Two tools to have at the ready

 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. (Proverbs 3:21-22)

So many times, we count on something other than common sense to get us out of a sticky place. We got ourselves there because we didn't use common sense in the first place! Discernment is just a fancy word that describes the ability to see good from bad and then make the best choice. When we don't use either of these helpers God gave to us, we find ourselves in a muddle. God's purpose in giving us these "tools" was that we'd actually use them.

We aren't acting "independent" of God when we use discernment. We are using the good sense he gave us to "interpret" the moment. Yes, we might shoot up a quick prayer asking God to give us wisdom, but we can begin by listening to our conscience. It tends to niggle us a bit when common sense tells us something is not right for us. Perhaps our conscience has become a little confused by the many times we have violated it. God can restore it when we ask for his help to discern correctly what the moment challenges us with.

The tools God gives in the form of good sense and discernment are in our "immediate" toolbox of 'godly helps' to assist us in making wiser choices. Ignoring them while waiting on God to reveal something else that we label as "godly wisdom" is just silly. The more we use the discernment he gave us, the stronger it will become. Notice that they are gone kept close. That is because they are our"go to" tools when temptation or uncertainty arise. They are like our first line of defense. 

The wisdom God develops as we lean into these tools will become apparent to us as we look back at how we handled the temptation or trial. Just use what you were given and see how God multiplies his good sense and discernment in your life. Sometimes the simplest "tools" are the best ones to use. Just saying...

You go first!

Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. (Proverbs 9:7-9)

Men have many responses to rebuke, don't they? Some will scoff and say you are wrong about them. Others will argue vehemently that you have made wrong decisions yourself, so how could you possibly judge their actions as wrong. Still some will find any rebuke as belittling, cowering as a child scorned, afraid of what others will think should they find out what they have 'done wrong'. When a child of God is rebuked, it is a definite sign they are loved too much to be allowed to continue in their folly. 

We may not judge one another - it isn't our place to act as 'judge', but God does ask us to look out for the welfare of one another. We aren't just to turn a blind eye to another's wrong actions. As much as is possible, we must gently guide them back toward making wise choices. Does that mean we criticize or condemn their actions? Absolutely not! It simply means we recognize their actions as contrary to God's commands and LOVINGLY seek to see them restored.

You teach the wise, not the foolish. You bring insight to the righteous because you know they will embrace it and learn from it. When we look out for one another, we might see certain actions that are 'red flags' the other one may not easily see themselves. We find ways to point them in the right direction, away from those red flags, so they can be safe, secure, and at peace within their hearts.

A word to the wise, though. Don't correct others for actions you have been engaging in yourself. That is hypocritical. Take care of you own sin first. The, as God leads, become an example of his grace and wisdom to those who may also struggle with making right choices similar to the ones you are now making. We won't be able to help another learn until we have learned our own lesson first. Just sayin!

Abandoning the Paddles?

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (James 1:12)

A little earlier in this chapter, we are told that 'if we don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father' and perhaps this is the best advice we could have when it relates to facing 'testing challenges' in life. There are far more times we face those challenges without a clear plan on how to 'handle' the challenge. We want to make it through unscathed, but we know that a whole bunch of stuff is about to be unleashed, and we are in for a whopper of a 'beat down' if we don't get some clarity quickly. At that moment, we can meet it head-on, but to do so without God's perspective on the matter would be sheer foolishness.

The testing challenge may be what reveals to us just how deep our loyalty is to God. It is where the rubber meets the road in our faith walk, isn't it? We don't really want to admit that we aren't fully devoted, but our attentions are divided. We don't realize how little we are truly trusting God with the everyday experiences of life we face, saying we 'trust him deeply', but living as though we trust him very little. How? By attempting to concoct our own plan, follow our own path, or just plain turn tail and run at the slightest difficulty. Faith doesn't just magically appear one day and all is well. There are far more times faith develops in the midst of the most 'testing challenges' of life!

Loyalty means unwavering dedication. Do we do more than recite the principles by which we say we live, or do we actually live by them when the tough times come along? We say we seek God's wisdom, but do we only do that when the times are harder than we'd like? What do we do in the 'not to tough' times? Could it be that we just sail along, feeling pretty doggone sure of ourselves? It doesn't matter if we are in the midst of trials galore or the best of times, loyal followers of Jesus do what they always do - they press into his Word, gleaning what they can for the moment, holding fast to his promises. They don't look for their deliverance anywhere else than at the feet of Jesus. Just because the boat is rocking doesn't mean we abandon the GPS, rudder, or paddles! We hold fast! Just sayin!

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!

