Part 1: Wisdom vs Intelligence
Part 2: Why We Make Bad Decisions

What is my primary goal in life? I’ve read about 60 year-old CEOs of major companies that still don’t know what they want to do with their lives. What hope did I have as a boy or college student? What hope do I have now at the age of 31?

If you believe in God, then you probably know at least on an intellectual level, that He is perfect. We might not always agree with the outcome, but the core Christian belief is that we know God always makes right and just decisions.

God also has a perfect plan for each of our lives. Humans are marred by sin though, so there will be some difficult spots on that path. What if we never get on the path? What happens when we beat our own path through the brush only to get more lost with each step?

That is where I see so many people today. It’s all I can do to stay on God’s path. Fortunately God lights the way for us if we acknowledge him and submit to his will for how that path should be walked.

Wisdom of God Reflected from our Youth

I meet kids that have not just grown up around Christians, but are really pursuing the Lord’s will in their lives. I am always struck by how much older those kids seem. Have you ever seen the interviews of the teens when any magazine writes an article about “20 teens who will change the world”?

It’s a bit intimidating, actually. I look at those youths like I look at that 3-year-old kid that zipped past me on the ski slopes using no poles and flying down a potentially treacherous slope without a bit of fear. When I feel bad when I look back at my life and think the dangerous, “What ifs,” I am reminded that we have a baby on the way. The future for that child is limitless should we raise him or her to know and love the Lord.

How Adults May Receive Wisdom

I see people in all areas of business who are a great success, though if you hung out with them, you would never get the idea they had overpowering intelligence. Truth be known, many just have average intelligence. What really sets them apart is that they have superior wisdom – the knowlege of what choices will bring the best outcome.

How do we get this wisdom, or applied knowledge of God’s will? We said that God is perfect, so that would be the place! Everyone looks for a magic forumula, but God is the provider of all wisdom. Seek him.

I’ll relent, though – If you want 5 steps, here goes…

1. Prayer – Seek God’s wisdom. Not for material wealth or prosperity, but simply for the wisdom to discern God’s will and for the courage to do it. Take quiet time each day where we just get silent and still to hear the Lord
2. Read God’s Word – Read God’s word carefully and regularly. The prophets had a couple scrolls that we know as part of the Old testament, and a word from God once or twice in their life. In the New Testament church, they had a couple letters that would circulate and the rest was told as oral tradition. That seems to be part of the reason they repeat themselves so much and go through the entire history of Judaism every time a character in the Bible tells a story. (The other part is that knowledge of oral tradition was very important and showed the Jewish people that these “upstart” Christians knew what they were talking about and respected their culture and traditions.)
3. Memorize the Word – Beyond just reading the word, it helps to memorize a couple key verses. This way when the enemy comes we can combat it with God’s word like Jesus did.
4. Connect to God and His Body – Get in with other believers. Join a church – not because that makes you good, but rather so you can worship God with others and benefit from the gifts God gives to other believers. By “join”, I don’t mean just show up – dive in! Join a small group/Bible study – Volunteer for something – participate…
5. Pour out the Word – Do it! Let God put into action what you learn in the Word. If we sincerely commit to God to let him change us, he will, and I’m living proof. I was a grade A jerk a few years ago, and now…. I guess I still have my moments, but life is som much different – so much better. Don’t get discouraged, though. It may take some time since we will occassionally take steps back or to the side.

   Do your job even better than before. Love your spouse/kids/friends more purely than before. Share what you are learning with others. Give back to those who do not know Christ. Even as a new believer there are still things we can do to show Christ’s love even if we can not deliver a stirring oratory.

Passing on Wisdom to our Children

What if we had our kids studying the Bible fully? I talking about much more than reading it – I’m talking about living the Bible!

I wonder what would happen if instead of reminding my child of how smart he or she is, I reminded them that “You are a child of God, made in his image.” or even, “God has a path for you and this is not it”?

I’ll let you know in about 18 years. Until then I pray for each of you that the Lord will fill your heart with wisdom as he did Solomon and will guide you and your children on his perfect path. Thanks for joining me in this mini-series and I pray that each of you be filled with the wisdom of the Lord.

Have a blessed day!

