“I can’t believe I ever did that!”
“How could I think that was a good idea?”
“What was I thinking?”
Each of us have done things we regret. Sometimes we realize our error immediately and sometimes it is years later before we realize how bad of a choice we made. And those bad choices are the result of our foolishness, selfishness, or sometimes complete naïveté. We simply displayed a complete lack of wisdom in the situation. The question we all want to answer then is this: what can I do to make sure I never make costly mistakes like that in the future?
This is the question Proverbs 3 seeks to answer. It tells us we need to seek wisdom, and not wisdom in our own eyes, but wisdom from God. Too often we try to acquire knowledge to help us make better decisions in life, but knowing the facts isn’t enough. Wisdom means knowing how to apply the facts to a situation to make good decisions. And when we seek that wisdom from God, Proverbs 3 tells us we will reap the benefits of long life, peaceful paths, more restful sleep, and no fear. That sounds like a life I want to have!
But to experience that life, to gain that wisdom from God, we have one requirement to meet:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
You see, being wise in your own eyes will continue to lead you into trouble. But God, who created you, who wants you to experience rest and peace, promises to give you wisdom and show you which paths to take as soon as you stop depending on yourself and start depending on him. So the final question you have to answer for yourself: are you willing to fully depend on God for wisdom?
Questions to Ponder
- What is a problematic area in your life where you are seeking to solve the problem through your own good ideas?
- Release that area of life to God in prayer (including your worries and fears) and ask him to give you the wisdom to navigate the situation.
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