Perhaps It Would Be Wise...

 But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while.

Acts 5:34

Peter and the Disciples had been teaching at the Temple after being ordered not to do so.  The Temple Guards arrested them and brought them before the High Council to answer for their crime.  In fact, when the High Council heard what they were teaching, the were FURIOUS!  They were SO furious, that they wanted to kill the Disciples right then and there.  Except for one member...a man named Gamaliel (you might remember that he was the teacher of Paul). 

I find it interesting that the writer of Acts makes a point to state that Gamaliel stood up.  You see, because he was revered by the members of the High Council, when he stood, they honored him with their respectful silence.  Gamaliel ordered the Disciples to be taken out of the chamber so he could address the Council.

He addressed the Council with these words, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men!"  You see, the people were listening to what the Disciples were teaching.  The people LIKED what they were teaching.  If the Council Members killed the Disciples, the people would have revolted and torn the Council Members to pieces.  So Gamaliel urged them to think the matter through.  In fact, he stated in verse 38, that if these Disciples were acting on their own, then they will prove themselves false and will be overthrown. 

Wise counsel....let them seal their own fate.  Yet Gamaliel goes even further in verse 39: "But if [their message] is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”  I, for one, have no desire to try to fight against God.

Wiley or Wise?

For the wisdom of man is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,

“He traps the wise
    in the snare of their own cleverness.”

1 Corinthians 3:19

I remember watching the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show on Saturday mornings.  I would go bouncing into my parents bedroom around 6:00 am and ask if I could watch cartoons.  Dad would grunt something (which I understood to be "Sure Son, go ahead.") and off I'd go.  In reality the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show was 3 hours of wonderfulness!

If you remember, Wile E Coyote tried all sorts of schemes to catch the Road Runner and failed every single time.  He would diagram his plans and kept Acme Supplies in business. On paper, they were the epitome of ingenious....however, in reality, they always failed.  Yet he kept on planning and trying.

WE are like Wile E. Coyote!  Believing we are wise and intelligent, we make our plans, which at first glance seem perfect!  Think about this: We will go to school, graduate, find a nice spouse, get an amazing job where everyone likes me, buy a big house and bigger car, have a couple of kids, and live happily ever after.  Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?  How often does that work out according to plan?

I had plans like that.  I did everything I could to make that plan become a reality.  However...God had HIS plans for me and they weren't what I had planned so perfectly.  I would get SO frustrated with God because MY plans didn't work out the way I wanted.  But God's plans, I ultimately had to acknowledge, were and are MUCH better than anything I could ever have dreamed.

Therefore, permit me to introduce myself...My name was Wile E. Coyote before I admitted that God's plans are always the best.  Now I am Paul, child of God.

"Moving On"

Walk with the wise and become wise;
    associate with fools and get in trouble.

Proverbs 13:20 

 

QUIZ TIME!!!  What is the ONE thing you cannot change?  Surgery can't change it.  Money can't change it.  NOTHING can change it.  Give up?  It's your past!  The life you have lived up to this point cannot be changed or unlived.  However, our minds can relive it over and over if we let it, and it's usually not the good parts.

 

Let me ask you a question: "Where did God place our eyes?"  In Front!  So we can see where we are going instead of watching where we've been.  The wise person has learned from their lives up to this moment.  And they now live IN this moment while looking toward the future.  

If You Would Be Wise...

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

James 3:17 

I may have mentioned that one of my favorite books is "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkein.  And when I think of wisdom, Gandalf the Grey comes to mind.  Wisdom must be pure or else is isn't wisdom, it's just words.  Consider this: Wisdom says, "Watch where you step" which is pure, clear counsel.  It is not judgmental.  It is not a reprimand.  It is pure, clear counsel.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that true wisdom:

     * comes from God (the source of all love and wisdom)

     * is pure (as perfect love should be)

     * peace loving (not argumentative) 

     * gentle at ALL times (not stubbornly proud)

     * willing to yield to others (knows that getting one's own way all the time is pride, not wisdom)

     * full of mercy ("compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.")

     * fruit of good deeds (help others through encouragement and doing good)

     * shows no favoritism (this is one aspect where we get into trouble.  We all have our favorites.  But true wisdom, may have favorites, but does not show favoritism because wisdom is for everyone equally).