I made bad choices not because I didn’t understand the implications or that I did not care about the outcome – I had little spiritual direction or a guiding force. I viewed rules as “should’s and shoudn’ts” of life. They did not connect into a big picture other than that I should follow them to stay out of trouble.

Many people seek God in such a fashion. Look at Islam or those who follow the laws of Judaism without seeking the Lord’s heart. There is a huge set of laws to govern our choices. It is the easy way out for many of us. We want a “5 easy steps to achieve/get X.” Maybe if we feel convicted by the Lord we accept a message like “5 easy ways to stop whatever it is we are doing.” I know, because I write those top 5 and 10 lists to sell ideas or products on the web for a living.

Rules are “Kid Stuff”

Extensive rules are for the guidance of children, who have not yet developed the wisdom of God. Jesus said that God gave us the (Mosaic) law because of the hardness of our hearts. Jesus is saying that God had to treat us like spiritual children since we rejected him and would not mature.

As children mature into adults, they are supposed to acquire wisdom that will help them apply basic rules to a larger set of decisions. Is it even possible to govern every possible decision with rules and laws? We sure try in America…

We could fill rooms with all the local, state, and Federal laws in the US. Add to that every company manual and memo to govern behavior, and we could fill a football stadium from the turf, to the top of the bleachers.

How many laws do we need to explain the 10 commandments?

Definition of Wisdom

If you know the English language, you know what wisdom means – or at least how the world uses it. Many modern definitions equate wisdom with intelligence, but the historic definition is closer to the following:

Wisdom – ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight

Wisdom is making the right choices. We make the right choices not by luck of a coin flip or by amassing an increasingly-widening body of knowledge. We apply wisdom by knowing who we are, where we need to be, and what steps will get us there. When I was young, the plan drummed into my head in school and at home was that I was smart, so my formula for life should be:

1. do well in school
2. go to a good college
3. get a good job
4. retire with plenty of money

You might be going down that list saying, “Check, check, check, annnnd check! What’s wrong with that”?

Nothing really, but if that is all we have planned out, we will have some serious problems with all the life that comes between those fruits of success. That whole formula I listed is driven by materialism and the security that comes from it. Surely we need all these things and it is much better to be rich than poor, but not at the expense of our soul. Jesus warns us about chasing material wealth.

The Plan for Our Future

We’ll pick up tomorrow with Part 3 of “Intelligence vs Wisdom” and find the plan for our future – exciting stuff, I know! Hope to see you then. Be sure to sign up for our email reminders below of for our ultra-geeky (RSS feeds on the right side of the blog. Have a blessed day!

I even have very close friends who firmly state they are “too smart” to believe in God and that Christians are sheep looking a way to comfort themselves though life. They then remember that I’m sitting right next to them so they back-track a bit, but that is how they really feel. Hey, I felt the same way until God started cracking into my skull.

Can one be “too smart” for God? Is intelligence all it’s cracked up to be? Before I knew God, intelligence was what I believed to be all-important. Did it bring me abundant life?

My Experience as a "Smarty-Pants"

I’ve done extremely well on tests and had a rep for being a very smart kid though my grades certainly did not reflect it. I did the gifted classes and always enjoyed studying stuff – just not usually in school.

My parents were understandably excited when all three of their kids turned out very bright. Imagine the possibilities for our future. Hey, what parent doesn’t want a smart kid? While God obviously blessed us with inquisitive minds, our parents also helped the process by reading to us from a very young age, and by always making school a #1 priority. I even remember doing educational activities in the summers like study guides or having our Dad quiz us on books we read. I wasn’t 100% wild about it then, but I think it definitely helped keep us sharp.

However, over-emphasis on the value of intelligence does not pave the road for a good future for our youth. Whenever I misbehaved, I can still hear the words of my folks ringing in my head,

Matthew, you’re so smart. I just don’t understand how you can do that.

I must have heard how “smart” I was a million times by the age of 18. You know what? I believed it. I still have issues with pride where I think I’m smarter than everyone else. How about you? When you’re driving, is everyone slower than you a “moron”, while everyone faster is a “lunatic”?

