Trading Stupid for Wise~
Those who love discipline love knowledge,
and those who hate correction are stupid. ~Proverbs 12:1, CEB
I’m not too proud to admit that for most of my life, I have been stupid.
Too proud to listen to instruction.
Too haughty to heed advice.
Too much of a “know it all” to realize I didn’t know it AT all.
Not very teachable.
Definitely not a fan of correction.
Undoubtedly, not wise.
Wise.
We all want to be thought wise, but could it be, our desire to be considered wise has us climbing up the wrong tree?
Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom?
Here’s what you do:
Live well, live wisely, live humbly.
It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.
Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom.
Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom.
Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.
It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving.
~ James 3:13-16, The Message
The Weymouth New Testament puts James 3:13 this way:
Which of you is a wise and well-instructed man? Let him prove it by a right life with conduct guided by a wisely teachable spirit.
A teachable spirit.
This phrase takes us right back to Day 1 and the post entitled “Where Wisdom Begins”. I knew it would show up sooner or later. After all, isn’t a teachable spirit one of the primary keys to unlocking the door of wisdom?
But, what does it mean to have a teachable spirit?
To be wise, we have to first admit that we are unwise.
And, to be teachable, we first have to acknowledge that we need to be taught.
The journey to wisdom begins with humility.
Humbly listening to advice. Really listening, not simply nodding our head, saying uh-huh, and then disregarding what was said.
Humbly receiving criticism. Taking the criticism, analyzing the validity of it, formulating a way to use it, and then applying it to our life if it is indeed constructive.
Humbly being open to correction. Admitting when we are wrong, or when our way didn’t work, and then using the correction to learn from our mistake and do it right the next time.
Listening.
Receiving.
Admitting.
Changing.
It’s all about becoming….
becoming humble in the sight of the Lord
that we in turn might
become truly wise in the eyes of the world,
lifting high our Savior,
drawing all men unto HIM.
Because, you see,
I’m not too proud to admit that the source of my wisdom is God,
and God alone.~
~Stacy
This post is taken from my current Patreon series entitled, The Pursuit of Godly Wisdom – a month long look at Proverbs. How can you begin receiving The Pursuit of Godly Wisdom January series? Simply by partnering with me at Patreon. Are you blessed and encouraged by this ministry? Would you like to partner with God and me to bless others through Heartprints of God? As a monthly patron of Heartprints of God, you will receive a daily “wisdom” post right in your inbox. The Pursuit of Godly Wisdom series based on the book of Proverbs is content that will only be available through Patreon as a thank you for your partnership and support. For just $7 a month, you will have access to this entire series as well as full access to all of my Patreon posts. Your partnership will help make it possible for me to continue sitting at my keyboard, writing about our God, and answering God’s call to ministry. By you blessing me and me blessing you, God can then use us together to bless the world!
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