Wise Advaice
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life.
Proverbs 22:4
The book of Proverbs is both helpful and challenging. It is helpful because it offers us wisdom for living. What’s wisdom? It can be defined as the appropriate application of knowledge and understanding to life situations. Which of us does not need that? Clearly, we all do—and it is readily available. James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James I :5). Our wise God is the true and ultimate source of wisdom. What makes the Proverbs challenging, however, is that they offer general insight on how life works best—not ironclad promises. When we attempt to make them into guarantees, we try to prove too much. It’s better to let them guide us in wise, humble living without placing on them the expectation of specific outcomes.
One of those wise teaching from the book of Proverbs is “humility.” The Bible teaches the importance of humility, and true humility is “Fear[ing] the Lord”—having a right understanding of who we are in comparison with the beauty, power and majesty of God—results in “riches and honour and life” (Proverbs 22:4). Humility leads us to living our lives in a way that is fruitful in God’s economy, not just the world’s.
Bible Reading
Proverbs 22:1-5.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I surrender my pride to you. In Your name, I pray. Amen.
Comments