     * always sincere (true wisdom is authentic in love and caring and encouraging and helping).

We must strive to be wise.  James also reminds us that if any of us LACKS wisdom...ask God for it and He will give it freely and without hesitation!

My First Sergeant was wise when he said "My job is to make YOU look good. Because when YOU look good it makes ME look good. And I look GOOD!" 

You Mean Decisions Have Consequences?

Those who trust their own insight are foolish,
    but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.

Proverbs 28:26

 

 It was a clear summer morning.  A couple of friends and I decided to ride our inner tubes down the Saluda River, I mean it was summer break and we had a whole day to ourselves.  So off we went.  I will tell you that the water in the Saluda doesn't really get warm except in certain places and in certain circumstances.  While we were floating along, one of my friends spotted what appeared to be a fire hose wrapped around the limb of a tree.  Upon closer inspection, it turned out to actually be a fire hose that had been used to swing out over the water and drop in.  So my friend decided this was something he could not pass up.

 

He began to unwrap the hose and after about the fourth turn he found himself face to face with something that didn't like being disturbed and let him know that his decision was a VERY bad one.  My friend came very close to walking on water that day.  As it turned out, the critter was a bat.

 

But think about some of our decisions.  Perhaps it was a tattoo you got and now regret.  Perhaps it was the person you chose to marry, and now you spend most days happily enjoying being together.  Maybe you made a decision to call in sick when you really weren't just because you wanted a day off.  Maybe you said something to someone that hurt them (like the first time I was told that I reminded someone of their grandfather; or the time I was given the "senior discount" without being asked to provide identification).

 

Understand that our every decision will have consequences, good or bad.  So let us learn to use the wisdom we have been given and if to trust those who are wiser than us, even if we don't agree with them.  You see, when we begin to think things through, we are on the path of wisdom.

Can You Understand Me Now?

Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
    I will put them into practice with all my heart.

Psalm 119:34

Here is yet another confession:  I don't always understand what I read in the Bible.  That's right, sometimes I will read something and sit there through two, maybe three, cups of coffee pondering what I read and end up with a headache.  

I told a friend about my dilemma and he smiled and simply said, "You're overthinking it.  First, Ask God to show you what He wants you to understand from the passage.  Second, brace yourself because what He reveals to you may be so very simple that it blows your socks off."  I was stunned!  Then he went on to tell me that we tend to make the Scriptures much more complicated than they truly are. 

Here's a little tidbit that may just put me out of a job, but thought you should know anyway.  Early in the church, the priests and monks came from wealthy families and were usually very well educated.  Most of the people could not read much and very few could read the Latin, Greek and Aramaic which the Scriptures were written.  Now, the average household has at least 4 Bibles (might be in the attic, on the coffee table, under that wobbly table leg).  But if we follow the simple counsel of asking God to make the Scriptures make sense to us, ask what He wants us to take from the passage, you'll be astounded how clear the messages will be.

One other thing....I grew up reading the King James Bible.  No offense to this translation, but I don't know too many who regularly speak to their friends that way.  Pick a translation or more that is easier for you to understand.  That just a start.  

The Way of Wisdom

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

James 1:5 

 

Wisdom....we all want to be thought of as wise.  Many try to read books filled with wise sayings or how to find wisdom or they may make pilgrimages to "spiritual places" seeking wisdom.  Here's a hard fact....wisdom proves that we have survived our own stupidity.

 

How many times have we seen people do some INCREDIBLY stupid things?  The person who jumps off the house thinking they will land safely in the bed of a moving truck....then they wonder what happened when they wake up in the ambulance with a broken tailbone.  There are entire television series dedicated to the idiotic acts of human beings.  We laugh at the antics until we do something that would be worthy of the program.

 

Many cultures believe that if you are old enough to have grey or white hair (even if it's just a couple of strands), then you have survived life long enough to be considered wise.  But look at what God tells us through today's verse: "If you NEED wisdom [and we do], ask our generous God, AND HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU."  Yes, God will give us wisdom, we just need to be wise enough to accept it and act on it!

