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The Lie of Easy Immaturity

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Doing nothing ruins everything. Therefore, if you think it’s easier not to change than it is to change, you are living a lie.

Because I have called and you refused to listen,
Have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
Because you have ignored all my counsel
And would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
When terror strikes you like a storm
And your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently but will not find me. (Prov 1:24-28)

Something has to give. When we love our simplicity and do nothing about it, we are on a crash course with calamity. But who does that on purpose? When was the last time you said to yourself, “This thing I’m doing will destroy me and everything I treasure, so I think I’ll keep doing it as long as possible”? Calamity, terror, storm, whirlwind, distress, and anguish are not our friends.

exploded house in borodyanka
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So why do we keep doing foolish things? Why do we remain immature? Why do we keep going to church, listening to sermons, and painting on smiles, but refuse to change? Why do we ignore counsel, yell at our kids, waste our time, live small lives, maintain distant relationships, and harbor bitter feelings and guilty pleasures? Have you ever led someone to Christ? Have you ever invited a co-worker to church with you? Have you learned how to lead a Bible study with your family or your neighbors? Do you exercise more leadership now than ever before in your life? Are you any more honest, trustworthy, gracious, respectable, or influential than you used to be? Have you ever asked people close to you if they’ve seen you grow in these areas?

We remain simple because we hold on to a deception: that it’s easier for us this way. We think our lives will be fun and carefree if we keep them small and manageable. This is not true. The reality is that our lives will be more difficult, more complicated, and more painful if we remain simple. If we refuse to hear wisdom’s call for repentance, wisdom will deny our call for help.

When the engine to your vehicle blows up, you’ll wish you had learned how to maintain it over time. When your neighbor sues you for encroaching on his property line, you’ll wish you had cultivated the relationship better and fostered more open communication. When you face painful and chronic health issues in old age, you’ll wish you had heeded the wisdom of exercising more and smoking or eating less.

Let me make one qualification. I’m not saying that bad things are always the result of our own sin or foolishness. Many passages in Scripture, such as Job and John 9:1-3, deny such a conclusion. I’m simply saying that choices have consequences, and we ought not be deceived about this fact (Gal 6:7, 1 Pet 4:15). God often allows us to experience the consequences of our own decisions. It’s merciful for him to do so, for it might jolt us out of our deception and motivate us to turn from it. But one of the most disastrous choices is to remain simple. Just do nothing, and you’ll ruin everything.

This post was first published in 2012.

Easy Money Will Keep You from Being Wise

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In season one of the TV show 24, federal agent Jack Bauer suspects his supervisor George Mason to be withholding vital information from a criminal investigation. So Bauer shoots him with a tranquilizer gun. While Mason lies unconscious on the couch, Bauer sets his cronies to dig up anything that will give Bauer bargaining leverage with Mason. They discover that just a few years earlier, a substantial sum of money disappeared from government coffers and landed in an offshore account owned by none other than Supervisor Mason. Bauer gets his bargaining chip, and when Mason regains consciousness Bauer is able to extort the required information by revealing his newfound knowledge of Mason’s dark secret.

Even if you haven’t seen 24, you’ve probably heard the same story line played out a zillion times in television dramas, political campaigns, and news headlines. Money issues are often at the center when someone’s character is defamed by scandal. It could be theft, tax evasion, questionable accounting practices, or simply poor management. But whatever the specific instance, it is clear that a failure to handle money with integrity has the potential to disqualify a person from receiving our trust.

This fact was no less true in ancient Israel than it is today. As we’ll see in the next few Proverbs posts, Solomon warns his people of the dangers of money issues. First, he commands the one seeking wisdom to reject the enticement to easy money (Prov 1:10). Then he explains why: easy money makes promises (Prov 1:11-14), but it can’t keep them (Prov 1:15-18) and is ultimately self-destructive (Prov 1:19).

man in black t shirt sitting on chair
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

This post was first published in 2012.