What did all that intelligence get me? Not much. I ended up making a ton of mistakes which left me with a serious drinking problem, an even worse attitude problem, lousy grades (hence a lousy job), and a feeling that I would never live up to that great wealth of potential.

Why did I make these bad choices? We’ll tackle that tommorow. I originally wrote a giant post, but figured everyone might be too busy to read all at once.

I hope you come back to see us. Be sure to sign up for email reminders when we have a new article, or sign up for the RSS feed on the sidebar (if you’re a nerd like me).

Have a blessed day!

I was leaving Celebrate Recovery a couple weeks ago and was pretty down on myself for various things so I left before the post-meeting desserts and socializing. I felt a prompting to stay, but I sold myself the excuse that my wife wasn’t feeling well so I was going to see her. She is in the “wiped out” phase of pregnancy where a couple flights of stairs or a substantially-sized sandwich is enough to get her winded. Nonetheless, I was just being dishonest with myself.

On my way home I came up on a motorcycle cop who was going below the speed limit. I moved around to pass, which was my first mistake. Never pass a police officer.

1. Because he probably knows the speed limit better than I do
2. I’ve known many police officers since my alma mater had a huge police admin/counter-terrorism program, and nearly every police officer (or any person, really) has a bit of an ego problem

I happened to meet a police officer who met both of those criteria. I tried to get over since my exit was coming up, and he kept right off my bumper so I couldn’t get over. I sped up a bit, and he sped up. It was like in “Race for your Life Charlie Brown where Charlie and Peppermint Patty are doing something like a coin toss, but instead each keeps moving their hands up the baseball bat until one gets to the top. (Anyone remember what that game is called?) Instead of just stomping on my brakes, I kept up at this game until I went over the magical limit.

“Berry Flashing Those High Beams…”

Yup, I got pulled over. I didn’t even think about my speed, just about this guy who wouldn’t let me over. The officer was then rediculously rude to me even though I was very polite on the side of the road. This was a bit ironic, because I had just been sharing (bragging, really) a few days before about how I almost always got out of tickets when I got pulled over. Since that brief and passing conversation with a friend came to mind almost immediately after the police officer walked back to his bike, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lord kept me from having favor in that situation to learn a more important lesson. Stuff like that happened in the Old Testament. I bet it still does.

1. Keep my mouth shut when I don’t get what I deserve and enjoy God’s blessing instead of taking credit.
2. Don’t look at speed limits as something I can push. Since I have a kid on the way it’s a lesson I’ll have to learn sooner than later. It’s a bit funny since the kids in my family mercilessly rode my Dad about how little old ladies walking on the side of the road passed our car on the highway. Dad, I officially and sincerely apologize (lol)

Back to my meltdown… I was absolutely furious with that cop and I proceded to let it ruin my entire weekend. It was obvious at my next men’s group that I still had some unforgiveness issues. I also hadn’t fully come to grips with my own fault in the matter. I then took responsibility when talking to the guys in group.

Did that cop intentionally do something wrong? I strongly believe so, since we were the only two cars on the road. Should he have done that as an officer of the peace? No.

Better questions should be asked, though.

• Is he a human? Yes.
• Is he a sinner? Yes.
• Then, why do I judge him when the Lord has forgiven me? Uh…

It was wrong for me to break the law even if I felt baited into it. I should have slowed down – my fault 100%. I also should not hold anyone else to a higher standard than myself.

Our Pastor talked about money management this weekend and said that ultimately no one else is truly worried about our welfare other than us. He didn’t say that to discount the good intentions of loved ones, but rather to make the point that we have to accept responsibility for our actions. No matter what someone else does (or doesn’t do) to us, we are solely accountable to man and God.

I forgave the police officer. Hopefully people have forgiven me when I abused a position of power or level of trust. Jesus did, and so I must do the same. This finally clicked in my heart. I had been finally dealing with some issues of frustration regarding people in my past. Now I really felt that I could forgive them. Even if people did me 100% wrong, why do I think that they wouldn’t? We are all sinners worthy of death on the cross. Fortunately Jesus took that fate for us.

Takeaway…

Do you have some unforgiveness in your heart because of a falsely-held set of standards that other people should live by? I think we all do at some point in our lives, and have to keep fighting the lies of the enemy when people inevitably dissapoint us. It starts with complaining and builds from there, so be watchful.

