Wisdom Check!

A phrase I often heard from my parents was “Wisdom check!!!” This was often said when any of us were doing something stupid or sinful. And every one of us knew what this meant because of the culture that my parents built in my home. One book of the Bible that was constantly read in family devotions was the Book of Proverbs. Often after lunch, my dad would open the Bible, and we would read an entire chapter together. Further, from an early age, I would often read a Proverb a day in my personal devotions. Which is exactly why I understood my parents when they would say, “Wisdom check!” The wisdom of Proverbs was part of our family culture, and while it didn’t make us perfect, it played a large role in us growing up in a happy, healthy, godly family. 

Recently, I have picked up the Proverbs again in my personal devotions. And what struck me again was how absolutely necessary these are to my walk with the Lord. Now, obviously, it is God’s Word, which means it is obviously relevant. But when you think of the total scope of God’s Word, it is hard to think of a more practical section of Scripture. The Proverbs are a collection of short, poetic sayings about living with God’s Wisdom in God’s World. What is fascinating is how the creation of the world and wisdom are brought together, even to say that God established the world through Wisdom. (Proverbs 3:13-20; 8:22-31). What is also interesting is how practical the Proverbs are, covering everything from parenting, friendships, marriage, politics, sexual purity, and the list could go on. 

These themes teach us that God established His creation to not only follow the laws of nature but also the laws of Wisdom. And while these are different (training your children differs from the law of gravity), God’s moral law and practical commands are essential for human flourishing and fulfillment. Wisdom is understanding God’s moral economy (e.g. commands) and submitting to them in every area of life. And while the Proverbs are not promises, they are necessary for our flourishing. In fact, following the Proverbs is absolutely a matter of life and death. To see this, one only needs to look at a few passages. 

Proverbs 1:7-8, “ 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.”

Proverbs 1:32-33, “32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, And shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

Proverbs 3:13 and 16-19, “13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that getteth understanding…16 Length of days is in her right hand; And in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: And happy is every one that retaineth her. 19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; By understanding hath he established the heavens.”

You can even think of the major theme of avoiding the destruction of the strange woman and embracing the life and happiness of marriage (Proverbs 5). You could think of the flourishing that comes to parents who train their children in Wisdom (Proverbs 22:6). The list could go on, but what I really want us to stop and think about is the gravity, necessity, and importance of Proverbs. Reading this book as a Christian, husband, parent, and pastor really brought this home for me. Wisdom, according to these passages, the Proverbs, is essential for my walk with God and my home to flourish. Additionally, without the Proverbs, Faith Baptist will not thrive. The passages do not preach a health and wealth gospel. Instead, they point out that genuine joy, fulfillment, and blessedness in life only occur when we submit to the Wisdom of God. 

You can also see this if you think about how different the world would be if we all understood and pursued the Wisdom of Proverbs. Everyone submitting to God’s economy would make our lives much better, imagine that. Therein lies the rub, for while God designed humans to flourish in His Wisdom, He also gave them the freedom to disobey it. 

Practically, this should give us a sense of urgency to love, pursue, and obey the Wisdom of God. Every day we ought to integrate the Proverbs into every area of our lives. And this is the beauty of Proverbs, because it is so practical! How should we do this practically in our lives? 

First, we ought to read the Proverbs often. They should be a regular part of our devotional routine. Part of seeking God’s Wisdom is reading God’s Wisdom. But while we are here, it is worth mentioning that we should not just be hearers of the Word, but doers. While we do not always have to read the Proverbs, we ought to always obey them. 

Second, parents, teach these to your children. This book is one of the easiest to understand in the entire Bible! As mentioned above, I am so thankful that I grew up in a home that was consistently bringing the Proverbs into our family routines. It’s not an accident that a father wrote most of the Proverbs to his sons.

Third, those who have Wisdom should teach it to others in the church. This really forms the theme of Titus 2, which commands the older to teach the younger. Discipling others in the Wisdom of God brings the greatest joy, as that is where genuine joy comes from. 

Fourth, learn from those who are flourishing in life through submission to God’s Wisdom. Sometimes it is really easy to get bogged down in stress about life, frustration about our trajectory in our walk with God, or resentment toward our spouses, kids, friends, or church. And while each one of these can produce stress in their own right (God doesn’t promise to remove trials or pain), we often like to ignore the fact that the stress in our lives comes from our lack of submission to God’s Wisdom. Our response to this is to put our heads down, bear it, ignore it, blow up, or simply try to figure it out on our own. But one of the most interesting things I noticed about Proverbs is how communal it is. A father teaching his children, the older teaching the younger, a multitude of counselors providing safety; these are examples of the transmission of God’s Wisdom.  

The communal nature of Proverbs is there to teach that we cannot get Wisdom on our own, but we need to learn Wisdom from older, wiser men and women. Is there someone in your life who is joyful in the Lord because they are living in Wisdom? God commands you to learn from them. You will be shocked by how much sin in your life causes stress, anxiety, or disillusionment. 

God’s Wisdom is there for us to pursue the Lord in every practical area of life. He is absolutely better than anything the fools or scorners of life could offer. His Wisdom is absolutely necessary for us to please Him and find flourishing in this life. So let us obey Proverbs 3:5-8, “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones.” 

Do a wisdom check!!