Intro to the Wisdom of Proverbs, Part 2

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Wisdom’s counterfeits have been around from the beginning.

Wisdom has built her house;
She has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts;
She has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
From the highest places in the town,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
To him who lacks sense she says,
‘Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
And walk in the way of insight.’

The woman Folly is loud;
She is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
She takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their way,
‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’
And to him who lacks sense she says,
‘Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’
But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.”

Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18

Wisdom and Folly are two women who both want to have you over for dinner. One of them has done the hard work of building her house, setting the table, and sending her servants out with a personal invitation for you. The other woman is a moocher. She just sits in her doorway moaning, and the best she has to offer you is what she stole from the first lady. She’s a phony, a fake, and a counterfeit.

counterfeit dollar banknotes
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Wisdom’s Counterfeits

Today, there are all kinds of phony beliefs people have about wisdom, and becoming wise. The sneakiest of these are not total falsehoods, but rather half-truths. The woman Folly offers a real, albeit unsatisfying, banquet. In other words, these counterfeits sound and feel credible on the surface, but they don’t fully capture the truth of God’s wisdom. Here are 5 examples of wisdom’s counterfeits prevalent in our culture. For each one, I’ll state the common perception, identify the true part of it, and expose the foolish part of it.

1.  Wisdom comes from something inherent in our status, like noble birth or wealth.

What is true about this idea?  By living wisely, someone may actually be able to improve his circumstances or status (Proverbs 3:16).  However, the folly surfaces when we realize that even rich people can be fools (Psalm 49:20).

2.  Wisdom comes with education.

The truth here is that godly people should value good education (Proverbs 23:23).  What part of this example is foolish?  Those with education, degrees, titles, or letters after their names are still fools if they haven’t been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

3.  Wisdom comes with experience.

The truth: experiencing or practicing something can help us grow in discernment (Hebrews 5:14).  The folly: even the most experienced individual may not have learned the right lessons yet (Proverbs 27:22).

4.  Wisdom comes with age.

The truth: there may be a certain wise perspective that comes with the hindsight of age (Psalm 37:25).  The folly: unfortunately, some older folks can be bitter, unteachable, and more foolish than ever (Ecclesiastes 4:13).

5.  Wisdom comes with leadership.

This counterfeit is particularly insidious because godly leadership is a gift from God, and also because those who are young and simple desperately want trustworthy heroes.  However, Jesus often was most angry with those who used their positions of religious leadership to excuse and ignore their own incessant moral failures.  The truth to hold on to is that our church leaders should be the wisest people in the community: an elder or church leader “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9).  We get this backward, however, when we think leadership qualifies a person to be a wise counselor, rather than recognizing that wisdom is what qualifies a person for leadership (Psalm 119:99).  Just because this person is my priest, pastor, bishop, elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, or parent, does not mean that everything he or she says is wise or biblical!  Everyone (except for Jesus) is a sinner who makes mistakes, occasionally demonstrates unclear thinking, or simply might be too subjective to make a good decision right now.  Therefore, we must be careful not to naively equate wisdom with leadership roles.

Wisdom’s Reality

What is the whole truth?  How does one actually become wise?  Go back and re-read Proverbs 9:1-6, 13-18 and see that the answer is this: You become wise by dining at wisdom’s table.  You simply know the best place to eat!  You’re hungry, and you need some carbs.  You refuse to consume counterfeits; you want the real deal.  Imitation crab meat might help your casserole in a pinch, but who would choose that over an authentic Maryland feast awash in Old Bay seasoning?

What does it mean to dine at wisdom’s table?  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:53-55).  Jesus is wisdom’s feast.  Trust in him.  Feast on his goodness and mercy.  Ask him for life and wisdom.  Quit gorging yourself on the secret bread of reputation, pleasure, relationships, wealth, or religious activity.