Obedience first - feelings last

“Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.” (Proverbs 1:32-33)

The old song, "Fools rush in", admits that some can be so blinded by something or someone, all reasonable thought flies out the door. One of the lines in the song actually says, "Though I see the danger there, if there's a chance for me, then I don't care..." It goes without saying that we rush into danger more times than not simply because we failed to exercise wisdom in those moments. How can we get to the place where we 'don't rush in'? We learn to listen to God's voice!

God-given wisdom far exceeds human wisdom, but somehow, we think it is okay to just trudge right on into those moments we will come to regret later on. We refuse to listen to his wisdom and find ourselves treading on thin ice. Another line from that same song reminds us, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread..." If God's angels wouldn't even go there, why do we think it is okay to plunge right in? Our selfish and sinful minds can convince us of a great many follies being 'okay' at the moment, but if we were to admit it, we heard a 'warning' in our thoughts that we chose not to heed.

That 'warning' is God's Spirit trying to show us the right choice to make, but God doesn't 'hold us back' from following our own folly. We must exercise the restraint and count on God to give us that 'extra boost' we need in those areas of our lives where our own strength is rather weak. Emotions can carry us down some awkward paths, hard to navigate and even harder to escape. Relying upon our 'feelings' actually is like the 'fool that rushes in' mentality. We cannot count on our feelings to keep us safe - because we can justify every feeling, right or wrong!

Fools rush in - the wise listen for God's leading. One takes steps without thinking. The other counts on God to help sort out the good thoughts from the bad ones. One counts on what 'feels right', while the other trusts God's direction to be the best path, even when emotions don't quite 'match' what he is asking us to do. Know this: God's direction may contradict our feelings more times than not. To wait for our feelings to catch up to his direction is not the best plan. Sometimes we just need to put aside our feelings and do what we know he is directing us to do. Feelings follow obedient steps, my friends. Just sayin!

Advice or Wisdom?

Your parents give you commands and teachings that are like lights to show you the right way. This teaching corrects you and trains you to follow the path to life. (Proverbs 6:23)

A parent's advice was not something I relished as a kid, teenager, or even as a very young adult. Somewhere along the way into my adult years, my parents became the smartest and wisest people I knew! It is a miracle what God can do to change our parents, isn't it? Really, I am being a little sarcastic there because the one who changed because of God's help was ME. My parents gave me 'commands' - the rules I should live by. Did I always follow them? Nope! Did I get in a bit more trouble than I really wanted to be in? Yep! Have I learned that their 'advice' and 'teaching' was pretty doggone 'solid' and 'trustworthy'? Absolutely! God's plan for us is that we learn from our parents, listening closely to the teaching that actually will 'train us' for life. Do they always have the best advice for us? Not always, but as with everything else, we run it through the 'filter' of the Holy Spirit's confirmation within our spirit and the Word of God. If it doesn't line up with what God says, then we need to adhere to the strictest of the two - the Word of God!

God's plan was for the parent to actually be in a deep, personal relationship with Jesus themselves. If they are, the teaching they give a child is likely to be according to the Word of God and less likely to lead a child down pathways they should not be going. God's wisdom comes through relationship - first with him, then with each other. We find his teaching correcting our lives repeatedly - it isn't just a one-time thing and then all is well in our lives. His teachings don't change, but he does expand upon them as we grow up a bit. That is what we call maturing in Jesus. We don't just 'become wise' because we said 'yes' to Jesus - we have to sit under the 'parenting' of our heavenly Father in order to have his wisdom developed within our lives. The more we listen to his commands and seek to incorporate his teaching into our lives, the deeper our connection will be with him. Maturity is not just 'getting older' in Christ - it is learning to obediently respond to his teaching each and every time we hear it. Maybe God doesn't 'parent' us the way our earthly parents did, but when we finally realize he isn't just setting 'rules' to 'inhibit' our lives, but to protect our lives, we might push back in disobedience a little less.

Teaching corrects us and trains us to follow the plan God has for our lives. It gives us the directions to live, but even the best of directions has to be followed. There are some who treat God's Word as 'good advice', but it is far more than advice - it is wisdom! Just sayin!

Opening the cabinet door

As people understand your word, it brings light to their lives. Your word makes even simple people wise. (Psalm 119:130)

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)

I need light, especially when it is the darkest. In the middle of the day, I even need light in some of those 'recessed places' in my life. Not everything is evident to light until light comes into the place where it has been excluded from exploring. Some of us need a little 'exploring' by Light, don't we? I have often heard believers say they don't know what the Bible has to say - that it is a bit too hard to understand. In answer, I often ask what 'translation' they are using. It could just be that the 'understanding' of the Word is a little 'blunted' because we choose to read the Word of God from a translation that is too hard for us to understand. Most commonly, it is that we haven't asked God to open our eyes of understanding to what it is we are reading. Once we ask for understanding, we also need to ask for help in implementing what it is we are reading!