Repentance for Unforgiveness and Pride

I went up during our time of worship to ask for prayer from some elders in the area of unforgiveness and pride and it really cemented what the Lord placed in my heart. I can’t even tell you how much Celebrate recovery has done in all areas in my life. It has been a long road since March/April, but it has been a relatively easy ride thanks to the power of God and the help of my friends in Christ.

Instead of paying the ticket I went to court to plead guilty – nice lesson in humility. Besides, I heard they knock down the ticket if you show up in person. The concept didn’t make much sense to me at first, since I figured that not going to court saves the county money. Then, I considered that much government work is really a jobs program. Court was a breeze – I showed up in court in a suit and got mistaken by the baliff for a lawer (hee hee!) and nearly got to skirt the metal detectors. I was in the courtroom for about 2 minutes, met a nice guy in lline when paying my fine, and sure enough the trial officer cut my points and fine in half if I could pay that day. Ka-ching!

To recap, the “formula” of how God helped me release unforgiveness and pride

1. Honesty with self
2. Admitting my wrongs to God and to another person (my men’s group)
3. Asking God to remove my shortcomings (pride and unforgiveness)
4. Being obedient to God’s way of righting the wrong (showing up in court)
5. Support from others through prayer
6. Maintenance (keep free from criticism and negative conversations)

In the end, my wallet was $77 dollars lighter, driving record is two points heavier. When I think about it though, learning how to release unforgiveness and pride and having an opportunity to help someone short-cut my mistakes in life is a lesson I would probably pay for again.

Have a blessed day.

Ecclesiastes 10:20
Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

Remember the common saying when someone finds out some secret,

“Oh, a little birdie told me!”

I bet that originated from here in the Bible – cool.

Ecclesiastes 10:10
If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed but skill will bring success.

Education isn’t a one-shot deal – college, grad school, doctorate, or whatever, and we’re done. Like the axe, we are in use daily. If we are not growing in our profession, we are shrinking.

Have you ever had a confrontation with a supervisor that was so frustrating that you considered walking of the job right then? I sure have – I never did though, and looked back at a few of those instances thinking, “Why didn’t I tell them off and leave? Man, I’m a chicken.”

Good news for everyone who identified with that: According to the Bible, staying on the job past the original confrontation is the right thing to do.

Ecclesiastes 10:4 (NIV)
4: If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post;
calmness can lay great errors to rest.

I suppose this works both ways – our ruler’s (supervisor’s) error or our own. That contradicts our American strategy of telling a person exactly why we are right, and what we think of them. Satan is all to happy to let our pride get us in hot water.

Fortunately we have this word of God to protect us the next time this situation arises.

I operate several business websites in addition to consulting clients regarding their Internet Marketing strategies. One of my websites sells a particular golf product and managed to rank higher than the actual manufacturer. Now and then, I receive orders for the product and act as the middleman. I turn around and place the order and make some money in the process.

A few days ago I received the following email:

Dear Sir, I would like to receive a quote for 100 units of your XXXXXXX. Please also advise me about shipping to the Netherlands.

I thought, “Yes!” I had only sold about 20 of this product to date, and this guy wanted 100 of them. I do the same amount of work for one order as I do for 100. I thought maybe even that this was the 100-fold return I read about in the Bible, being put into action. I negotiated an acceptable price from the manufacturer, built in a nice profit margin, and contacted the prospective customer.

The customer contacted me back with the following:

I ordered 25 units of XXXXXXX from you earlier this year at $X per unit. Would you please explain to me why the price has gone up so much in such a short period of time?

Ugh. This person had already been in touch with the manufacturer and thought I was them. However, the rest of the email led me to believe that he still might be interested.

Unfortunately, my immediate (fleshly) reaction was to start crafting an email about “supply and demand”, “how we’re getting closer to the golf season”, and other good-sounding phrases.

