Wisdom Matters

How often are you encouraged to share the gospel with others? Do you feel ready to speak up when asked? 

These days, it’s more common to hear a sermon about “living” our faith instead of one that teaches us to speak the truth of the gospel message. What is that gospel truth? John 3:16 gives a concise answer:

—“For God so loved the world”: There is one God, who is the Creator and sustainer of the world, and he is perfectly loving (1 John 4:7–8).

—“he gave his only Son”: The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was God’s gift of grace so that everyone could find pardon for their sins.

—“that whoever believes in him”: Salvation requires our belief and acceptance of our need for Christ and his gift of salvation. 

—“should not perish but have eternal life”: Every person in this world has an eternal destiny in either heaven or hell.

This month, people will spend a lot of time and money on Halloween. The holiday has become a much bigger celebration in the past decade. Most retail stores will also begin stocking their shelves and advertising for Christmas. The contrast between those two holidays will provide multiple opportunities for us to share our faith. Are you ready?

We will look at the wisdom of evangelism this month and hopefully be inspired to speak about our faith. Wisdom is joyfully sharing God with others. May this month lead us to consider the importance of our gospel message and the impact it can have in our world.

The verbs in Scripture mean so much to our understanding of a verse. Jesus told his disciples to “proclaim” the gospel to the whole creation. Our world considers it politically incorrect to say that one person’s faith is more important than another’s. 

All Christians find it difficult to share our faith without emphasizing that we worship the Christ who is the only Son of the only God. Yet, that is the gospel truth we are to “proclaim” to the whole world.

Jesus said, “Go.” He didn’t say it as an encouragement or a suggestion. He commanded his disciples to proclaim the gospel, and he still does. 

Wisdom is joyfully sharing God with others. Our message is wisdom, our motivation is joy, and our obedience is required. Will you pray for God to inspire your testimony of faith this month? It’s time to “go” and time to “proclaim” the wise truth of our great God.

In his book Everyday Blessings, Max Lucado gave us some good advice when he wrote, “The next time you find yourself alone in a dark alley facing the undeniables of life, don’t cover them with a blanket, or ignore them with a nervous grin. Don’t turn up the TV and pretend they aren’t there. Instead, stand still, whisper his name, and listen. He is nearer than you think.”

The road of blessing is not without ups and downs, detours, and even the occasional pothole. Sometimes it feels like we are making this journey of life with at least one flat tire. Even when we sincerely feel that way, it isn’t the truth of God.

God told Isaiah, “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed.” Satan undoubtedly hurls his darts, but his darts can’t remove you from your road of blessing. Satan can’t remove a Christian from the roles of heaven. 

God also told the prophet, “You shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.” No slander can change the truth of who we are. We are the adopted children of God, and we are blessed with the promise of forgiveness and the assurance of our eternal life with God.

The promises of God are guaranteed by the power of God. We have the same heritage that God promised Isaiah. Our vindication is from God. Whose words can stand against his?

We have been speaking about the blessings of God this month. We have been reminded that our sovereign God stands ready to bless and prosper the lives of his children. Our job is to faithfully obey and follow the wisdom of his word. 

Living with wisdom is a path to God’s blessings. I hope this month has helped you know that our path is certain and our destination is assured. That hope will keep us firmly walking on that high road of faith, secure and rewarded by the blessings of God.

We are reminded to live gratefully as we see pictures of people in war-torn countries doing their best to survive the cold of winter. We are reminded to give thanks when we leave a hospital and drive home free of illness. We are reminded by God through sunrises and sunsets that we live in a world created by a spectacular God.

Psalm 81:10 was a reminder to the nation of Israel that God, the great I AM, had brought them up out of the land of Egypt. The Red Sea was not a problem; it was an opportunity to show them the omnipotence of God. The manna and quail provided a reminder that God is all-loving and wanted to meet their needs. The psalmist also reminded the people that they must open their mouths wide for the Lord to fill them. 

How many blessings might we have missed because we were faced the wrong way? 

I love the hymn that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.” When we look full in his wonderful face, he blesses us with a perspective on the dim things of this world compared to “the light of his glory and grace.”

Our greatest blessings are likely the things we take most for granted. We will rest our heads on our pillows tonight and know God’s peace. We will enjoy that first cup of coffee or tea in the morning knowing God is for us and has a plan for our day. 

What “land” has the Lord your God brought you out of? What are the things you miss the most while away from home and out of the country? What makes you feel secure today and hopeful about tomorrow?

