THE SMARTEST THING YOU CAN WELL
Proverbs 4:7 NLT
Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!
Looking back at my life from the summit of old age, I can honestly say, the smartest thing I have ever done was to go after and acquire God’s wisdom. Nothing has been more vital to my life, my marriage, my parenting, my finances, my health, my ministry, and my emotional and mental well being, than the acquisition and application of God’s wisdom. There’s not a day that goes by that I do not use God’s wisdom in my daily life. My life is defined by the daily practice of God’s wisdom principles and truth.
I can’t imagine my life without it. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live so stupidly, so foolishly as the people of this world, and sadly, as many Christians live, who’ve failed to acquire and apply God’s incredible wisdom available to all of us, if we but earnestly, diligently seek it out, treasuring it with all our heart and soul.
I read recently that the obesity epidemic is expected to cost over a trillion dollars over the next decade, with an explosion of diabetes cases and other serious health issues. Did you know the clergy are disproportionately affected by obesity? These are men who are supposed to be repositories of God’s wisdom, of the knowledge and instruction of the Lord. Doesn’t wisdom teach the rich quality of life that comes from a disciplined life? Doesn’t wisdom teach us the value of self restraint? Of beating our body and making it our slave? God’s wisdom has helped me avoid so many serious health issues over the course of my life.
God’s wisdom helps me in my marriage. Recently, my wife and I had a difficult situation arise between us. In our younger years it would have destroyed our entire day, maybe days. But, we let it go, we embraced God’s grace to us in spite of our failure, we moved on as though it had not occurred, and the entire rest of the day turned out marvelously, filled with some wonderful blessings and joy.
Many years ago, while reading the Gospels and the teachings and wisdom of Jesus Christ, I realized the wisest thing I could do was live my life for eternal things. To live my life for the kingdom of God and His righteousness. To lose my life for Christ’s sake, and serve others. That wisdom has guided and directed every decision I have made over the last 50 years. As I lost my life for Christ’s sake, I found real, meaningful, abundant life. My life has been so rich, so blessed in many ways. And yes, with many tribulations.
God’s wisdom saved me from enslavement to things, greedy for material possessions, from pursuing the expensive pleasures of this world, from making really foolish, financial decisions. I was reading an article the other day, by a very astute, conservative writer. He has a tremendous understanding of history, context, and the problems of our times. He writes in a very powerful, articulate way. In his most recent article he confessed that he lives in Thailand, because he was foolish with his money all his life, confessing he never learned to manage his money and only has $1000 a month to live on. I was stunned, as this man’s articles appear in reputable media, news websites. This is a very educated, intelligent man. And yet, he did not acquire wisdom with finances during his long life, and today is suffering because of it. I praise God for His wisdom to manage money, to live a simple, contented life, in such a greedy, consumeristic, materialistic age.
It was God’s wisdom that helped me understand the eternal value of enduring trials, and tribulations. It helped me grasp that God was doing something profound, though at times, unseen in my life. That God was making me eternally rich beyond imagining through the trials and difficulties of my life. That God was also training and preparing me for special service to Him and his kingdom, in this life. That wise perspective kept me from giving up and throwing in the towel.
As a Pastor, it was God’s wisdom that taught me the tremendous value of strategic evangelism versus the shotgun approach to evangelism. That not all fields are ripe for harvest, only ripe fields are ready to harvest. Only ripe fruit on a tree is ready to be picked. So much Christian effort is wasted trying to evangelize uninterested, unripe people. It taught me to seize the initiative amongst people and people groups who were ripe for harvesting for the gospel, and to leave the rest alone. God’s wisdom taught me how to be winsome and effective with these various groups. God’s wisdom taught me how to package and present the message in a way they would embrace it.
It was God’s wisdom that taught me my desperate need for God, to live my life in prayerful dependence on Him and his faithfulness to me. God’s wisdom showed me clearly that I can do nothing apart from Him. It was God’s wisdom that taught me to pray as though my whole life depended on it, because it actually does. I can’t possibly carry these heavy weights and burdens of life on my own. They would crush me. I desperately need God’s blessings, God’s provisions, and God’s answers to my prayers.
Friends, there is nothing, absolutely nothing more important you could do than getting God’s wisdom and applying it to everything in your life. It is the smartest thing you will ever do!
Remember: REAL wisdom is…knowing what to do AND doing what you know!
Proverbs 4:6,8
Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her and she will guard you. If you prize wisdom she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you.
Read Proverbs 8 right now, it is one of the most important chapters in the entire Bible.
https://www.biblegateway.com/
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
