New Series: Pearls of Wisdom

New Series Coming!

The Lord recently lay on my heart to undertake and share with you an in-depth study of the book of Proverbs.  Contained in this power-packed book of the bible is an enormous amount of wisdom, instruction and guidance.  In this day and age, we are in great need of wisdom! Many times as believers, we spend a lot of effort and intensity trying to overcome and avoid sin.  Of course, this is very important!  But in addition, if we are to live our best life on earth, there must come a time when we also pursue wisdom with as much effort and intensity.   Certainly it is unwise to actively engage in sin, but there are some things that we face that are not a matter of sin but wisdom.  For example: it is not sinful to have friends of the opposite sex. However, it is unwise to have unguarded male friendships or to have any type of male friendships if you are married and this person is not also a friend of your spouse or to have male friendships with someone whose spouse you do not know and respect.  Again, this is not a matter of sin but wisdom because each of these has the potential for harmful influence and effects.  So as believers, in order that we may be free from sin as well as grow in the wisdom of God, we must evaluate all of our situations, circumstances and decisions from a two-fold perspective.

First, we must ask ourselves is this wrong? Is it sinful or have the potential to lead to sinful behavior? Does it contradict the infallible truths or principles of scripture? These are the types of things that are wrong for us all.  There is no gray area.  For example: it will always be wrong to engage in sex with someone other than your spouse.  But don’t stop there in determining if your behavior is wrong.  It is also wrong to engage in conversations with sexual under tones with someone other than your spouse.  See where this is going? So when you ask yourself these questions, be honest with yourself and engage a trust accountability partner.  After all, this is your eternal life at stake.  If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then avoid it at all costs! The cost of sin in your life is too grave compared to the temporary pleasure that it provides.  

Second, we must ask is this wise? Is it what God is leading me to do and is it what he is leading me to do now? Does it fit within my purpose or does it have the potential to distract me from purpose?  These things are usually not clearly forbidden by scripture; rather, they are a matter of the intimate conversations that you must have with God to determine if it is right for you.  This requires a relationship with God where you allow the Holy Spirit to speak directly to you.   Remember, the effects of unwise decisions are costly as well.  They amount to a detour off the course of your purpose and destiny and as a result they are usually time stealers and destiny delayers.  Since we only have a set amount of time to live on earth, we must be focused on making the most of the time we have. We must be determined to do only what God would have us do plus nothing else!  This requires wisdom. 

Therefore, in order that we may grow in wisdom and experience life as God intended, it is necessary to avoid sin and pursue wisdom.  In her book, The Resolution for Women, Priscilla Shirer awes at God’s ability to infuse old words with right-this-minute application (pg 80).  That’s what we need!  God instructed Solomon to pen the contents of Proverbs not just with the Israelites in mind but you and me as well. He knew that in our day and time, we would need wisdom to navigate this life on earth.  He knew that we would not be equipped in our own intelligence and ingenious and that despite our best efforts, it is impossible to do life without the wisdom of the Word of God applied directly to our right-now situation.  Are you ready?

Stay tuned….