Light in our lives isn't just automatic. I have several good lights in the kitchen, but the recesses of that corner cabinet next to the stove are not reached by those lights. I still need the flashlight to see 'way back there' in the recesses. Some of us have 'corner cabinets' in our lives that get a 'glimpse' of light on occasion, but there needs to be some very specific 'light shining' done in order to uncover what has been masked and hidden away in the recesses of our heart and mind. It is the stuff in the 'recesses' that God often focuses on when we spend time in his Word, but unless we actually open the 'door' to the light he brings, it is as useless as the flashlight with a closed cabinet door! I am still not going to know what is hidden in the recesses of that cabinet if I keep the door tightly shut! Some of us have tightly shut those areas of our heart where we have secret sins, hard to break habits, and humiliating hurts. Don't be surprised when God actually asks you to open the 'cabinet door' so he can reveal them!

God wants us to do more than just 'know' the Word of God. Many will memorize portions of scripture, but what do they really mean to them? What life-change has occurred because those words have penetrated the recesses? As we have likely heard, we need to both here and do what the Word of God commands. James 1:25 reminds us, "But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard." Pray for wisdom, but don't expect it to be automatic. Sometimes we need to take steps of obedience in order to have the light reflected into those 'recesses'. I have to open the cabinet door to find the rolling pin way back there in the recesses. You and I might just have to open up a few unpleasant thoughts, memories, or habitual patterns to his review in order to find the root and be rid of it once and for all. Just sayin!

Confucius say...

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living. (James 3:17-18)

Right living is not always what we see modeled around us, is it? At times, we observe others and know their actions are going to create havoc. There are even times we can feel ourselves 'winding up' and know very well that the outcome of that 'wind up' will not fare well for us! Confucius once said, "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." We often revert to imitation because it is the easiest, but I also know from my own personal growth, experience has played a big part in how I view and react to life around me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we always leaned toward reflection upon God's Word to give us wisdom for all of our actions?

God's wisdom comes in ways we may not even perceive until we come through on the other side of an encounter and realize we didn't respond as we might have expected. We 'handled' the situation with grace, dignity, and even a bit more gentleness than others may have thought it deserved. How did that happen? We allowed God's wisdom to lead us through, but only because we were prepared in advance to both hear and respond to that wisdom. Peaceful living isn't the result of just being passively launch out into our day. It is the result of taking time with Jesus, allowing him to take time with us, and then leaning into what he has shown us in those times of 'reflection' with him.

As Confucius said, reflection is the 'noblest', but we might just find it the hardest, too. Reflection requires us prioritizing the time we give toward discovering the truths God has for us. It requires the right frame of mind to lean in with the attitude of heart that is open to learning. I have read many a passage with the wrong frame of mind and left without even realizing what God was trying to teach me. Wisdom isn't 'accidental' - it is intentional. There is a purpose in coming to Jesus with our problems or worries, isn't there? There is a purpose in our coming to him to just learn a little more about how his grace works, how grace responds, or how grace moves beyond what one is experiencing into the place of seeing what God wants us to see in that moment. Just sayin!

Be kind AND wise

Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can. When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should. (Colossians 4:5-6)

Always be kind and wise. Does that describe your responses to other people you relate to on a frequent basis, much less others who might not know you that well? We have all probably seen those funny memes that depict someone getting on your last nerve, or that one that asks 'did I just say that out loud' kind of humor. The truth of the matter is that we frequently run into situations where we could say something that would not be all the kind or wise, but we 'hold back'. Sometimes it takes more than a little conscious effort to 'hold back', especially when tempers are running high, disappointment abounds, or the 'last nerve' type of stress kicks in.

Be wise in the way you act. I know the passages references the way we should treat those who are unbelievers - who have yet to say yes to Jesus - but it is also very important for us to treat all individuals with courtesy, respect, and sometimes even a bit of 'slack'. Wisdom exercised in relationships might mean we don't always speak all we want to speak or respond with actions that match or outdo the hurtful actions of another. There are just times when it is wiser to 'turn the other cheek' than it is to engage in whatever silliness our emotions might want to lead us into! 

