Get Wise

"I don't know what to do!" That phrase has left my lips more often. I hate not knowing what to do--because that used to be when I would do the wrong thing. For so long I floated through life, doing whatever I pleased and not giving much thought to long term. I don't live like that any more. One could say I'm growing up, getting older or maybe one could say I'm getting wiser.

Proverbs 1:3  tells us that in regards to reading Proverbs and seeking the wisdom found in it is "Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair."  Yes, I think it's safe to say I'm getting older and growing up AND getting wiser.

Rarely do I make decisions without consulting someone who is further ahead in life than me, rarely do I act without first weighing how it will affect my future and rarely do I speak without weighing my words. Rarely.

I'm human and with that comes a certain level of screw-up. But what separates me from who I am today verses who I was ten years ago is I'm not doing life on my own any more and I'm not allowing myself to say/do whatever I feel like, whatever comes to mind. No longer do I float on the boat of reckless. I might still have brief moments of visiting that boat, but I don't live in it any more.

Wisdom teaches us to live disciplined--which to a certain extent means you don't get to do everything you WANT. Wisdom also leads to successful lives. I'll take success over pleasure any day. The trick is to understand what I deem as success, what others deem as success is sometimes (ok, often) different than what God defines success to be. So I guess one could say true wisdom is not in how much you know, how much you can quote, or even how long you've done something...true wisdom comes when you stop living for yourself.

"I don't know what to do" leads to wisdom when we turn to God and allow Him to show us what to do. Then, regardless of what that looks like or how it makes us feel, we do it. 

My prayer for you...gain wisdom (read proverbs).