In Proverbs 1 through 9, Wisdom will build her house.  She’ll hew out her pillars.  She’ll cook her meat and mix her wine.  She’ll even set a place for you at the table.  Then she’ll invite you to tuck in and enjoy the feast.  The rest of Proverbs will lie before you ready for consumption.  Even more so, the rest of Scripture will open up for you, a delightful spread of all manner of wonderful things.  But above all, Jesus will become more real to you, his mercy will extend toward you, and his passion for your freedom and glory will captivate you.  All you can do then is start munching.

Next week we’ll begin.

This post was first published in 2012.

Choose Your Restaurant Wisely

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Choosing a restaurant should be a basic human right. Imagine being forced to go to a Chinese restaurant when you were in the mood for sandwiches. Or having to sit and wait when you expected something simple and fast. And woe betide the co-conspirators responsible for my wife’s worst nightmare: eating pizza two evenings in a row.

Trey Ratcliff (2009), Creative Commons

Trey Ratcliff (2009), Creative Commons

Of course food quality isn’t the only factor to consider. We have an industry based on reviewing culinary establishments for presentation, cleanliness, speed, friendliness, and appearance, in addition to taste. My town has hundreds of restaurants within a 10-mile radius, but, on a recent double date, we chose a restaurant more than 20 minutes away because it had received a makeover from the TV show “Restaurant: Impossible.” We had to see what all the fuss was about, and we’re glad we did!

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9 reminds us that we always have a dining choice. When hunger (for life, fulfillment, advice, or simply “something more”) drives us to seek sustenance and satisfaction, we will look for a good restaurant. Some will find a reputable proprietorship; others will be terribly deceived. Make sure you eat at the right place.

In this chapter, wisdom offers a delightful and nourishing feast (Prov 9:1-6), which is meant to be shared (Prov 9:7-12).  Folly peddles something illegitimate, unsanitary, poisonous (Prov 9:13-18). Since appearances can be terribly deceiving, we must learn how to tell the difference.

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts;
she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.” (Prov 9:1-6, ESV)

The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way.
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret in pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (Prov 9:13-18, ESV)

Next week, I’ll do more interpreting and applying (“What is Wisdom’s feast?”). For now, let’s simply observe comparisons and contrasts.

Comparisons

In many ways, these two feasts share similar features:

  • a hostess (Prov 9:1, 13)
  • a home (Prov 9:1, 14)
  • an invitation to the simple (Prov 9:4, 16)
  • food and drink (Prov 9:2, 17)
  • hubbub at the highest places in town (Prov 9:3, 14)
  • a promise (Prov 9:6, 17)
  • a change in the status of house guests (Prov 9:6, 18)

But don’t get distracted by appearances. Beauty, as they say, is a different matter after you’ve skinned the thing.

Contrasts

When the simple get moving toward the Lord, the scales fall and truth becomes clear. These two feasts couldn’t be any more different:

  • wisdom builds; folly sits (Prov 9:1, 14)
  • wisdom is clever; folly knows nothing (Prov 9:1, 13)
  • wisdom wins loyal servants; folly is loud (Prov 9:3, 13)
  • wisdom lets her food speak for itself; folly seduces and deceives (Prov 9:5, 13, 17)
  • wisdom has meat with wine and bread; folly has but stolen water and secret bread (Prov 9:2, 5, 17)
  • wisdom prepares for important guests; folly grabs whoever happens to pass by (Prov 9:2-3, 15)
  • wisdom works with a team; folly takes a seat (Prov 9:3, 14)
  • wisdom makes her food; folly steals her food (Prov 9:5, 17)
  • wisdom promotes life change; folly promises secret pleasure (Prov 9:6, 17)
  • wisdom’s guests gain insight; folly’s visitors don’t know what is happening to them (Prov 9:6, 18)
  • wisdom’s visitors live; folly’s guests die (Prov 9:6, 18)

Two people see the same pornographic advertisement; one is turned off, and the other is turned on. Two investors discover the same questionable loophole; one sees loss, and the other sees gain. Two spouses experience the same set of conflicts; one sees a chance to deepen intimacy, and the other looks for a permanent way out.

