Putting the I into WISDOM
The Christians who have most influenced me for good have had a fully functional familiarity with the book of Proverbs. They were (and are) able to take their considerable knowledge and apply it to their lives, providing both godly examples and godly advice. Join with me as each of us endeavors to put the I into WISDOM. Let us seek to exemplify God’s wisdom in our daily lives. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Proverbs has much to say about what we say. For example, in Proverbs 18:20-21 we read, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Clearly, our words are powerful, for ill (“death”) or for good (“life”). They reveal what satisfies us (verse 20), who we are (especially v. 21 – “love”), and where we are headed (verse 21 – “shall eat the fruit thereof”). What do we usually talk about? We speak about matters that are important or interesting to us. Both speaker and listener are responsible for the impact of these words. Proverbs 13:3 warns, “He that keepeth [guards] his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” Likewise, the listener must be alert; Proverbs 10:21 instructs, “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.” We must be careful how we speak and to whom we listen. Of course, the best example of the appropriate combination comes from our Lord. In John 6:68, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thous hast the words of eternal life.” These words of life everlasting must be winsomely spoken and humbly received. Wisdom begins with a personal and saving relationship with God the Son, Jesus Christ.