Then I realized that I was not following the Holy Spirit. I was getting ready to deliberately mislead this guy. Being the middleman is perfectly ethical, but posing as someone else crosses the line. I thought about my two options:

1. Come up with a plausible excuse for the price hike and make the sale which would net me some serious profit for essentially sending 3 emails.
2. Remember that God is my source and my mission on earth is to do more than make sales. I am to represent Christ at all times – to be a light. Upholding this would mean pointing the owner of the golf store to the intended party – the manufacturer.

I got ready to post the question on some Christian ethics forums and remembered my experiences with this. Usually when I have a question, I know what the Holy Spirit is telling me – I’m just hoping I can find someone to justify it for me.

As you can guess, I chose option #2. The pressure then seemed to immediately lift off my Spirit. I emailed the gentleman and gave the email address to the manufacturer and briefly explained the situation.

Of course this did provide an opportunity to mention my company and how this situation (being more visible on the Internet than the manufacturer) shows our abilities. I said that I would enjoy hearing from him in the future if his company has any marketing needs.

Of couse I would like to make the money, but I have to remember the following verses:

Pro 11:18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

Pro 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Pro 10:3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

This “reward” may not be in the physical realm. It may be in the spiritual. Either way we should remember that eternity goes much longer. Who knows – God may use this situation for purposes beyond “straightening me out”.

It was not so long ago that I would not have made this decision. Not that I am a “great guy”, but rather because Jesus Christ changes people. He does more than saves us from eternal damnation. He starts to change us into his image and likeness so long as we comply.

I hope this has been an encouragement to you, and pray that the Lord will help us all to make decisions as he would have us.

If you would like to read more about making business decisions with the Lord’s wisdom, click here and check out the Bible study we recently finished from the book of Proverbs

Have a blessed day.

!!! UPDATE !!! (3/29/06)

I received an email from my “Dutch Friend” that I spoke of.

Thank you (Name omitted) for your honest answer!!! I wish the rest of the world would take a bit of your honesty and it will look a lot nicer! Regarding internet marketing. I will start a Google campaign in Holland next Friday. Since my business is a bit slow I decided to invest in Internet Marketing. I hope it will be a success.

Kind regards

(Name Omitted)

Now, I am sharing this not so you think I’m “cool”, but to illustrate that following God’s word and leading has both an immediate and long-term impact on others besides ourselves. I closed the email with “have a blessed day”, so maybe my Dutch friend has one more seed planted that Christians are not what the world makes us out to be (self-righteous jerks). Europe is an especially tough mission field, according to European pastors that occasionally speak on programs that I listen to.

Maybe this makes a difference for someone else, or maybe it just makes a difference for me. Either way – Three cheers for Jesus Christ!

Lord, thank you for leading us these past 30 days in your truth. Thank you for shining a light in our hearts. We also pray that you bless all those who have joined us this month, seeking your will and rule.

We look forward with joyful expectation to the coming months and years in our life and give it to you to do with it what you wish. We are so eager to discover your plan for our lives Lord, and will take this insight as you dole it out – no faster, no slower.

We love you Lord, and pray that you open our minds to receive greater knowledge of you and your character through your word. We ask also that the Holy Spirit fall upon all those reading this today and that they be filled to overflowing with your word and truth.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Christian Wisdom from Proverbs, Chapter 30

Pro 30:1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.
Pro 30:2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.
Pro 30:3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Pro 30:4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!
Pro 30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Pro 30:6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
Pro 30:7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:
Pro 30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
Pro 30:9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Pro 30:10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you and you be held guilty.
Pro 30:11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
Pro 30:12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.
Pro 30:13 There are those–how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!
Pro 30:14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.
Pro 30:15 The leech has two daughters; “Give” and “Give,” they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:
Pro 30:16 Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
Pro 30:17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
Pro 30:18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:
Pro 30:19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.
Pro 30:20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.”
Pro 30:21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:
Pro 30:22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;
Pro 30:23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
Pro 30:24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:
Pro 30:25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;
Pro 30:26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
Pro 30:27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
Pro 30:28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
Pro 30:29 Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:
Pro 30:30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;
Pro 30:31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.
Pro 30:32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
Pro 30:33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

Notes of Wisdom from Proverbs, Chapter 30

1-3) Who is Agur? There is some disagreement among scholars. Some Jewish writers say that this was Solomon, and that he identified himself with the word that means “gatherer” or “collector” (as he gathered the wisdom and the law). This is entirely plausible to me. Really, it does not matter much, as the words are coming from the Lord. It is interesting to look back into history though.