Wisdom in relationships doesn't always come naturally, or all that easily. Sometimes we find ourselves challenged a bit, wanting to stand up for ourselves, and knowing if we do, a tremendous argument will ensue. I was in the doctor's office a few weeks ago when a man came in and began to 'goad' the whole room of people waiting to be seen. First it was his lecture about cell phones and no one looking at each other anymore. Then it got into political discussion. Last, but not least, came the discussion about churches not doing enough to respect the older members of the community by embracing all those new songs and types of worship services. To say the least, it took a great deal of wisdom to avoid jumping into the mess that rant created! There are just times when you'd like to speak, but you know wisdom dictates you shouldn't!

Be kind and wise. If you really stop to think about it, it is pretty difficult to be kind all of the time unless you allow wisdom to dictate your responses. Just sayin!

Are we there yet?

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. (James 1:5-8)

We are reminded in Proverbs 3:5-7 to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." As we all have varying backgrounds, we likely approach life's challenges in various ways. We might just find ourselves turning to this world's wisdom first, then when it doesn't do what we hoped it would do, we turn to God. As long as we rely upon the wisdom the world offers, we will be limited in our perception of the issue. The limitation? We see things through our natural eyes - emotions being played upon, we respond based upon emotion, not godly wisdom. Godly wisdom is always available to us, but we might just have to stop long enough to ask for it, ruminate on it a bit, and then allow its application in our lives.

There are probably more times we lack wisdom than we might first admit. We come headlong into a situation and then we stumble around a bit until we realize what we possess in the way of earthly knowledge isn't cutting it. Pride sometimes gets in the way of us asking for God's help - making it almost impossible to avoid the hiccups that come from facing things we cannot control, much less fully understand all in our own wisdom. Once we put aside our pride and turn to God for his help, we find new wisdom for the circumstances at hand. Although we delayed in seeking his wisdom, he never criticizes us or judges us when we take so long to ask! It is far better to ask sooner than later, but some of us just take a bit of time to put our pride in the backseat and allow God to take over. Remember, God always welcomes our requests for help - we might not think so, but we find repeated examples of his intervening grace recorded for us in scripture whenever someone humbles themselves before him.

Sometimes we don't ask for God's help because we think the answer we receive will be a little different or 'worse' than what we imagined the answer to be. It may not be the answer we anticipated, but God's answers are always the best ones - we must rely upon his wisdom to keep us protected, and within the safety of his caring arms. God hears the first word we utter and he isn't afraid to answer, but sometimes he allows us to get things out of our system in prayer before he begins the work of answering. He isn't afraid to show us his will, but sometimes we need to get to the place we will accept it and walk in it! Just sayin!

Thanks for the advice

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)

Some people just cannot see any other solution to their issue than what they can manage to come up with in their own minds or through their own power. To suggest something outside of that imagined solution somehow makes you the "crazy one" in the equation! There is much danger in being so determined to just do things our own way, though. In many circumstances, the way we determine to be the "best" or "right" may just be the easiest and present the least resistance. I know I have chosen this option more than a few times, only to find out that the easiest "up front" isn't always the easiest on the "back end". My pride kept me from finding out if there was an "easier" or "better" way other than what my mind could muster on its own.

Sometimes pride determines the course we take whenever we are faced with something a bit "over our heads". We might think we have a solution, but pride keeps us from asking if we are even on the right track! Pride is one of the most limiting things we can face - probably more limiting than just about any other issue in our lives. Why? Pride limits our ability to see any other solution to life's issue than our own - it is our way, or the highway. We don't even look for another solution because we have our minds and hearts so wrapped around what we believe to be best that we almost shut out any other possibilities. Pride escalates one's ideas and beliefs to the place of superiority and shuts down any other idea or belief not completely like one's own. 

There is a tell-tale sign one is experiencing some issue with pride in their life. When you are presented with another solution to what is front of you, do you immediately reject it as "wrong" or "unworthy" of your time or attention? Do you even stop to consider any other way than your own? There are times when we want this immediate rejection of ideas - like when they are totally wrong or violate God's commands. For example, if someone says the way to get to work sooner is to just be a ding-dong of a driver on the road and weave furiously in and out of traffic until you nearly run every driver off the road, you might want to reject that one! On the other hand, if someone tells you to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and avoid hitting the snooze button five times, you might want to give that one some consideration. 

Some of what we imagine is "right" or "good" may not be "bad" - it just may not be what is best in the moment. We need to first weigh what we are about to do against God's commands - if it is okay there, it is likely okay for us to pursue. Then if the scripture doesn't give us any real clear advice on the matter, we have to rely upon conscience - something a little less reliable. When another comes alongside to give us advice, we weigh it against scripture and our conscience. If it doesn't violate either, we might do well to give it consideration. We may never know when that "teachable moment" may occur which actually helps us move beyond something we've been struggling with for a while! Just sayin!

