Wisdom

Does not wisdom call out?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

Proverbs 8:1

I was reading in Proverbs this morning. I have a devotional guide called 31 days of Wisdom from the Proverbs. The following comments on Proverbs 8 are such a clear guide for daily life. Each day presents many opportunities for focus on God's plan or distractions that pull us away. How do we discern the difference?  I like the threefold prescription of "prayer, patience and a commitment to truth". 

Wisdom calls out to us (see Proverbs 1:20–21; 8:1–4). Apparently, so does folly (see Proverbs 9:13–15). Their methods of communication are similar; they sit in public places shouting their advice to all who will listen. The difference between them is in what they say and the hearts they connect with. Those who are inclined toward God—who love him and want to do his will—will hear the voice of wisdom and respond. Those who have little depth and no desire for God—who can’t see beyond themselves and the present moment—will hear the voice of folly and respond. Two voices, two kinds of hearts; as a result, two drastically different journeys.

Which voice will we choose to trust? The question is more complicated than it seems: It doesn’t involve just a single choice but rather a series of choices every day, and sometimes folly imitates wisdom. But prayer, patience and a commitment to truth will reveal the difference and give us the discipline and courage to choose well. Hearts that crave wisdom will choose the right voice.

Brave Heart

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other

2 Thessalonians 1:3

When Paul wrote a letter to the church at Thessalonica he began by expressing his gratitude toward God for their spiritual development. The young believers had given Paul several reasons to give thanks. After all, their faith was growing, as was their love for one another. All in all, you could say that Paul was pleased with the reputation of the church.

I am impressed with the face value of the two virtues mentioned by Paul. Faith and love rank pretty high when it comes to the reputation of a follower of Christ. But behind these two virtues is another Christian virtue that is easily overlooked. I am referring to the evidence that the young believers were growing. Having faith is good. Growing faith is better. Love is essential. Growing our love by way of our actions toward one another is better. It strikes me as important that Paul includes descriptive terms that describe increase. Christian life is not a static existence. It is an adventure in transformation.

Such an adventure requires courage. Centuries ago, Fenelon (1651-1715) referred to need to follow God with a “brave heart”. He wrote, “God has little patience with those weak souls who say to themselves, ‘I shall go this far and no farther’”. Complacency is a formidable foe! Growth is the passion of a courageous heart. Let us resolve to continue to grow our faith and abound in love.

Three Disciplines

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Discipline implies consistency. Discipline in the right things is difficult. Especially, this is true if discipline requires me to break old habits. When Paul sent a letter to the Thessalonians. He provided three rapid-fire imperatives for life. Rejoice, pray and give thanks. Not a big deal really. I know I that rejoicing is good. Praying is sort of a given for a follower of Jesus. Giving thanks would not show up on anybody’s list of bad ideas. But, I believe there is a potent message that stands over and above the list of three. The message lies in a few pesky words that ruin the nice feel of Paul’s instructions. It is the words, “always”, “without ceasing” and “in everything”. Those are game changers. Those point us toward courageous discipline.

It is not just that Paul is teaching that we should be consistent. It is a lesson about how character is born out of discipline. It is an essential clarification for a group of believers who were young in their faith. The practices of faith are not dependent upon circumstances. The outflow of Christian character does not take a break when difficulties press in. Because of Jesus I have cause to rejoice every day. Because Jesus has enabled me to live in relationship with Almighty God, I will talk to God; I will listen for His voice. Is there anything in my life that I will allow to cause me to cease praying? Because of the love of my Savior, my list of reasons to give thanks will never be exhausted. Discipline? Of course, it’s not easy to be consistent. Too often I tend to think in terms of rejoicing, praying and giving thanks in response to temporary situations rather than in response to an eternal God. But, a disciplined approach to life reflects the consistent presence of God within my heart. After all, God is with me “always”, “without ceasing” and “in everything”. 

Preparing for the future

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

                                  

If I mention the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, what are your next thoughts? You may reflect on one of your favorite passages in the Bible. You may have many unanswered questions about the nature or timing of His return. From the Gospels to Revelation, the New Testament has a lot to share about the return of Jesus. One of my favorite references is found in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.

Paul may not answer my questions about Jesus’ return, but he gives some practical guidance about how to prepare for the future. Here’s a quick list of takeaways from these two verses. (1) Increase in love. That’s it. It’s not complicated. Paul covers my need to love others and then just to clear up any confusion, he expands the scope of love to include “all”.  (2) Let love contribute to the condition of my heart. It seems that love contributes to the creation of the kind of heart that is pleasing to God. Want a blameless and holy heart? Love will help. (3) Recognize that we will all stand “before” God at some point. This is a brief reminder that I am/will be accountable to God for the way I live.

Look Up

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:1-2

I hear a lot about the importance of "focus". The prevalence of the word in today’s world is understandable. It's easy to get distracted. At first glance the opening words of Colossians 3 simply seem to be about a proper focus on "things above" in contrast to "things on the earth". While that is true in one sense, I don’t want to ignore the importance of Christ in the center of the “things”.

While it is important to focus on "things above" vs "things below", our motivation and ability to do so is connected to Christ. According to Paul, our perspective and focus is transformed because we are "raised with Christ". It’s an unmistakable reference to the fact that we have been given new life. Spiritually, we walk out of the tomb and leave the old life behind. Consequently, we have new patterns of thinking. Our minds are set in the direction of Christ and the "things" that He values and elevates become more important. I think it’s significant that the "things above" are identified in proximity to Christ - "where Christ is".
 
Finally, contrary to our natural way of seeing, our focus is determined from the inside out. That seems counterintuitive. But, Paul identifies Christ as "our life". The life of Christ transforms us from inside out. Using a physical metaphor, I would say that focus begins in the heart and not the eyes.