BE WISE IN HOW YOU LIVE TODAY

It’s been a week since I last wrote a blog post (November 7, A PIMPED OUT PALACE AND A GARAGE FULL OF CHARIOTS). To be honest it doesn’t seem like that long, it actually seems like a lot longer! This past week has been one of the longest of my life. I am sure you can point to a similar period where days seemed like weeks and the week seemed like a year. 

In my last post, I started a new thread on the theme of WISDOM. I want to just say I am amazed at how frequently we find ourselves in a place where we desperately need the wisdom of God to navigate the challenges and choices of life. Several times when writing to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul refers to “human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:17;2:13 NIV). Using my favorite Bible study website, biblestudytools.com, I did a search for “human wisdom” in various translations and found the following verses:

Proverbs 21:30 Good News Translation “Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if the Lord is against you.”

Ecclesiastes 1:18 New International Readers Version “A lot of human wisdom leads to a lot of sorrow. More knowledge only brings more sadness.”

Isaiah 29:14 New Living Translation “I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding.”

1 Corinthians 1:19 New Living Translation “As the Scriptures say, ‘I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas.’”

1 Corinthians 1:25 Good News Translation “For what seems to be God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”

1 Corinthians 2:5 New Living Translation “I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.”

Colossians 2:8 Good News Translation “See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ.”

From the above verses, and there are many more references to be found in the Bible, it’s clear “human wisdom” is more “human” than “wisdom.” It originates in a person’s sin nature and not their new nature in Christ. There are times when I refer to “sin nature” as the “fleshly” part of us. Different translations will also refer to this type of wisdom as “earthly” or “unspiritual.” (James 3:15) 

The difficulty with this type of wisdom is that it’s directly associated with PRIDE. Never underestimate the power of pride! In Colossians 2:18 Paul describes what happens when someone is operating in this type of knowledge: “…his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.” (NIV) As we’ve all experienced, we can pretty much convince ourselves of anything. If we want something bad enough, we can convince ourselves it should be ours. If we want something to be true, we can convince ourselves it is right. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1 NIV) 

You and I will face challenges and choices today, unless you lock yourself in your house and sit on the sofa all day in the dark. Even then you’ll have to deal with what you think about. James 3 contains practical truth for navigating your day:

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Be wise in how you live today and let love lead you in facing the challenges and making the choices life brings your way.