Called To Wisdom

I have come to appreciate wisdom more and more in the Christian life. Having taught the book of Proverbs as a class, going through it with our “Men of Iron” group, and doing some extra reading and preparation for the Preaching Conference at Lipscomb in October—I have come to appreciate the role of wisdom in my own spiritual growth and development.

This is why I was delighted to read the chapter, “Called to Wisdom” in Ralph W. Beiting’s book, Called to the Mountains. You may remember that I mentioned earlier that I took time during my summer vacation and read this wonderful autobiography. After working with the Christian Appalachian Project and working with poverty over the course of thirty years…listen to Beiting’s definition of “wisdom”:

“…Wisdom is the true goal of education. Wisdom is the ability to make connections between bits of knowledge and place value on different ideas. Wisdom is the ability to have patience and accept the inevitable mistakes, not as failures but as a part of learning. Wisdom is the art of listening to others.” [page 88].

I really appreciate his emphasis on having patience and accepting the inevitable mistakes that come with the life of wisdom. How does one become wise? By being unwise! What a paradox! But, if we ask God to help us to be open to learning from our mistakes, that is how wisdom slowly begins to shape and mold our hearts, attitudes and behaviors. 

I remember with chagrin many of my own unwise choices and mistakes in the past. They are all quite humbling! But if we believe that God calls us to live a life of heavenly wisdom, and to reflect the lifestyle of godly wisdom, then we have to be open to the discipline, learning, and patience that can come our way.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”(James 1:5).

In Christian love, Curtis