 

Is it wise to take a start an argument with a drunk?  I would say not, because the drunk will not appreciate it, understand it, and might even be offended by your efforts.  

 

Is it wise to BE a drunk? I would say not.  It lowers your mind's desire to use the wisdom God has so generously given you. 

 

You see, wisdom teaches.  If we cannot learn, then we are not wise!  

 

My Main Point: Wisdom usually comes when God gets us to THINK!

We're Have To GROW UP?

The glory of young men is their strength,
    but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

Proverbs 20:29

As I may have mentioned a few hundred times before, I like most of Jimmy Buffett's songs.  Many of them have meanings that are very deep (and then there are the others).  One of the songs that came to mind when I saw today's verse is, "I'm Growing Older, But Not Up" where we are reminded that, while our bodies are not what they used to be, our minds are more than they used to be.

 

I don't want to grow up.  It's just that simple.  I still have toys (I collect minions and gadgets and such), and love playing games.  Confession:  I was never (and am still not) what one might call "athletic" or "coordinated" or "graceful" or anything of the sort.  Because of that, I played games more for the fun instead of the competition (some people takes games WAY too seriously).

 

As I have progressed in years (yeah, let's call it that instead of "Got Old"), I have noticed that so many people take everything so seriously.  Try people watching sometime.  You'll see more scowls and absence of smiles.  Some people actually look like they are angry at everyone, hate life, and are just passing the time of going through the motions, and have given up on everything and everyone.

 

Look at what today's verse says, The glory of the young is their strength.  The splendor of the older is their grey hair (experience and wisdom).  Just because we grow older doesn't mean we stop enjoying life!  Growing older doesn't mean we stop learning!  It just means.....well....we might want to consider not trying to relive our "glory days."

Wisdom Is Sometimes Painful

Words from wise people are like sharp sticks used to guide animals. They are like nails that have been driven in firmly. Altogether they are wise teachings that come from one Shepherd. So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you tired.

Now, everything has been heard,
    so I give my final advice:
Honor God and obey his commands,
    because this is all people must do.
God will judge everything,
    even what is done in secret,
the good and the evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 

I can only speak for myself, and from what I have seen in others, humans aren't exactly the most excited about learning from other humans.  Case in point, parent tells a child "don't throw the ball in the house."  How does the parent know throwing a ball in the house is a bad idea?  Usually from experience.  In my case, have the belt of knowledge applied to the back pockets for breaking things with the thrown ball.  However, each generation is told the same thing and one would think we would hear it enough for the logic to become incorporated into the genetic make up of each human.  

In ancient times, cattle herds were moved from one place to another with the caretakers prodding them along with pointy sticks.  And, quite honestly, that would make me move along as well.  Do you thing the cattle thought being poked was fun?  Or a good idea?  One would think the cattle would learn that the appearance of the stick meant to MOVE.

How about the person who simply will NOT stop talking?  No matter how many hints, loud sighs, eye rolls, or watch checks you give, they just keep on talking undeterred.  One would think that a person who has received SO many hints to stop talking would actually.....stop talking.  (I have found that a water spritz will sometimes get the point across).

We, as a species, tend to have to learn things the hard way.  Adam and Eve did that by eating the forbidden fruit.  They learned that their choice was the wrong thing to do, and we have been having to learn that lesson ever since.

We aren't very good at learning for the most part.  But some of it gets through.  Solomon was the wisest person of his time, and he wrote an entire book on his journey.  After all of his trying various paths to truth and wisdom, Solomon came to the conclusion that God will judge everything done in secret, good or evil. Therefore, the wisest thing to do is: "Honor God and obey His commands." Sounds pretty easy, doesn't it? Thank Jesus for taking our place before God to speak on our behalf! 

If You Would Be Wise....

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

~Proverbs 17:28

 

Did you know that wisdom is a lesson learned?

 

Think about this:

     *     Is it a good idea to get between a Mama bear and her cub?

     *     Is it a good idea to walk barefoot through a room in the dark?

     *     Is it a good idea to wrestle with a skunk....or a porcupine?

     *     Is it a good idea to jump off a cliff without a parachute just to taunt gravity?

