I enjoy road trips, especially ones taken with the people you love. I think back to my earlier years, when both my sisters were away at university and I lived at home with my mommy. There was such anticipation and joy in my heart when I knew we would be taking a road trip to see one of my sisters. As soon as we left the city limits, the scenery was filled with pastoral lush and ...road signs. All sorts of them. Road signs that beckoned me into the "Dinosaur Exhibit" that was the next exit over, ones that deterred me from the road block that was ahead 3 miles, and ones that informed me that a baby's heartbeat started 18 days after conception (wow, I cant believe I remembered this one). That's when I saw a road sign, or a progression of four road signs that really intrigued me. They were each a couple hundred feet away and they read:
Like Oil and Vinegar
Stone and Brick
Drinking and Driving
Just don't Mix
I remember thinking that that might have been one of the most clever road signs I'd seen. It was a mini poem. Haha. Anyhow...I said all that to get to my main point of things that seem like they just Don't Mix. In my faith, my ignorance has lead me to thinking that faithfulness to God and His calling for an individual's life, does not mix with wisdom. I read Proverbs 7 the other day and verses 1-4 advise : My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee."Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:"
These verses really made an impression on me. God, in His infinite wisdom, speaks to us in ways that we will understand. Last weekend I got the chance to spend time with my sisters, who happen to also be 2 of my best friends. So when I read verse 4 that says I should say to wisdom "you are my sister", it painted such a clear picture in my head of just how close I should cling to wisdom.
The Hebrew word for wisdom is "chokmah", which in the Bible is used to refer to wisdom in skill (war); in administration; being shrewd; prudence (in religious affairs); and in ethics (Strong's concordance).
Here we see that wisdom isn't this nonsensical, mindless obedience. I don't think that's what God calls us to. The more I grow in Christ is the more I grow in wisdom, ( Prov 1:7). Wisdom in all aspects of my life. Wisdom that is not quarantined to high and pompous religious matters, but to decisions made everyday. Practical wisdom that tells me that I should study for my exam the next morning, instead of spending the night browsing the internet. Wisdom that tells me that I should be a good steward of my finances. Wisdom in all things.
Moreover, with Wisdom, I am able to grow in my trusting obedience- one that is dependent on the reality of who God is :). So, obedience to God and wisdom actually DO go hand in hand. Don't get me wrong, there might be moments when I wont completely understand why God does something the way He chooses to, or the complete reason as to why He calls me to do something; however, I can trust in the wisdom of His unfailing character. In that sense, Faithfulness to God and Wisdom dance to the same beautiful tune.
Soo, are you facing a decision in life that you really have no idea how to tackle? Or are you like me and just need some practical wisdom on how to navigate in your day to day circumstances and interactions with others?:
1.Ask the Lord to lead you and give you the wisdom to make the best decisions. (James 1:5)
2. Seek Godly counsel from other close believers (Prov 11:14)
3. Hold fast to what is good -is in line with Scripture/ doesn't go against it (1 Thess 5:21)
4. Apply that wisdom. Act in Faith (Psalm 90:12)
Grace and Peace,
Diana
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