Tonight I was challenged by Jim Vining to think about Proverbs and the essence of wisdom and folly. When we look at wisdom and folly side-by-side it is easy to see the overwhelming supremacy of wisdom over folly. How often are we faced with that stark contrast in real life? Jim made a point that wisdom is not something that we gain passively but we are invited into a relationship with wisdom. What is the underlying issue with wisdom? I look back on my journey and I see that there is a complexity to wisdom. I entered into a walk with Jesus as my personal savior many years ago and I was foolish and always visiting the door leading to folly. Many years later my relationship with Jesus has grown and developed and I use wisdom more and see things in a clearer manner. What happened over the last 20 years? I think foundation is key.
In Matthew 7:24-28 Jesus teaches us about two people who build houses on two diametrically different foundations. One man builds his house on sand. Building on the sand is quick and easy giving the person a home to live in with minimal work. The second man builds his house on solid rock. This house on the rock is not easy to build because it requires the man to tear away the soft soil and cast it aside until hard bedrock is found. Is Jesus just giving us tips on how to make great buildings that will last a lifetime? In verse 24 we see a key to what Jesus means. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them…” We need to act on what we know to be true in scripture. I also believe that there is another key to a soild foundation and that is consistency. If a builder creates a house on a solid foundation but never maintains the foundation will it stand? I think as a follower of Jesus Christ I cannot rest on my past to live the future. I need to constantly seek to know God more and more.
I believe that wisdom is learned as we journey with Jesus through our life. We will fail and fall but by the grace of God we will continue to persevere. The times I have followed folly as my consul were moments when I was not leaving Christ as the authority in my life. I was living for my own selfish wants. I learn from my failures and develop wisdom. In proverbs we are also encouraged to seek out people with wisdom. There are many people around us at our churches who have lived long and full lives where they have made many failures and we need to be generational and seek out these sages to get advice on how to live out lives.
Wisdom seems like an easy choice when I am sitting here focused. What can we do when we get caught up in the midst of a weekly routine? Make seeking God throughout our moments that make up our week the priority. Keep in touch with the foundation that is Jesus Christ. If we remember that He is immovable we can be assured to stand in the mist of the flood and low tide when folly beckons us away into the sand to play.