Wisdom comes...

My son, eat honey; it is good. Honey straight from the honeycomb is the sweetest. In the same way, know that wisdom is good for you. Wisdom will give you something to hope for that will not disappoint you. (Proverbs 24:13-14)

We can turn to the internet for some "wisdom" - such as when we need help with learning a new language. We can turn to the books we have lining walls in our libraries - all divided by subject and author. We can even turn to each other - learning a great deal from what another may have learned over the years. In all these cases, we have amassed "knowledge", but maybe not wisdom. Wisdom isn't just "learned stuff" - it is "applied stuff" - going on to better our lives. Now, if I learned that foreign language to help another gain insight into the truth of the gospel message, the language would help me to "distribute" the wisdom I had attained by means of study of the Word of God, but it still would not be wisdom. I may have exercised wisdom in learning a different language as I came to realize I could not reach the other person until I could speak their tongue, but learning the language was not "getting wisdom". We get knowledge and wisdom mixed up, so it may not surprise us that our pursuit of each is a little mixed up, as well.

As a kid,  you are kind of naive and find stuff you don't know to be potential "hazards" to your well-being as kind of interesting or intriguing. I know a lot of stuff, as do you. What we put into practice most in our lives is something we might label "practical wisdom". It is the taking of things learned and making them "practical" by doing them over and over again until the knowledge becomes second nature to us. For example, we might learn that a steak cooked in too hot of a frying pan will sear nicely on the outside, but the inside of the steak will remain uncooked and almost too raw to eat. If we want both the "searing" effect of heat and the "cooking effect" of heat, we must vary what we do with the heat we place under the pan. We learn that by making a few mistakes - like overcooked meat one time, under-cooked another, and maybe one "just right" the next. Eventually, we develop a reasonably easy process of cooking our meat which we can replicate from one time to the next.

Wisdom which is practical in nature is usually the "regular" stuff we use everyday. Maybe we learn to not follow so close to vehicles when we have our first "rear-end collision", or we learn to bring laundry in off the line when we see storm clouds forming. We are certainly exercising good judgment with both - practical wisdom being highly linked to using good or "best" judgment in our decision-making. "Spiritually-based" wisdom is that which is learned by the application of God's truth in our lives. It isn't so much learned by trial and error, like cooking the steak to perfection. It is learned by obedience - choosing to do something not because we feel like it, but because we know it is the right thing to do. Knowing is the knowledge part - obedience is the wisdom part. Most of us would probably not equate wisdom with obedience, but if we really consider this carefully, obedience is applying truth even when we don't feel like it.

We can desire good things in this life, butbedesiring something less than what God knows to bebestfor us. We can desire even better things, like the "sweetness" of God's truth straight from him because we have spent time with him. Wisdom comes in choosing the latter. Just sayin!

Be wiser than your former self

We have perhaps one or two truly close friendships in the course of our lifetime, those marked by true intimate knowledge of each other and a depth of commitment which spans all the hurdles of how silly we can act on occasion.  These relationships matter so much to us - we work to preserve them, defend them, and even bolster them whenever things are a little shaky. Try hard to do right and you will win friends - scriptural instruction - not scriptural "advice".  The difference between the two - one is just an opinion which we can take or leave; the other is a promise based on truth. Some of us don't always "do right", though. In the realm of our "best friends", there is some amount of grace which just keeps us together and might even bind us closer together when we don't always "hit the mark" when it comes to "trying to do right". Do right; Live right; and Act wisely - three truths we need to explore if we are to maintain those very special relationships God has given us on this earth.

Try hard to do right, and you will win friends; go looking for trouble, and you will find it. Live right, and you will eat from the life-giving tree. And if you act wisely, others will follow. (Proverbs 11:27, 30)

Do right - we certainly don't need instruction or reminding to "do wrong"! We find our way into the territory of "wrong" much easier than we find our way into the territory of "right"! We were born pretty egocentric and in being so egocentric from birth, we find the world rotating around us for a good period of time. What parents have a hard time with as we are getting a little older is this idea of helping us to see there are others in our world impacted by our actions!  When we won't share, someone is without a toy or piece of the cake. When we refuse to let someone go, they cannot get on with their other tasks which need to be completed. We maintain the "hold" on being the center of our world as long as others will allow it. When someone begins to "push that envelope" and they show us we are definitely NOT the center of attention we think we should be, we get our feelings all in a wad. The world around us needs to be acknowledged, the feelings of others require respect, and the moments of their lives matter as much as ours.  We are reminded to let go of "self" and seek out the opportunities to "make another feel special". Doing is the first step toward developing a pattern some call "living".

