 |
| Proverbs is considered one of the Bible's "wisdom books." |
Knowledge or wisdom – if you had to pick one or the other,
which would you choose?
My father had a favorite saying to describe some people:
“He’s so smart, he’s stupid.” His meaning, you might surmise, was just because
individuals have a certain level of intelligence and may have acquired a
substantial amount of information, that doesn’t ensure they know how to put it
to use effectively.
Kind of like people that don’t have enough sense to get out
of the rain.
There’s a link between wisdom and common sense. Some
of the wisest people I’ve met didn’t have college degrees or a lot of what
we used to call “book learning.” But if you were trying to make a decision or
looking for practical advice, they were the ones I’d consult first.
One friend used to say, “I’ll never understand why, if we
didn’t have time to do it right the first time, we have time to do it over
again.” Another friend had a sign posted in his office, “Failure to plan on
your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
Maybe not quotes we'd attribute to Einstein, or Newton,
or da Vinci. Not the kind of material that would make you the life of the party
at a Mensa International conference. Just the same, these observations make
good sense.
How do you get wisdom? Some experts say it comes from
experience, the experience of making good decisions. And how do you make good
decisions? By making bad ones – and learning from them, they say.
We’re about to enter a new year. For many of us that signifies
a chance for a new beginning. I’m a person that likes to review the year past
and set goals for the year ahead. One worthwhile goal, it seems to me, would be to
grow in wisdom. But how can we do that?
 |
| The book of Proverbs offers much to think about. |
You could make a bunch of poor decisions, try to learn from
them and make better decisions down the road. That might work. But a simpler,
less painful way I’ve found is to regularly read from the Old Testament’s book
of Proverbs, one of the Bible’s so-called “wisdom books.”
I suspect most the readers of this blog, because of its
content, are already people of faith or at least spiritual interest. But even
if you’re not, hear me out.
For years I’ve made a daily practice of reading the chapter
from Proverbs that coincides with the date of the month. For instance, today
would be the day to read chapter 31, which happens to describe an exceptional
woman, the so-called “the Proverbs 31 woman.”
Tomorrow I plan to start reading again from the beginning,
chapter 1, which makes the declaration, “The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
instruction” (Proverbs 1:6). Hey, the Bible said it, I didn’t.
 |
| I've found reading Proverbs so helpful, I often make notes in margins about key principles it presents. |
Why read Proverbs over and over, month after month, year
after year? Maybe it’s because I’m dense and it takes time for things to sink
in. But I’ve learned reading these simple yet profound verses serve as a
continual reminder of what to do and how to think, and what not to do and how
not to think.
Over the course of its 31 chapters (you might have to double
up occasionally in February, and in months with 30 days), it covers a wide
range of topics, including anger, handling conflict, discipline, seeking
counsel and guidance, sexual temptation, hard work and laziness, discipline,
speech and communications, generosity, inner motives, honesty and integrity,
pride and humility, the use and abuse of money, planning, security, even
leaving a legacy.
Proverbs offers practical wisdom for the workplace as well
as one’s personal life. Groups of business and professional people – believers and
non-believers – have met regularly to discuss how principles from Proverbs
apply to their careers and circumstances.
Why not give it a try? Tomorrow, just for the heck of it,
read chapter 1 of Proverbs, and the next day read chapter 2. See what you think.
Some of the ideas might not connect with you, but you may find a few that make
you go, “Hmmm!” You might even decide to read chapter 3, out of curiosity if
for no other reason.
No comments:
Post a Comment