I think I've told you before that the book of Proverbs is one of my favorites in all of Scripture. It is full of simple (yet profound) wisdom that can be applied to everyday life.
Let me start off by saying that a proverb is different from a promise. We know from Scripture that all of the promises of God are "yes and amen" in Christ. The results of a proverb are tied to application. In other words, how we apply the proverb coupled with how others apply it determine the result. I have heard many people say "Well...I trained my child in the way they should go but they are not following through with it." That's because each person has a choice. The proverb is intended to give direction to those leading the child. It's not an open-ended promise or we would never see our children go in an opposite direction. However, can you imagine the life of a child who is never given guidance?
The particular proverb that I mentioned at the beginning has come back to me several times. It's not been verbatim but I have continually heard in different scenarios that "a wise man receives instruction." What's the point? The point is that only the arrogant refuse to listen and only the fool disregards the counsel of others. When we neglect our God-given opportunity to listen to the people around us then there is a good chance that we will fail. I'm not saying that what everyone says to me is right or that there counsel has to be applied to my life. What I am saying is that we would do well to listen.
The wise remain wise because they are willing to receive wisdom. Solomon was given the opportunity to have whatever he asked from the Lord. He chose wisdom. He didn't seek fame, fortune, or the extension of his Kingdom. He simply understood that to do what needed to be done as the King of Israel he needed the wisdom of God. God's response was to give him wisdom plus the things he did not ask for. WISE MOVE!!! Solomon was regarded as the wisest man in all the land. His wisdom continues with us to this day. The instructions that he left for his son, the judgments that he made as king, all of these things have been passed down through Scripture.
The tragedy of Solomon's life is that in all of his wisdom, he ended up making some pretty poor choices. In the end, I think he missed out on some of the wise counsel that others could have provided. This is true for any of us. In fact, it is typically the area of our greatest strengths that we can fail. That's right! Even in our wisdom we can lose our perspective. Which is why we would do well to have people in our lives that can speak into us. People who can help us become the greatest us that we can be.
I have been fortunate throughout my life to have Kingdom minded people around me. I know they love me, pray for me, encourage me, and at times correct me. These people challenge me in almost every area of life. They provide wisdom for marriage, my walk with Christ, my relationships with others, etc. These people have become invaluable to me and my family. I'm grateful for their contributions. I have no doubt that I would not be where I am today if these people had not been willing to sow into my life and had I not been willing to listen.
Allow me to encourage you to surround yourself with godly people. They don't have to believe everything the same way you do. In fact, sometimes it is better to have different opinions. What you can gain from them is perspective, understanding, and wisdom that you need to help you become all that God has created you to be. The truth that I have discovered is that not only do I gain wisdom from them but I glean from their gifting in Christ. Hanging around prophetic people has allowed me to be more prophetic. Fellowship with people who are strong in encouragement has allowed me to become more encouraging. Regardless of their gifts, our relationships can become mutually beneficial. AND that is what Kingdom life is all about.
I heard an African proverb that speaks well to this area of life:
"If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together."
Enjoy the journey!!!
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