Seeking Wisdom

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  Proverbs 12:18

I have a long list of things I want to teach my children in this lifetime.  Very close to the top of the list is the willingness to seek wise counsel.  Proverbs 12:1 says “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”  Can’t get more straight to the point than that, can we?  Time and time again I have to take a second look at what I’ve done/said/thought and do a re-think.  Sometimes I come willingly to this realization.  Sometimes I am dragged there kicking and screaming.

I feel like I’m getting better at this.  Over the past year there have been many issues that have risen to the surface for which I have had to seek wise counsel.  I didn’t see the need immediately.  In some cases the issue had been brewing for years.  But it’s like this stubborn cough I have.  When I first got this cold I didn’t think much of it.  It wasn’t until week 3 that I started to get really annoyed and frustrated and wonder if I should do something about it.  Strained relationships often mirror this evolution.  A harsh word here or there, an occasional behavior that turns into a habit – one day we wake up and decide something has to be done.

And the way I feel, I could use some healing.  Think about how you feel the first good day after you’ve been sick.  It’s like a new start.  It’s like a fresh world.  “Woo!  So glad that’s over!”  It usually isn’t overnight – a magic drug that fixes everything in minutes.  It’s gradual.  And sometimes painful.  But in the end, there is healing.

Rash words can be exchanged easily.  Like the quick thrust of a sword, they can brutally injure us or those we love.  The tongue of the wise can bring healing.  I am not leaning on my own wisdom these days, but looking for experts to help me sort thru my messes.  I hope that my children will learn from my example and recognize the value of the advice we find in Proverbs.

Lord, thank you for providing wisdom.  Whether in the form of the words of a friend or a pastor or a professional.  Teach us through the wisdom of others and especially through the knowledge and wisdom we can find in your gift of Your Word.  We thank you for all these resources and ask your guidance as we use them to learn and to teach our children.  Amen.