Solomon was pretty tough on himself – I suppose he had pretty good reason for it, though. Even with all the wisdom and blessings Solomon was given, he strayed from God and fell into idolatry, drunkenness, and a multitude of sin. We all do this in one way or another – falling short of the glory of God and presenting ourselves to sin.

We should hate the sin, but we must also be mindful of not hating the sinner when we encounter the truth of the Lord and come face-to-face with our sin. Doing this leaves us open to lies of the devil to infiltrate our lives and either convince us to give up hope, or to persue a feeling of cleansing through works of the flesh. Doing this denies the power of Jesus, who removed our sin 2000 years ago with one act that was only of his doing, not ours.

I spent the first year after returning to the Lord wandering between two stages; the joy of the Lord, and one where I tried to do things through the flesh – sheer will not to sin. I spent so much time gathering the word that I never really let it sink into my heart. This was more because I had other things (cares of the world – career, etc) that were holding my true attention.

Fortunately God can free us from all this. He can free us from mentally beating ourselves up and looking at each day as a failure because we sinned and made mistakes. This comes through forgiveness. We often teach about forgiving others, but we must also learn to forgive ourselves. Forgiveness does not mean that we forget wrongs or make excuses for them. Forgiveness means that we allow God to heal our hurt emotions and we no longer hold these sins against ourselves.

Pray to God right now. After you are done forgiving others who have wronged you, forgive yourself. Ask for the power of Jesus Christ to break the strongholds in your mind that have been built up over time by meditating on the words of the enemy, rather than the words of God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to loose love and peace in your life. Now believe that God’s word is true and it is done. You may not feel any different – but remember that the spiritual walk trancends feelings.

4) Sounds like the writer is talking about Jesus well before His earthly ministry was established.

5) This is a serious paradigm shift that all Christians must go through. God is always right… always. The word is always right… always. If we something in the word that bothers us, or we do not agree with it, the problem is ours, not the Bible. Too many times we would explain away passages in the Bible saying, “that is the way things were in that culture and that time. Things are done differently now” (since we’re much smarter).

This is incorrect thinking. The more I have experienced of God this past year or so the more I have realized that when my thinking contradicts the Bible, I step out in faith and believe God’s word first. He then reveals the “whys” soon after.

Faith is a tricky subject. We always want proof first. If we get this proof, it is not faith. It is like a child standing at the edge of a swimming pool. The parent is in the pool and calls for the child to jump out. The child does not know that the parent will catch them, since they have never done it before. The child has to have faith. This “child-like faith” is referred to by Jesus himself in the Gospels. When we have faith and leap towards God, he always catches us. The next time it is a bit easier to make the leap. After awhile the leap is second-nature.

Polarity can be dangerous, unless we are “on fire” for God. This verse also approves some of what the faith movement teach, that God does indeed want us to be blessed on this earth. It makes 100% sense and is totally Biblical, though some go too far. Most of those that really twist God’s word are ones that we do not hear of in most mainstream TV. God keeps the worst from getting too much of the limelight.

23) This was a bit confusing. Why would it be that an unloved woman getting a husband is a bad thing? Other translations of this show “hated”, “odious”, and “whore”. When the woman gets married, she stops hiding her faults and becomes comfortable in her despicable behavior. This applies to men, too.

Situations like this are why it is good to have several translations. There is no perfect one (no, not even the King James) so if you can get a couple different copies, please do so.

I take this time to mention e-sword again. It is 100% free Bible software that you can download on your computer. There is no catch – there is no spyware included either. It was created by a fellow Christian who wanted to bring the Gospel to all corners of the Globe.

E-sword has Bibles in many different languages. It also integrates multiple translations of the Bible with commentaries, Bible dictionaries, Maps, and a study note recorder.

25-28) This is a good last one to end the series on. These animals are praised as being wise. How can that be? They are just animals – they surely can’t have wisdom.

