it is beneficial to leave where it is planted.  These are two very important points for us to keep in mind in our own lives as these two principles can guide us in relationships, spiritual pursuits, and emotionally charged times. We need to be able to recognize the "seeds" for what they will produce, and we have to know if what is produced will actually be of any value to us in the long run.  Some call this being "inspectors" - I call it being wise.

Much of what is offered to us today in life is in the form of "short-cuts".  We have all kinds of ways to produce something which "resembles" the "real deal", but it really falls short of the original.  For example, we have instant mashed potatoes.  Add water or a little milk, heat in the microwave, and we have mashed potatoes, right?  Nope, we have reconstituted powdered potato flakes. They look similar to the real deal, and even taste a little like fresh mashed potatoes, but they lack something in the consistency and appearance. What we have produced is "close" to the original, but truthfully, it is only a substitute for the original produced through a series of short-cuts.

Things produced in life are a result of what takes root.  Fruit comes because there was first a root.  You cannot have one without the other.  These things which sprout up quickly in my garden take root easily.  They are flung on the surface and don't need much depth to take root.  A word of caution - when something doesn't need much depth to take root, it usually is a weed and the "fruit" produced will oftentimes give you more headache than heart-peace! Things which matter - producing luscious fruit - are things which take a little longer to root and are almost always planted more "purposefully".  Short-cut "fruit" is rarely as rewarding or satisfying as that which is "purposefully" produced by being planted, nurtured, and harvested in season.

As you may well imagine, fruit is often a key indicator of what has been taking root.  I don't make my own mustard, so a tiny mustard seed taking over my garden with one sprouting plant may look nice for a little while, but it will soon crowd out the rest of what I have growing there.  The birds may like it, but it produces nothing I can actually "use" in my life.  What we allow into the garden of our hearts and minds begins to take root in our inner man.  How do we begin to analyze what has taken root.  Oftentimes, the "behavior" is the evidence of what has taken root on the inside.  Some behavior is to be trusted at "face value" while other behavior is a cleverly produced "imitation" of what we think is going to produce good fruit.  Becoming clear on what is "good fruit" and what is not will help us accurately judge what might be at the root of the behavior we are producing.

Remembering what I proposed earlier, we have to both recognize what is planted and know whether it is good for us or not.  Recognition comes with a little help from some tools we have at our disposal - the Word to guide us into truth, the Holy Spirit to prompt us when "truth" isn't accurate, and our conscience to assist us in weighing the "truth" in response to the values God is working into our hearts.  Knowing if something will actually produce worthwhile fruit takes a little practice.  The instant mashed potatoes will put dinner on the table quickly, but they don't provide nearly the nutrients as the ones I peel, boil, and mash with milk and butter.  They aren't as rich in flavor and they aren't as satisfying to the palate.  Sometimes I have to taste a little of the fruit to really become aware of what has been produced!  This is a little sad really because some of the fruit produced in my life has been a little bitter!  Yet, when I get a good taste of the bitter fruit, I know it doesn't belong and I seek to get it out.  

I think all God wants for us is to become a little more proficient at recognizing the fruit of what is taking root.  Remember, shallow roots may produce fast growth, but will it be lasting and fruitful?  Not too likely.  So, do more than just accept the "fast growing" and begin to allow the "purposeful planting" of what God knows will produce "good fruit".  It isn't in the "short cuts" we produce our "best" fruit - it is in the tender-loving care of his watchful eye. Just sayin!

Trail Buddies

Trails - as we travel through life, there are sure a lot to choose from, right? Have you ever chosen a trail which was just too hard for you?  You know, the one that taxed your endurance, left you aching when you finally reached the end, and just generally was way too much for you?  I have!  In real life, the trails we can pursue abound - choosing the right ones is as important as choosing the right traveling companions to "hike" those trails with you!

So now you can pick out what’s true and fair, find all the good trails!  Lady Wisdom will be your close friend, and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.  Good Sense will scout ahead for danger, Insight will keep an eye out for you.  They’ll keep you from making wrong turns, or following the bad directions of those who are lost themselves and can’t tell a trail from a tumbleweed... (Proverbs 2: 9-12 MSG)

This morning, as I look out onto the Shenandoah Mountains, I see mist covering many of the trails and a general peacefulness to the view.  What looks so serene may actually be riddled with all kinds of hazards I have no clue actually exist in those wooded areas and rocky places.  Things like black bears, snakes, and poisonous plants.  They don't seem to just jump out at you and have little signs saying, "Avoid me".  Instead they blend into the surroundings and seem to almost taunt you to allow them to catch you unaware.  This is probably why God pays such close attention to giving us the best traveling companions for life's journeys which are riddled with hazards we often don't see until we are fully upon them, or engulfed in their irritations!

Four traveling companions:  Lady Wisdom, Brother Knowledge, Good Sense, and Insight.  Let's call them the SWIK Team (Sense, Wisdom, Insight and Knowledge).  

- Lady Wisdom:  I have told you before, wisdom is more than knowledge - it is the knowledge of what is good and true, but it is also the just judgment to use it as you need it.  It doesn't take much wisdom to look upon a black bear, hungry and intent on feeding, to avoid it!  On the other hand, to see a little squirrel who skitters to you for a few nuts doesn't seem that ominous, right? But...even "cute" squirrels carry deadly diseases!  The importance of Lady Wisdom being along on our journey is for us to know what to do with the input the other traveling companions actually give us along the way.

- Brother Knowledge:  Nothing escapes us more than acquiring ALL the knowledge on a subject.  Whenever we think we have, we are only deceiving ourselves, as knowledge is an ever-increasing, ever-developing thing.  This companion along our journey is there to bring us awareness of the facts, truths, and principles we might discover.  What we do with those is the direct result of how well we listen to Lady Wisdom!  Brother Knowledge is our teacher - Lady Wisdom is our counselor.  

- Good Sense:  Some call this sound, practical judgment.  William Temple, the last Archbishop of Canterbury, once said, "The first ingredient in conversation is truth, the next good sense, the third good humor, and the fourth wit." Considering this a little closer, I think he was onto something there.  Most of the "hazards" we come across in life are often a result of our very own words, are they not?  We come smack-dab into the path of some pretty ominous situations just because the words we have chosen led us down those paths. As Temple stated, the value of the conversation (the words) is not just in the speaking of them - it is in the closeness they maintain to the truth, the evidence they reveal of sound / practical judgment, and the delight of being able to laugh at oneself in the process.  Not every conversation we engage in is as well planned as we'd like, but maybe if we had these traveling companions along on the journey down that path, they might be!

- Insight:  This is the ability to apprehend the true nature of a matter - some call this being intuitive.  In this instance, I think our traveling companion known as Insight is really the ability to make rapid and direct connection with truth and fact.  The idea is of immediate apprehension.  Most of us apprehend the facts, but it takes a little while, right?  When Insight is our traveling companion, we have a much better chance of getting things the first time, instead of having to hear it over and over again!

These are just a few of the companions we can choose to take on the trails we pursue in life.  We determine our companions in the journey.  The journey may not be totally under our control, but who we take with us is!  Just sayin!