Live right - unlike "doing" right, living right means we actually find a path which is consistently focused on the right things. We begin to develop patterns of behavior which are marked with less and less self-centered actions. The "doing" becomes a habit - we find ourselves consistently "doing" - not having to "think it through" all the time because it comes more naturally to us now. With every "new habit" there is this starting point we might label as "doing" right. Add up all the "doing" and eventually you find yourself forming the new habit. In time, you don't even think about what it is you are doing because it comes as "second-nature" to you. It is "second-nature" to us, though! Our "primary-nature" is egocentric. It takes practiced effort to break that mold! This effort will eventually help us develop the habits which become "second-nature" to us and produce a consistency of behaviors which support "other-focused" activities. We find we want to include others in our lives - not because of what we "get out of it", but equally as much by what we can "give back" into those relationships.  Living right implies we make consistent choices which benefit not only self, but others, as well.

Act wisely - the choices we make behind the scenes matter because eventually they reveal themselves for all to see, no matter how well we think we have them covered up! Action comes from thought - we actually have some basis to all we do and how we live because we have been thinking about it for some time! If our actions are a little foolish, it is likely we are still a little too egocentric in our focus. We don't see others, nor do we see Christ right there in front of us as we make those unwise choices. If our actions are gravitating toward wiser ones, we might not fully understand how much those matter, but each wise action leads to the possibility we will act that way again - leading to us letting go of some of our egocentric "doing". Fools are marked by being all over the board in their commitments and even by being a little too egocentric (despite warnings to be otherwise). The wise are marked by the stability and sensibility of their actions - those which are "other-focused", not "self-focused". Wise people see themselves through the mirror of the truth and what is reflected back to them is used to help them lay down the actions which really are not reflecting back Christ in them! Just sayin!

The total package

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. (Proverbs 10:8)

How we embrace instruction tells a story that we may not always want to hear. The wise embrace it - maybe not with enthusiasm all the time, but with an integrity of heart that says they want to learn what God teaches, regardless of the cost. The fool will just babble about why it is 'too hard', 'not something he needs', or that there is 'some other answer' he must discover before he 'tries this one'. Oh, I hope none of us are like the fool who babbles on, but rather are like the wise who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen intently.

If we want to reject God's teachings, it is our prerogative. In turn, don't be surprised when the same lesson keeps coming around and around, maybe with a different presentation each time, but with the same 'heart intent'. God isn't going to let us just reject the lesson once and then say that is the way it will be. His grace keeps reaching out to help us 'soften' to the wisdom being taught. For many of us, lessons are caught and not taught. We find ourselves learning from others, not because they are smarter than us but because they may have taken hold of the lesson quicker than we did.

The fool babbles on - the wise gets quiet and listens. That may actually be a good way to judge how much we are willing to accept instruction from God. Do we listen first, or give an incessant ranting about why we don't think the lesson is meant for us? The fool may not see he is headed for a pretty big fall, but the wise will do everything they can to avoid any 'tripping points' in the path! If we take notice of the path before we take the journey, we may not choose that particular path. If we just amble along, expecting that all will be well, we could just find ourselves on a path that is way above our endurance!

My heart isn't always 'glad' to receive instruction - especially when it comes with correction. Part of instruction is correction. We need to know where we are 'making mistakes' so we can learn the 'right way' to live. While correction is not desired, it is definitely needed. The fool never gets to the point of accepting correction, much less admitting he needs it. The wise enter into all instruction with the knowledge that correction may just be part of the 'total package'. 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!

Ready to do life?

 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

How do we begin to make the most of the opportunities in front of us? It might just begin the moment we take time to think through our decisions. We all make flash decisions, but that should not be our primary way of living. We need the time to bring our day before the Lord and listen to what he says to us. In the church, this is called our quiet time, but in my life, I call it my planning time. Why? It is when I take my day to him, gaining his perspective on what should have priority and what should not. It includes time in his Word and sufficient time to actually think upon it. It involves prayer - discussion with God. Maybe the most important thing is the time I take to listen, so I don't go off my own way and do things without reason or outside of his timing.