Here is another paradigm shift which you have probably learned throughout your personal study of Proverbs these last 30 days. Wisdom is not about knowledge, per se. Wisdom is about obedience to God, much like even the lowliest of animals display. God will show us what to say, and when to say it. The Lord will lead us to what we should do and eat, where we should live and sleep.

This is wisdom. This is the answer – the sum total of this series. We fear the Lord in awesome reverence. We draw near to the Lord by studying his word and by setting aside time for prayer and communion with Him. We listen to his leading through the Holy Spirit. This comes in many ways. Only in time spent with God will we discern what those ways are. We will then have wisdom so we may effectively share the light of Christ with our fellow man. That is our primary job. Our second is to enjoy the various promises listed in Proverbs. God put us here to enjoy this beautiful planet and to enjoy relationships with people that God has set in our path.

Commit yourself to the Lord. I can only begin to tell you what embarking on this study has done in my life. I pray that it has also sparked a fire in your heart as well to commit yourself to the Lord fully, and taste the Kingdom of God.

The end… just kidding. It’s actually just the beginning

Thanks so much for joining with us. Just this month people from over 40 nations around the world tuned in to receive God’s wisdom and truth through the book of Proverbs.

We have other wonderful series coming up, and now I will have an opportunity to post about some things that the Lord has brought before me, but did not fit well in the context of this series.

It is such a blessing to be able to share the word with you all. I will be posting some of the ministries that I am listening too in the next few days; all of which have extensive libraries of sermons that are available for free on the Internet.

We also plan to have “30 lessons of Leadership from the book of Nehemiah” in the future. The series comes from a couple sermons from Woodrow Kroll of Back to the Bible. We will then seek out personal stories from ordinary people who have had leadership experience. Businesspeople, parents, government leaders, church officials, small group leaders, whatever – we want everyone’s perspective. With so many international readers this should be really exciting, in that we get a multicultural perspective. Sure beats my “in America this,” and, “In America that” : )

Please take the time to subscribe to our RSS feed or our email listing. We don’t share your information with anyone. Acually, we never even see your email address. Feedburner keeps track of it for us and sends you a small email that tells you when we have a new message.

God bless each one of you and I look forward to hearing from you!

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to worship you in spirit and truth. Thank you for keeping your hand on our lives and for leading us through your word to a closer relationship with you. We pray for the needs of all those who are joining us via the Internet today and ask for you to conform them to the image of Christ to the point that we are willing. Lord teach us strength, faith, and love. Amen.

What a blessing it is to be with you all today. The Lord has his hand on your life and has a very precise plan as to how it is going to get done.

Let me share with you a personal story about the Lord teaching me this principle. My wife and I recently renewed our lease where we live and the management offered to add another fan in the house. “Sure, who couldn’t use a fan in Charleston? Just have them install it in the master bedroom” (The summers are rediculously hot). That took place in the beginning of December.

We have had several run-ins with the staff here for well… lets say we have different expectations pertaining to time tables and attitude. I have had to pray quite often over my attitude with them sometimes which brings me back to the fan situation. We are now in mid-March. As you may guess, our fan still was not installed. I know full well how to put a fan in my house but it was the principle of the matter. The office had various excuses over the past few months, but seriously people – it’s a fan that may take an half-hour tops to install.

This past weekend my parents who are enjoying their retirement stopped in with the old family dining table. They wanted my wife and I to have it as we start our new family. To make room, we had to move my office to a back room. This room did not have very good ventilation and could get pretty hot.

“Wait, we thought.” Since they haven’t installed the fan yet, let’s have them put it in the back room instead of the bedroom (my wife doesn’t like the fan blowing on her when she sleeps anyway). Well, my wife called them to change the order and they just happened to be finally coming out that very day.

So here I sit, writing to you in my back office with the cool breeze of the fan blowing on me. Sure, I could have blown my top and gotten them to install the fan earlier. However, we would have ended up with it in the wrong room.

See? God always knows what is best for us. The timing of this could not have been any better. Thanks God, I hope I remember this the next time circumstance tempts me to lose faith that you have everything planned out, from what we are to eat and drink, to where we are to work and live, down to when and where we are to install a ceiling fan.

