Hey all,
It's been awhile since my last post so I want to catch you up on some things I have been up to.
I am in the process of going along on the journey with my son who entered into manhood in December when he turned 18. Like my oldest son, who is now 22, I have tried to make it a priority to speak into their hearts about the character traits of "real man" before they are on there own. When I say "real man", I am not talking about the traditional "manly" things that we often think of when we hear that term, but rather the honorable traits which a real "Godly" man possesses. I want to make sure that I have taken the time to speak into their heart about what kind of values and character traits a "real man of God" has and what they mean.
Let's face it, too many kids today are sent off into the adult world without anyone (especially parents) taking the time to tell their kids what character and value are and why it is important. I am committed to doing my part as a parent to make sure that my kids know what things like Wisdom, Faith, Honor, Love, Respect, Grace, Compassion, Duty, and Truthfulness are, what they mean, and why they are essential to living a Godly and fulfilling life.
He and I are getting together each week for the next three months leading up to his graduation to discuss each one of these topics. Besides the obvious benefit of just spending great time together discussing and sharing these topics, the end result will also be a great resource of information for him to take with him and hopefully lean on as he goes on his journey through adulthood.
Along the way, I thought I would share some of what we are talking about. I hope you enjoy and get something from it also. Maybe you have a Son or Daughter you can share it with as well.
First lesson was on Wisdom. Check out some highlights below.
Strength and Honor,
-S
WISDOM
There is nothing else that more accurately describes the character trait of Wisdom than how it is defined in the Bible in Proverbs chapter 4. Below is taken from The Message.
Your Life Is at Stake
1 -2 Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice; sit up and take notice so you'll know how to live. I'm giving you good counsel;
don't let it go in one ear and out the other.
3 -9 When I was a boy at my father's knee,
the pride and joy of my mother, He would sit me down and drill me:
"Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it;
never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. She'll garland your life with grace,
she'll festoon your days with beauty."
10 -15 Dear friend, take my advice;
it will add years to your life. I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,
I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don't want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns. Hold tight to good advice; don't relax your grip.
Guard it well—your life is at stake! Don't take Wicked Bypass;
don't so much as set foot on that road. Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth.
Make a detour and be on your way.
16 -17 Evil people are restless
unless they're making trouble; They can't get a good night's sleep
unless they've made life miserable for somebody. Perversity is their food and drink,
violence their drug of choice.
18 -19 The ways of right-living people glow with light;
the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—
travelers can't see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.
Learn It by Heart
20 -22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they're bursting with health.
23 -27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
The Message
WISDOM
So let’s break this down.
Notice how this verse starts off. It starts with some “Fatherly advice”. The advice from a Father (while it may not always right) should always come from love and a desire for their children to do right. So when the author (Solomon) begins with this “Fatherly advice”…..it is very significant. He is saying that what you are about to hear (read) is based out of love and a desire for you to do well. He is saying…..please, please, please listen to me. Don’t let it go in one ear and out the other. Take this serious. What you are about to hear is important! The Father reference is also significant because it is a reference to our heavenly Father. It is saying our God who loves us unconditionally, wants to give us some advice. God wants to give us (you) some advice. We probably ought to listen you think?
He goes on to say….”my Father told me this so please listen to me”. Meaning that what he has to say has passed down through the generations and is proven to be true. It is legitimate. It is not just something that he thought up as a Dad to impress his kids. This is the real deal and you need to listen to it like “I listened to it from my Father”. He told me and now I am telling you.
Then he gets to the meat of the matter…………this word and character trait of Wisdom. The concept of Wisdom is introduced as something to “sell everything you have and to go get”. Man, talk about coming out the gate swinging!! Boom……there it is. Sell everything for this!! What he is saying is that nothing is as important or as valuable as this! Nothing! OK…….you have my attention!!
Wisdom (which is referred to as a female because of the beauty and desire that can be associated with females) is to be sought after above all things. Above ALL things! Wow…that is pretty big huh? Not only is it of great value, but she is worth the pursuit. She is to be foraged (looked) for and savored (cherished). We are to not forget one word she tells us. So we are to go looking for Wisdom. It is not just going to appear. It has to be pursued.
"Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live! Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch! Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
love her—she keeps her eye on you. Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it;
never let her go—she'll make your life glorious. She'll garland your life with grace,
she'll festoon your days with beauty."
And then…check this out….once we have her (Wisdom)….once we have committed to her……she will protect us. She will guard us and keep her eye on us. She will encircle our life with grace and beauty.
So……sounds like getting Wisdom is pretty important doesn’t it?
Then…..a warning.
15 Dear friend, take my advice;
it will add years to your life. I'm writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,
I'm drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don't want you ending up in blind alleys,
or wasting time making wrong turns. Hold tight to good advice; don't relax your grip.
Guard it well—your life is at stake! Don't take Wicked Bypass;
don't so much as set foot on that road. Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth.
Make a detour and be on your way.
16 -17 Evil people are restless
unless they're making trouble; They can't get a good night's sleep
unless they've made life miserable for somebody. Perversity is their food and drink,
violence their drug of choice.
18 -19 The ways of right-living people glow with light;
the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker—
travelers can't see a thing; they fall flat on their faces.
Solomon starts by saying……..I am telling you the way. I am writing out clear directions for you. I am drawing out the road map. Just follow this map. Don’t get off this road or trail off because if you do……it is going to get ugly real quick. You will end up on wrong roads, dark alleys, and wasting your time. He warns us to not take it lightly because our life depends on it. The wrong roads are filled with evil and we should not even so much as set one foot on it! If we do, then we will enter into darkness and the evil and bad that exists never stops. The roads lead to more and more darkness. He tells us that the right roads will be filled with light and the wrong roads are dark. So how do we know the difference? Wisdom is how we know….that is why he starts with telling us that we must pursue it (her) at all costs…..so we know the right road to take our journey on.
He ends this chapter by telling us again how important Wisdom is and why. He tells us not to forget and to keep reminding ourselves of what is important. Keep in it plain view. Concentrate on it. Learn it. It is important and the key to really living. We must be wise.
He also tells us to stand guard over our hearts because that is where life starts. Make sure that we protect the things in our heart. He challenges us to keep the road in front of us. That we shouldn’t veer to the left or right but instead, stay the course.
20 -22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they're bursting with health.
23 -27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
The Message
In summary…..Solomon is telling us that we first seek Wisdom because without it, nothing else can come. We must seek to become wise. It doesn’t just happen. When we pursue what is good and wise, we are more likely to have a good and fruitful life. When we are pursuing things that are evil and unwise, our life will be dark and full of wrong turns. It is by seeking Wisdom that we can know the difference in the paths set before us.
“Real Man” - WISDOM
- WISDOM takes sacrifice. It has a cost and requires a lot of us.
- WISDOM is gained by listening. Value the advice of their mentors and peers.
- WISDOM has to be pursued. It does not just “happen”. It takes effort.
- WISDOM will protect you. It helps you know what evil looks like and how to avoid it.
