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Every year in an Old Testament class that I taught, I’d ask my students to think of the wisest person they know. It was almost always a parent, a grandparent or a teacher they’d had. They were typically older, grizzled veterans of a life well lived. When I asked them why they considered these people wise, what I usually heard was the following; they always know the right thing to say; they help me make good decisions; they know so much about so many things; they have good insights. By the time the class was over I’d find myself thinking, “those people are awesome-I’d like to be that wise.” Wouldn’t we all?
I was talking to a friend of mine who is a judge. He was telling me that before he became a judge he was a lawyer. He said when he was a lawyer he always had a biased interest in his client’s case. As a judge, he said, it’s been somewhat freeing for him to serve as an independent arbiter of the truth. He feels as though he can be more objective in seeking that truth. However, he also noted what a daunting task it is to try to be the ultimate dispenser of justice. He acknowledged the awesome responsibility he felt in trying to make wise decisions each and every day.
How might we be more wise? How might we make wise decisions in our lives. We wake up each day charged with the task of making difficult decisions, seeking truth in a world filled with so many seemingly competing truths. How do we make these decisions? How do we discern truth and dispense justice in our lives? At work and at home we’re constantly in need of wisdom to make the many difficult decisions we face daily.
Proverbs 1:7 states “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” This Proverb reminds us that the ultimate source of wisdom is God; that our best hope of being able to discern truth and make wise decisions comes when we begin by checking with God from the beginning. When I was a kid I feared my dad, not because I was afraid of him, but because I had a certain amount of respect for his authority. Fearing God means very simply respecting God enough seek his wisdom from the outset of the decisions we have to make. Proverbs 1:7 suggests that any hope we have of being able to make good decisions should begin with checking in with him. This week may we begin our days with a very simple prayer. God grant me wisdom for the decisions I will make today.
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