We 'take care' in how we live when we put Christ first in our day. A fool has no time to get God's perspective, but plunges ahead without much thought. The more we learn to stop and just listen, the less we will make rash or foolish decisions. There will be less missed or bungled opportunities. Have you ever been outside of God's timing? No matter how well-intentioned you may have been, you bungled the opportunity because it wasn't the right timing. We don't overcome temptation in our lives without a plan to deal with it when it raises. Do you think God tells me HOW I will be tempted each day? No, but when I have committed the day to him and sought his will for my day, I stand a better chance of recognizing it when it comes. That point of recognition is important because it is the beginning of resisting it. 

We all get ahead of ourselves some of the time, but a pattern of living like this all of the time is not healthy for us emotionally and spiritually. We must learn to take care - allowing God to connect with us before we rush off to 'do life'. When we do, we will find our decisions are ordered and our actions yield better results. Just saying!

Gawking at everything?

The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control. (Proverbs 5:21-23 CEV)

None of us can say we watch so closely as to NEVER miss a thing! If I were honest, I would tell you there were times I was watching so closely to see what God would do in a particular circumstance, only to miss him moving somewhere other than where I was focusing! I wasn't looking where he was acting! He focused on another area of my life, but I missed it all together - seeing only the end results, but oblivious to the exact way they happened! We probably are all like this now and again - focusing so intently on one thing and missing where God is moving just a little bit down the road in our lives. Our focus might be too broad. We miss the pothole because we were just gazing at the scenery! Life is a little bit of focusing intently, but not so intently that we cannot see the bigger picture.

When our focus is not correct, we fall into the messy circumstances of life. God has the "bigger picture". He watches us closely - we are part of the "bigger picture" he keeps constantly in his focus. Some may think that God sees everything, so don't get "caught" doing anything wrong. Pursue wisdom - for nothing will guide us in life quite like the pursuit of the person of Christ. Wisdom is found in a person, not in an amassing of knowledge. We pursue Christ, keeping our focus on him, and he will help us to possess the wisdom to make the right choices when the circumstances change, and we need to respond in obedience to his will.

We have been given mothers and fathers to help "raise" us up in the right way we are to live. Even when our "natural" parents weren't all that great, God's provides for what we didn't have in a natural sense - by giving us "spiritual parents" to help us develop this right sense of living. Embrace their advice and listen to their reminders - what you may gain is your life! We have "common sense" to help us in times where a lack of clarity exists. When all else seems to just fall a little short of giving us the full picture, we have this thing known as common sense to guide us. If our conscience and what we know to be true don't disagree, we can move forward because we have used some common sense in making the decision.

We are called to listen and obey. We think we can obey without really listening. We put the cart before the horse if we think obedience can come before really listening to the counsel of God! This is why he asks us to take time with him each day, listen to the wisdom of those he places in our lives, and then to match up what he provides in his Word, times of meditation, and the counsel we have received with what we "know" to be true (common sense). Listen first - then take action. If we'd just get that one lesson down, we'd avoid a whole lot of potholes along the way.

God sees everything and watches us closely. It isn't because he wants to catch us "tripping up", but because he wants us to be successful in our walk with him. The hope does not come in the discovery of the pothole, but in knowing how to avoid it so we don't find ourselves tripped up by our own lack of self-control. Trust the one with the "bigger picture" to guide your path and orchestrate your outcomes, but don't get so caught up in the "scenery" that you lose focus of the path you travel! Just sayin!

Get truth...

Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. (Proverbs 23:23) 

We might think wisdom comes just because we have found truth, but truth must be embraced if it is ever to 'translate' into wisdom. Wisdom is the knowledge of what is true and right, but it is always coupled with the 'right judgment' that leads to correct actions. Some will call this 'understanding' - truth embraced brings an understanding as to what actions are worth pursuing and those we should just walk away from.

Discipline is what comes when one has been trained. The truth will require certain actions of us and with repetition of those correct actions, we develop discipline. Discipline actually 'improves' our lives. It takes truth to open the door to our understanding, but it takes discipline to actually bring a consistency of 'right actions' into our lives. Experience through adversity is one way of developing discipline, but I prefer to embrace truth, grace, and God's love, allowing those to fashion my inner man.

Good judgment is the outcome of wisdom and discipline. The more we appreciate and understand what God tells us in his Word, the more we want to have the discipline developed within us that produces consistent obedience in our lives - good judgment being paramount to knowing when the 'wrong person' is in control of our actions! When we take the lead, allowing ourselves to just 'coast along' because all seems to be going well, we are lulled into a place of poor judgment many times.

Get truth - allow it to begin to move upon your heart - then see if it doesn't lead to wiser choices, consistent actions, and better judgment in your life. You might just notice that you are more aware of when to act, how to take action, and how those actions will affect not only you, but others around you. Isn't this what we all need? Just askin...

