Search Results for : get wisdom!

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Do You Really Want Justice?

It is an easy thing to demand justice. People want justice. Watch the news, listen to the candidates, listen to your three-year-old — justice matters. But it is wise to be careful of what you ask for. Yes, you want justice, but do you really want justice for yourself? Do you cry out for God to deal with you as your sins deserve with the same intensity that you demand justice from others? Whose justice are we talking about? Does your three-year-old offer an unbiased perspective on justice? Of course, the candidates and the media don’t appear to be any more balanced in their understanding of justice than your unhappy toddler. Similar to Pilate’s question to Jesus, we ask:  What […]

Trust

The world is a scary place. Life is full of things that you and I cannot control. You cannot will your children to safety. You cannot wish cancer away. You cannot remove the drunk driver from the road. You cannot force world leaders to be wise and responsible. You cannot stop dangers on the playground or even in your backyard. You cannot stop the hurricane or earthquake. In short, you cannot eliminate the things that bring fear to you and your family. In these difficult times, God calls you to trust him. Here is what the Holy Spirit says to you from Psalm 56:3-4: When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in […]

What Is Biblical Wisdom?

Biblical Wisdom is knowing and understanding the truth, obeying the truth, and making decisions based on the truth. Wisdom helps you be more like Jesus in your actions, thoughts and attitudes, by loving God and your neighbor. Here are eleven examples of wisdom in action: Love is giving willingly of whatever I have to meet someone’s need. Humility is knowing that everything good in me is from God alone, and is not for my benefit first, but for serving God and others. I should not put myself first. Self-Control is the ability to say no to my wrong desires and yes to what God wants me to do. Patience is accepting problems without complaining, trusting that God will care for […]

Humility: Helpless As a Newborn Baby

No one accomplishes anything apart from the express will and plan of God. We seldom think of God with that amount of reach and power into our personal lives. However, James gets it right when he says: Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15) This is why humility is not a popular idea […]

How To Encourage Children To Despise Themselves

It seems like such a simple thing. You ask your child to do something and in response, he quietly keeps playing with his toy. You decide to press on, so you ask again, this time a little more firmly, and then one more time. Your four-year-old grudgingly, slowly does as he was told. You breathe a sigh of relief, no harm done, at least he obeyed. But actually this little boy has taken a step down the road to self-hatred. Solomon warns that those who disregard discipline despise themselves. What appears to be an inconsequential delay is actually a step towards self-hatred. The Holy Spirit provides a wake-up call in Proverbs 15:31-32: Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home […]

Joy and the Fear of the Lord

The Psalms are built on one great foundational truth: God rules over the earth. Blessed or joyful is the man who turns away from the world and delights in the law of God. The Psalms also teach that the appropriate fear of God must always come first. The fear of the Lord brings wisdom and joy. Wisdom and joy are two good things that you want for your children! Psalms 111 & 112 state the blessings of the fear of the Lord as leading to wisdom, joy, and delight in obeying God. When God is recognized for who he is then life is at last understandable. Notice how Psalm 111 ends and Psalm 112 begins: The fear of the Lord is […]

The Beauty of Joy!

In our deepest sadness we are rescued by joy. Joy has to do with the reality of God. Joy transcends the moment and extends into eternity. Joy does not fade but endures. Joy alone makes sense of the pain of life. Joy is the certain knowledge that what is unseen is more vast than what is seen. Joy is the fuel of hope. Joy means your circumstances are opportunities to honor your God. Joy is the evidence that you are never truly lost. Joy means you are not limited by a sin-cursed world. Joy means that you can love when you are hurt. Joy means that you can live for God when death surrounds you. Joy is knowing that God […]

Why Do Your Children Fight?

Why do your children fight? The short answer is, the same reason you do! They fight because they do not have what they want. As adults, we think we have moved beyond childish selfishness, so we have developed “mature” reasons for the arguments that we have. However, if you strip away the adult “sophistication” of our arguments, you will find that you are not much different from your children who squabble over a favorite toy. We believe the lie that if we are hurt a robust defense is justified. Getting into a fight seems like the right and necessary and “real” thing to do; we have to protect ourselves! We are like our children. The hard truth is that you […]

The Pursuit of Wisdom

Proverbs commends the excellence of wisdom. This is no secret!  But familiarity too often breeds neglect—if not contempt. It is helpful to stop for a moment to consider what the pursuit of wisdom looks like today. To set the stage, here are some basics about wisdom: No one is born wise. Therefore, the first prerequisite for being wise is to come to a saving relationship with Christ. If one is to be wise, it must come from a diligent and relentless pursuit of wisdom. The pursuit of wisdom is not natural or easy. Biblical wisdom is unlike anything that can be achieved by human effort. Your children will be dominated by foolishness unless they desire and pursue wisdom above all […]

Why Your Kids Are Followers

God designed people to be followers, specifically followers of him. So, by design, being a follower is a good thing. But, when Adam fell, man’s good inclination to be a follower became a dangerous human trait. Instead of being exclusively locked on to trusting and following God, people became open to following what seemed most attractive to them. This means that your children, even the strong-willed ones, are born followers. But instead of naturally following God, their hearts are programed to follow anything but God. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Said another way, your children are born to be influenced. With regard to influence, quantity matters. It is not who says it first or best. What matters is who says it most. This […]