With that praise report, we head to today’s reading…

Christian Wisdom from Proverbs, Chapter 29

This chapter has leadership as a primary theme running through it. It refers to leadership in the home, workplace, and our walk with the Lord.

6) Have you ever felt trapped in sin? It really does feel like our hearts are in jail. Some time back I had a bunch of illegal software on my computer that I obtained through illegal file sharing. I was thinking about learning more about the Internet and rationalized (how I don’t know) that keeping the files was OK since I could not afford them. Once I had some money I would buy the real copies.

Remember what happened to Abraham and Sarah when they tried to move ahead of God’s plan for their lives? Yup, that’s right – Ishmael. He gave birth to the rebellious and violent culture of the Middle-East; an area that has been plagued with violence long before the Western world had any dealings with them.

God started dealing with me about this area of sin and I resisted. I made excuses and even shut God out of my mind. It actually hurt to hold onto that sin. I eventually listened to the Lord and let it go. The second I deleted all the software, I felt totally free. God was then able to work in my life to bring me to the place of knowledge in Internet Marketing that I have today.

Praise the Lord!

7) How true. Not only do the wicked inflict harm on the poor, but they think others are fools for not taking advantage of such an easy opportunity for personal gain.

This brings to mind a story about a University of West Virginia vs Virginia Tech football game wher WVU lost. In anger (and stupidity) some students went out in the streets and lit parts of the town on fire.

The next year, WVU beat Virginia Tech. “Whew,” the town officials thought. “We’re safe”…

In celebration of their upset victory, the students of the University of West Virginia once again lit their town on fire; this time, in celebration.

Sorry Mountaineers, I lived in Kentucky for 8 years and am morally obligated to point this out : )

9) Ever had a person confront you who did not know the Lord? Notice how insanely angry people can get over the smallest things? I still get like that sometimes, even though I have been born again – it is impossible for an unsaved person to have the desire or strength to control their spirit. The laughing referred to here is a mocking laugh.

11) Remember back when this verse was written, that they did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We would now refer to the fool’s spirit, and our flesh and soul.

23) I wish I could tell you how many times my pride has “brought me low”. My pride came as a coping mechanism to deal with inadequacies – and because all humans are wicked. You see, pop psychology only covers the first part. It says, “see, your parents are to blame. What you are doing is acceptable.” We have to take responsibility for our own actions. When I am a child, it is justifiable that parents can be blamed for the actions of their children. When we get to an age of accountability, we are given opportunities for introspection and to realize we have the freedom to choose our response to external stimuli.

Unfortunately many adults go their entire lives without doing this. They live their lives as a function of what happens to them. Good things happen to them and they are happy. Bad things happen and they are miserable/angry. Unfortunately in a fallen world the bad can often seem to outweigh the good – especially when we give Satan our ear.

What is the solution? If we stay in God’s word, he will not only reveal what the truth is, but he will also break the veil off of us so we see ourselves as we truly are; broken, and in need of a savior. If we remain vigilant and consistent in our prayer, we will grow stronger in our familiarity with the Lord’s “voice” and leading. This will be our guide when the enemy tries to pass his lies of as God’s word.

19, 21) If we have servants (employees in this day and age) we are to discipline them. God puts the wise in charge so that they will use the various pieces of the organization to produce good fruit and advance God’s kingdom. We must keep all pieces of the “machine” in good working order, because our business must give 100% each day to share the love of Christ. If we have people working for us that are not committed, they have to leave, lest they drag down the morale of the others.

20) I used this example before, but it is pretty good and certainly worth repeating. I heard a minister point out that God has given us two ears and one mouth. Perhaps our ratio of listening to talking should resemble that. I sometimes (often) struggle with this. It is not always because I want to be heard (prideful manner). I just sometimes get nervous with uncomfortable silences around strangers and seek to fill the “dead air”. This verse seems to suggest that this is not good ; )

More Wisdom Tomorrow from God’s Word!

Thanks for coming by. One day left in the series, and then we will move onto all kinds of great topics for working Christians. I hope you take time to check out the other resources on the site; especially the prayer request room

We hope you subscribe to either the RSS feed (on the right of the screen) or to the email feed of our blog. This way you may easily keep up with interesting future series.

See you tomorrow – have a blessed day!