wisdom

Wisdom: The Opposite of Pride – VOTD.11.14.17

Be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7

For the most part, pride is the opposite of wisdom. Wisdom and humility are often connected in the Bible and this is no coincidence. The reason: Pride leaves us vulnerable to just about every other root sin. Pride both drives us to sin and leaves us addicted. Pride destroys us. Here’s why:

Pride produces a self-righteousness, hypocritical spirit:
When we’re proud, we elevate our status in our own eyes. This makes us repugnant to the people around us (unless they’re playing along for what they can get out of it). Worse yet, pride has no room for the mercy of God. When we think we’re better (holier, closer to God) than everyone else, we’re incapable of not finding fault with others—while being blind to our own faults and weaknesses. We become slaves to our own pride. It’s a compulsion.

The Pharisees’ pride blinded them to their own sin and far worse, it blinded them to God’s mercy. It drove them to be callous and brutal toward others when they knew that loving their neighbor as themselves was God’s requirement. Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness” (Mat 23:27). The vicious cycle here was that pride left them defenseless to sinful temptations like hate, and then they had to cover their sin to protect their pride. They were trapped—prisoners of their own egos.

Pride naturally leads to rebellion:
Rebellion is the reflex response of pride in our hearts. Rebellion says, “I know better than God,” when we don’t. Often prideful rebellion blinds us to what is in our own self-interest. But even when we can see what would be best for us, a rebellious heart prevents us from doing it. (more…)

Continue ReadingWisdom: The Opposite of Pride – VOTD.11.14.17

Wisdom: Among Non-believers – VOTD.11.13.17

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.  Colossians 4:5-6

There seems to be two mistakes Christians make in living out their faith in front of unbelievers. The first is not living it out and the second is living it out in unwise ways—ways that display a spirit of superiority, marginalizing, or even antagonizing the lost.

It’s important to be gracious and attractive—patient and compassionate whenever possible—when we’re dealing with the lost, and that means allowing them to define themselves just as we speak for ourselves. Often, it is in trying to explain themselves that the lost discover the weaknesses/ softness of their own position. But they’ll blow right over it if they are already on the defensive or in conflict with us.

That’s why today’s verse is so important: if we “live wisely among those who are not believers,” and make our “conversation be gracious and attractive”, many of their assumptions and stereotypes about Christians dissolve (at for least Christians like us). And often, it is negative encounters with local churches and church people that has fed their negative stereotypes about Christians—and built up walls against Jesus. (more…)

Continue ReadingWisdom: Among Non-believers – VOTD.11.13.17

Wisdom: The Fear of God – VOTD.11.07.17

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7

One biblical definition of wisdom is this: Wisdom is the combination of knowledge and farsightedness which enables a person to make right choices that honor God.

This is because true wisdom, according to the Bible, always begins with God. Today’s verse tells us that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” From a biblical perspective, if a person doesn’t know God who created everything, then they’re going to be challenged when it comes to understanding how to use the knowledge they have. They’ll base wisdom on what seems fair…or what seems morally right…or what seems best for themselves and those they identify with.

But honoring (fearing) God will not be part of their equation. This means true wisdom will elude them.

This is why we increasingly live in a world where facts don’t matter. Take away God and truth is whatever you want it to be…and we don’t have to look far to find people who will assure us that we are 100% right and everyone who doesn’t see it the way we
do is crazy—or worse. (more…)

Continue ReadingWisdom: The Fear of God – VOTD.11.07.17

Wisdom: The Personal and Individual Will of God – VOTD.11.06.17

[Paul was imprisoned in Philippi for spreading the Gospel. That night…] Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; at once, all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains fell off… The jailor pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself; We are all here!” Acts 16:26

[Peter was imprisoned in Judea for spreading the Gospel. That night…] Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there… he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands…So Peter went out and followed the angel… The gate opened for them by itself, and they went out. Acts 12:7-10

Two apostles, two miraculous jail breaks… but God had different plans and outcomes in mind in each situation and was pleased to treat each situation differently. You see, Paul could have run away, just as Peter did, but that wasn’t God’s plan. Peter could have hung around just as Paul did, but that wasn’t God’s plan. (more…)

Continue ReadingWisdom: The Personal and Individual Will of God – VOTD.11.06.17

Hope for 2017 – VOTD.01.02.17

“Be very careful then, how you live—not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Eph 5:15-17)

Happy New Year, 2017. Some of us have had an awesome 2016 and are hoping for even better next year. Some of us have been beaten up this past year—we’re excited about a new start—to press the reset button. In today’s verse, Paul has a few thoughts on new starts. If one year from now we’re going to look back on 2017 as a good year, there are a few things we might want to consider:

“Be very careful then, how you live”. Some things we’ll bring on ourselves in 2017, and some things will be unavoidable. This is true of joys as well as problems. For the things we bring on ourselves, “live—not as unwise, but as wise”. Living wisely is simply living in such a way that we minimize the regrets we will be experiencing a year (or years) from now. Do that and many of the “unavoidable” problems in 2017 will be less severe, or maybe even dodged completely. When we live wisely, unanticipated blessings will find us.

“Making the most of every opportunity”. Whether we’re faced with blessings or problems— Either way, we don’t squander the opportunities God puts in our lives. We change the things that we can change, and trust God in those unavoidable problems:
•       we trust Him to be with us (Matt 28:20)
•       we trust him to be working it all for the good (Rom 8:28)
•       we trust Him to see us through (2 Thes 3:3) (more…)

Continue ReadingHope for 2017 – VOTD.01.02.17