| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you” Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.” Proverbs 3:13 (NIV) Our thought for today: “Seek wisdom” Wisdom is different than knowledge. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts and information about a subject. Wisdom is the ability to apply what you know in a meaningful way that makes life better for you and for others. Knowledge can be acquired from the study of books and by memorizing information. Wisdom comes mainly through experience and requires a healthy dose of clear thinking and common sense. It is possible to have a lot of knowledge but little wisdom. Conversely, it’s also possible to be a very wise person without having much formal education. The book of Proverbs is primarily about seeking and finding true wisdom. The premise is that when a person understands and lives by Biblical principles, that person will be wise in all the ways that matter most. This is more than just being familiar with the Bible and memorizing scripture. Doing that falls largely into the category of having accumulated knowledge. Biblical wisdom on the other hand, comes from a clear understanding of what God requires of us and then applying that understanding in the way you live. A person who has acquired a lot of Biblical knowledge can perhaps be a teacher who communicates that information to a classroom of students, who will then have similar knowledge. A person who is Biblically wise however, is a person who others will seek-out for counsel regarding difficult life issues. Sharing knowledge is an exercise in communicating information. Sharing wisdom is life-giving and makes life better for the people involved. How have you used this experience of the COVID 19 pandemic, with all its associated side issues? Have you accumulated lots of new information about infectious diseases, economic downturns, and civil liberties? Or, has this been a time of deep and thoughtful contemplation as you’ve considered the ways of the God, the ways of people, and how it is that faithful Christians can make a meaningful difference in the midst of a world in crisis? In other words, have you become wiser as a result of what you have experienced? This isn’t over yet. The first wave of the virus seems to be receding, the stay-at-home orders are being lifted, and the economy is starting to get on it’s feet again. But this isn’t over. There are many more challenges yet to be dealt with, and there will continue to be a lot of people with a lot of facts and figures (along with strong and dogmatically held opinions), making a lot of noise and being critical of anyone who doesn’t agree with them. For the most part, that will not be helpful. But there will also still be plenty of opportunities for truly wise people – Biblically wise people – to have a positive impact. That could be you. I encourage you to seek wisdom – true wisdom, and then share it. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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