 

You see, we learn some wisdom from experience.  I learned very early on that talking less gave my ears more of a chance to hear, and also gave my mind more time to understand.  Ever met someone who thought the one who talks the most and the loudest MUST be the one who is right?  Hmmmmm.......just because one uses many loud words does not make them wise; it merely makes them loud and annoying.

 

Let me share with you some nuggets of wisdom I have learned by being observant and listening:

     *    If the drink machine takes your money, putting MORE money in it seldom works.

     *    If you are in a hurry, traffic lights will conspire to stop you at every intersection.

     *    If you don't ask for help, chances are the ones who can help you won't know.

     *    Learning to laugh is good for the body, mind AND spirit.

     *    Hugs are the best therapeutic tool ever.

     *    If you encourage honestly (instead of using flattery) the results will last much longer.

     *    Pretending nothing hurts is nothing more than lying to yourself.

     *    Children see MUCH more than we give them credit.

     *    Children hear far more than we would like them to.

     *    Children will tell way more than we want them to.

     *    The person who annoys you, OWNS you! Because they have captured your attention long after they're gone and far longer than they are thinking about you.

 

 

"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own." - Publilius Syrus

And We Wonder Why We're Lost?

The Lord is good and does what is right;
    He shows the proper path to those who go astray.
He leads the humble in doing right,
    teaching them His way.

Psalm 25:8-9

When did we reach the point in life where we know everything?  When did we become so unteachable?  

Here's an observation, we are willing to learn as long as it follows the way we already think.  If learning something "new" is from another perspective, we tend to be wary of learning.

Notice that the Psalmist reminds us that "The Lord is good and does what is right."  God has never done wrong!  He has kept His promises to do what is good FOR us.  The fact that we don't like His methods doesn't bother God in the least, because, like a loving Father, God knows that what is best for us isn't always what we consider pleasant.

Next, the Psalmist tells us that "He shows the proper path to those who go astray." Hmmmm....let us ponder this for a moment.  Have you ever been shown the proper path to take, perhaps by GPS, and you decide you know a "shortcut" which took you way out of the way or even got you lost?  if you don't want to admit it, that's okay, just claim you know someone who has done just that.  You see, God shows us the proper path to get back to the path He has designed just for us.  But just because He's shown us the path to take, doesn't mean we are willing to take it.  

There have been times when I have messed up so badly that I could not figure out how to get back to where I needed to be.  God's way was to be completely honest, take the reprimand, and lesson learned.  Sometimes I followed that.......and then there were the other times.  Did my decision to follow my own way shut God up?  No a chance. Just sayin'.

Finally, the Psalmist tells us that "He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way."  The word "humble" here does not mean a person who is willing to get trampled by others.  The word, quite literally, can be translated "teachable."  Why?  Because only the teachable can be taught.  In order to be teachable, we must be humble enough to realize we don't have all the answers and understand that we aren't that smart or God wouldn't need to teach us His ways.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." - James 4:10

We must learn to be teachable!

So...You Like To Argue?

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools,
    or you will become as foolish as they are.

Proverbs 26:4

Ever know anyone who enjoys arguing just for the sake of arguing?  No matter what the issue, they will take the opposite stance of everyone else, just for the sheer enjoyment of arguing.  And guess what?  We fall into their trap time after time after time.  

Let's face it, we don't like being wrong!  We don't like being anything but right! Why? Because we are just that full of......we can call it "pride" if you want, but we know what we are truly full of stinks and makes pretty good fertilizer.  Yet we will quite literally beat each other to death just to prove that we are "right."

A number of years ago, Monty Python's Flying Circus did a skit called "The Argument Clinic" that does an outstanding job of showing how arguing just for the sake of arguing is among the most idiotic exercises in futility ever. I have talked with several people who love to argue and have not been given a reason why they get so much enjoyment out of just being disagreeable.

But notice what Solomon tells us: If you engage in stupid arguments then guess what that makes you?

We need to reach the point where we are wise enough to concede that we are wrong (if we are truly in the wrong) and apologize.  BUT we also need to become wise enough to understand that not every argument is worth the fight.  Sometimes the best way to settle a petty argument is to simply smile and walk away.