These things should not surprise us. Some people make themselves sick on cotton candy; others know to hold out for the rib eye and Merlot. Which are you?

5 Things Wisdom Won’t Do

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Evan Leeson (2008), Creative Commons

Evan Leeson (2008), Creative Commons

We often think of wisdom as something otherworldly, like the sound of one hand clapping or the ability to be incomprehensibly vague. That’s why we find Eastern mysticism so alluring, and why we fall for crazy, less-than-biblical, escapist sentiments like “leave all your cares behind as you come into worship this morning.”

And in Proverbs 8, Wisdom’s great praise of herself, Solomon will clarify that wisdom is otherworldly. Or more precisely, pre-worldly (Prov 8:22-31). But before he gets there, he makes sure to inform us that wisdom’s effects and benefits are very much this-worldly.

Remember Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back? He gave his student, Luke, a chance to raise his star fighter from the swamp by means of “the Force.” When Luke assumed Yoda was asking the impossible, Yoda proved he was not by performing the task himself. In response to Luke’s exasperated “I don’t believe it,” Yoda’s retort summarizes the problem with other-worldly mysticism: “That is why you fail.”

Do you believe wisdom can make a difference in your life now? Do you understand that wisdom will not take you away from your life but toward it? Wisdom will give you not only the insight but also the motivation and the gumption to do what God wants you to do. And it will be worth it.

Through my study of Proverbs 1-7, I’ve written many posts on what wisdom does, including:

Here in Proverbs 8:12-21, we see 5 things wisdom won’t ever do in this life, according to God’s promise.

Wisdom won’t run out

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and discretion. (Prov 8:12, ESV)

Wisdom dwells with prudence. If she gets lonely, she knows how to find knowledge and discretion. Her friends are legion, and her well of insight cannot dry up. You will never exhaust what wisdom can do for you. Complicated relationship? Unforeseen financial crisis? Physiological changes? Wisdom always has more to offer.

Wisdom won’t pander to pride

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and perverted speech I hate. (Prov 8:13)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7), setting you on wisdom’s path. The alternate path—the way of evil—has its own beginning, which wisdom despises: pride, arrogance, and perverted speech. Wisdom won’t let you promote yourself with arrogant thoughts or words that pervert the truth about you. This is in your best interest, because God won’t have to oppose you (Prov 3:34).

Wisdom won’t let you down

I have counsel and sound wisdom;
    I have insight; I have strength.
By me kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly. (Prov 8:14-16)

Wisdom will strengthen you to execute your responsibility well. Wisdom has both insight and strength. If you are a king, wisdom enables you to reign and make just decrees. If you’re a mere prince or noble, you have the same promise. In other words, if God has given you a responsibility, his wisdom will help you to carry it out.

Wisdom won’t play hard to get

I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me diligently find me. (Prov 8:17)

All you must do is seek her, and she’s yours. What are you waiting for?

Wisdom won’t leave you empty-handed

Riches and honor are with me,
    enduring wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.” (Prov 8:18-21)

Wisdom has riches and honor for you, but not the kind of riches and honor you might think. This stuff is enduring wealth (Prov 8:18), nothing less than complete righteousness and favor with God (Prov 8:35).

Here’s the rub: To get what wisdom offers in this world, you must give up what you can get from this world. Since fearing the Lord means giving up all claims to self-righteousness, you must come empty-handed. But the empty hand that loves wisdom becomes a full and bursting treasury (Prov 8:21).

Appearances are Deceiving, Especially When Hormones are Involved

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The cultural ideal of “sexual freedom” is an illusion. Don’t be fooled.