Open to Discover

 A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others. (Proverbs 12:15)

Are you a listener? Do you really 'mull-over' advice when you receive it? Or are you someone who acts impulsively? I have been both, but I find my life is a bit less complicated, with a whole lot less 'mop-up moments' when I listen then act! Some treat God's Word as merely advice, not really giving it the respect it deserves. A wise man will listen to others but will always take the advice received and compare it to the principles taught in the Word. Why? Man's advice may not always 'hit the mark' - we need to ensure that it aligns with God's truth.

A fool thinks he has it all figured out, while the wise man will quickly acknowledge it would be foolhardy to just trudge ahead without God's wisdom. Reckless, impetuous, and rash decisions will certainly bring us much woe. Wouldn't it be better to avoid all that heartache and chaotic mess? If we are to act wisely, we need the tools wise men use. What are the tools I often speak about? The Word of God, the confirmation of the presence of the Holy Spirit within, and the wise counsel of others. They all go hand-in-hand. You cannot separate one from the other. I have learned to ask questions such as, "Will God be dishonored by this action?" or "Will this violate my conscience?" Always consider your actions in light of what God says and what your own conscience is warning you against - you might just be duped into doing something contrary to one or the other if you are 'foolhardy' in your planning.

It took me a while to learn to 'listen' to the Word of God. After all, I was reading it silently, so 'listening' wasn't really one of my sensory responses. The type of listening God requires is for the heart to be so 'in tune' with what he is saying that we are prompted to act, convicted because of our actions, or realize the choice we are about to make is likely not the best one. We don't listen to our hearts alone because they are a bit fickle and self-centered. We allow God to 'speak into' our hearts through time in the Word and then we store those truths up for the moments when we need them down the road. Decisions will be required, but we will have 'stored up' the knowledge of how to respond by taking in his Word little by little each day.

There is no greater thing we can do than to explore the Word of God, embracing what we discover there. We may not always know how or when we will use the truth contained within, but we can be assured of this - every example set out, all the truths revealed within, and each 'exposure' of God's heart is a valuable asset. We only need to be open to discover it - he does the rest. Just sayin!

God's sense needed

Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep! (Proverbs 14:6)

There are people in this world who believe that selfishness motivates people to do things. There are probably more than a few individuals like this, but once someone invites Christ into their lives, it is almost impossible to live that way any longer. A cynic has to believe every action has some underlying "ulterior motive". As we come INTO Christ, the "motivations" of our life begin to change - moving from being a little too self-centered to being "other-centered". The result of becoming more Christ-centered is that we also become more and more "other-centered". This is a good thing since our ego gets us into more scrapes than we might like to deal with in this life! Wisdom is only truly found when we are able to embrace it and as long as we are embracing everything that focuses on and pleases self, we will not be able to open our arms to embrace wisdom.

Egocentric individuals have little regard for the beliefs or interests of others, appearing quite self-absorbed. The "self-absorbed" have little to no room to absorb anything else! It is like being a saturated sponge - you can try to make the sponge hold more water, but it just has no more capacity! Perhaps this is why when some seek wisdom, they have such a hard time holding onto it! It may not be that they don't encounter wise principles and practices in this lifetime, but they just don't 'absorb' them. All of us have a tendency to be a little too self-absorbed on occasion. As Christ begins to take our eyes off of ourselves, turning them fully toward him, we begin to see there is a world outside of ourselves. At first, Christ needs to help us maintain our focus because we don't realize how much our focus determines the direction we will take in this life. As we grow in our relationship with him, it becomes easier for us to recognize when that focus is turned a little off "center".

No man or woman who fully beholds the magnificence of his majesty can ever walk away unchanged. Wisdom takes the form of exchanged priorities, deeper expressions of love and caring toward others, and a little less need to have the world rotate around us. Wisdom is not only the knowledge of what is true and right, but the judgment to act upon it. The cynic's judgment is self-based. They have no "center" outside of themselves, so every action they take is based on how they will appear, what will benefit them from the experience, or 'what's in this for me' kind of focus. The wise embrace the fact that God's work is best revealed when the transformation occurring within is expressed outwardly in the way we treat others, the opportunities we find to elevate another, or 'how can I be a blessing to another' kind of focus.

The cynic may act upon "common sense" in much of what he or she does. The wise act upon "God's sense". It is the enlightenment God brings which helps us to make solid decisions and to take steps forward when it seems like we don't have all the answers up front. The cynic will weigh things out to see if the cost is too great for them. The wise will realize that all "God things" come with a cost - a little less of our self in the mix means we get the best out of the circumstance! Just sayin!