Reception of Wisdom

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:20-27

Notes

20-22 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.

“My son” or “my daughter” should incline our attention to something of importance. Although Solomon spoke the words to his son, we are invited to read these words as though the Father is speaking to us. Wisdom should not be seen as a trifle or something that can easily be attained and just as easily discarded. What is wise should be in our sights at all times and treasured in our hearts.

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The guarding of the heart is twofold. We should protect the truth and precepts of God’s word that have been laid on our hearts and indwelled upon our spirits, protecting them from attacks of temptation and lies. The second is to guard our hearts, like a shield, from the things trying to pervade and dominate us.

I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:10-11

There are always forces attempting us to pull away from the love and hope of God and deceiving us that this life on earth is all there is, but we have to remember that our collection of years on earth is only a blink, a small capsule of possibilities. A friend of mine described life on earth as being in a three-dimensional world, but when we enter eternity into God’s Kingdom, we enter a fourth or even fifth dimension. Radically different and more powerful than anything then we could hope to imagine on earth and what is even better is our time in that dimension is without limit.

24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

For if we embed our hearts with falsehoods, selfish desires and lies, then our mouth will expose the true nature of ourselves. Perversity is not limited to foul language or vulgar humor. It also speaks to dishonest conversation, utilizing duplicity, hypocrisy, or full-on fraud in one’s discussions. We are not meant to manipulate or exaggerate but be people with words of interiority, even if the truth hurts a little bit.

Sometimes in society, we can be led to believe that we must always have something nice to say or even flatter people rather than say something perceived as negative. That is the norm, but we can both speak truth and show love at the same time. We can share opinions without speaking as if it is the only opinion. We are called to love even our enemies—people we disagree with, who lead different lives than us and even people who have been hurtful to us. It is not easy, but speaking the truth and not manipulating others into believing they are better or worse than they are is essential to our calling.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

We are to be single-mindedly focused on the eternal and not on the peripheral distractions that are temporary even if they seem vital in the moment. Instead, we should stare ahead of us toward the one who has made our paths straight and will forever be our guide.

Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

It is easy to be sidetracked by the lives on social media while also being bombarded with global, national and local concerns from mass media. We began to veer toward the lights and the cameras and less drawn to the wonder and awe of Jesus. Although our gaze may pick up on things around us, our intent and focus should be on the eternal.

26-27 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Complaints, the potential for controversy and ridicule steers many of us off the path and away from the Kingdom. We worry about what people think more than what our heavenly Father thinks. We give power to the temporary and we dispense with the eternal. It is hard to do what is wise and good when people slander and threaten us, but God tells us their words have no power and their threats are meaningless. Wisdom is live-giving and is far greater than uniformity or temporary victories.

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;

One who watches his way protects his life.

Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
Proverbs 16:16-18