My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
Incline your ear to my understanding,
That you may keep discretion,
And your lips may guard knowledge.
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
And her speech is smoother than oil (Prov 5:1-3)

Solomon begins Proverbs 5 with another reminder to listen to his wisdom (Prov 5:1). If we don’t passively receive and actively seek instruction in the sexual realm, we endanger our lives. Once we receive it through our ears, we ought to “keep discretion” (presumably in our hearts, as Prov 4:21 advises). Then it changes who we are, affecting what we do, especially with our “lips” (Prov 5:2). Our lips must guard knowledge because honey drips from the forbidden woman’s lips. Her speech is so smooth, it makes oil seem irritating, so we ought to be ready (Prov 5:3).

Daniel Lobo (2006), Creative Commons

Daniel Lobo (2006), Creative Commons

Before continuing, let’s clarify who the “forbidden woman” is. Remember that Proverbs is a work of poetic wisdom literature. As poetry, it makes liberal use of imagery to evoke an emotional reaction, but, as wisdom literature, it assumes we’ll think hard about what we’re reading. Earlier in Proverbs, Solomon exaggerated the portraits of his characters: the bumbling gang of thieves (Prov 1:10-19), Lady Wisdom the mocking street preacher (Prov 1:20-33), the adulteress whose house sinks through the ground into the grave (Prov 2:16-19), and the sleep-deprived, ferocious evildoers (Prov 4:14-17).

Solomon paints such an exaggerated picture of his subject to strengthen his point. He takes a character type and vividly describes the worst-case scenario for that type, thus including all variations of explicitness and severity. For example, in describing the violent gang, Solomon critiques all who want to get more stuff at the expense of others (Prov 1:19). Through Wisdom’s speech, Solomon warns not only those who have already harmed themselves but also everyone who loves being simple (Prov 1:22). When he warns against joining ravenous evildoers, he warns us to avoid their highway, not just their particular rest stop. We shouldn’t risk even entering it (Prov 4:14).

Who then is the “forbidden woman” in Proverbs 5? She includes loose women who tire of their husbands, but she ultimately represents every enticement to sexual immorality that you and I, whether male or female, experience. Solomon is clear about this fact when he broadens his final applications to include not just adulterers, and not just sexually immoral people, but all “the wicked” who show “great folly” (Prov 5:22-23). Whatever your gender, age, or marital status, this chapter of Proverbs applies to you. In fact, this chapter can help if your temptation involves the opposite sex, the same sex, solo sex, or images on a computer monitor. The “forbidden woman” still drips her honey at you, and you had better watch out. Therefore, for the sake of clarity, I’ll use the word “immorality” in future posts to refer to the opponent Solomon has in mind.

How’d You Do That? (5/16/12)

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In Wednesday’s post, I continued listing some counterfeits to wisdom present in our day.  All I tried to do here was apply the introductory material by dealing with some issues that may hopefully hit closer to home for some of us.

How many times have you heard (or said) the following?

  • “You’ll understand when you’re older.”
  • “Once you get a few gray hairs (or some more experience under your belt), then you’ll earn more respect or influence.”
  • “Why should I do what you’re saying?”  “Because I’m your father!”

One way to apply Bible passages is to consider what we ought to believe.  I’ve heard this called the “Head” realm of application (as distinct from the “Hands” or “Heart” realms, which refer more to skills or character).  In this case, we ought to believe the right thing (and not the wrong thing) about how to become wise.  Let’s not fall for the subtle but unbiblical assumptions that exist all around us.

One more thought: in this post, I considered some common misconceptions about how one becomes wise.  I tried to reflect what was good before identifying what I thought was bad.

Even if we disagree with someone or some idea, we should always first aim to find what is good, true, and beautiful about it.  After we build agreement there, we can move toward addressing areas of disagreement.  I think Paul had this approach in mind when he wrote Philippians 4:8, which is in the context of helping two women deal with a conflict in Philippians 4:2.  I encourage you to study Philippians 4:2-9 and follow the steps listed there the next time you are in a conflict with another person and want either the peace of God or the God of peace to be with you.