We are blessed because we know the Lord our God stands ready to provide for our needs. We need to open our hearts, our minds, our hands, and our mouths so we can receive what he most wants to give.

Living with wisdom is a path to God’s blessings. His path is our blessed provision for this life and the road to eternal blessings ahead.

Have you ever wondered how the people of the first century, those who witnessed the life and miracles of Jesus, could have turned their backs on him in unbelief? How could the Son of God be ignored, persecuted, and killed? There have always been people who refuse to believe and there always will be.

Jesus came to his disciples after his resurrection. He simply appeared in a room with locked doors and spoke to his terrified followers saying, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). Scripture says Thomas wasn’t with the other disciples at that time and when they told him what had happened, he didn’t believe them. He said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25). Eight days later Thomas saw the resurrected Son of God and believed. 

That’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Jesus would tell each of us who has placed our faith in him, those of us who believe him to be God’s Son and our Savior, that our faith means we are blessed.

We believe the Christmas story as the historical entry of God Incarnate into this world. He chose to become a baby so his life could be the full experience of this world and so his sinless life could become the only sacrifice necessary for the salvation of anyone who would believe. We believe Jesus healed the sick and walked on water. We believe Jesus allowed the soldiers to do the unthinkable so that we could live as the forgiven children of God now, and, one day, dwell with God in heaven. We believe.

And Jesus wants us to know that we are blessed because we believe God’s truth in faith. 

Living with wisdom is a path to God’s blessings. Our path to blessings began the day we wisely chose to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If you have believed, you are blessed.

Some of the most important sacrifices we make as Christians are simply the results of walking through our lives as led by God’s Holy Spirit. Some of the best opportunities we have to serve Christ come about simply because we are living our daily lives in tune with his leadership.

Each day we see people we can share something with. They might need our help in a significant way, but usually it’s just providing the help someone needs at any given moment. God gives us chances every day to “do good” in some way. You might hold the door for an older person and allow them to go ahead of you in a line. You might stop to pick up something a person has dropped and return it to them. If you find yourself in a conversation with someone, you can ask God for his words to speak to them. 

Sometimes “sharing what we have” is a financial decision, but often it’s just the decision to care about another person ahead of our own agendas. A tired mom in the store might need a word of encouragement or just a smile from another mom who gets it. Someone might be running late and need to push ahead to stay on time. We can get angry, feel slighted, or offer grace instead of criticism. Truthfully, we have all been that stressed, tired, or frantic person at some point.

The author of Hebrews said we shouldn’t “neglect” our opportunities to do good in this world, sharing what we have and living with the attitudes, choices, and compassion that honor Christ and please the Lord.

Most of the rewards we receive in heaven won’t be for what we perceive to be significant or great. Instead, the vast majority of our heavenly reward will be earned by living our daily lives in such a way that we please God. Pleasing God is wisdom. What opportunities will the Lord give you tomorrow to serve others and wisely please God? Live aware, live for God, and live for his good pleasure.

“For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.” —Ecclesiastes 2:26

Wanting to please those we love is natural, and it should be natural for Christians to want to please their heavenly Father. Scripture contains everything we need to know to understand how we can live a life that pleases God.

God is a perfect and holy Father who always wants the best for his children. He is pleased when his children live with his high and holy standards. King Solomon spoke of the blessings that God loves to pour into the lives of his children. Solomon said that when God’s children please him, he gives “wisdom and knowledge and joy” as his reward.

God wants to bless his children and was careful to describe the life and character he is able to bless. Scripture also makes clear that God cannot bless what is wrong or sinful. King Solomon said the sinner has a life filled with “gathering and collecting.” Solomon paints a picture of a life filled with striving and work but lacking the peace, joy, and contentment God wants to provide.

Pleasing God is wisdom. When we live a life God is able to bless, we have positioned ourselves to receive his blessings of wisdom, knowledge, and joy.

“And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” —1 John 3:22

The apostle John was called the beloved disciple. He loved Jesus and others. When John wrote his letter to the churches he had shepherded, he made sure they understood how to please God with their choices. 

John told them, “Keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” God gave us his laws and his teaching so that we would be able to live a life that pleased him. When we live in obedience to his word, we will want those things God most wants to give to us. We will pray in and for his will rather than in and for our own. And we will receive his blessings for our lives.

Pleasing God is wisdom. How will your life please God tomorrow and in the days to come?

We have spent the month of July thinking about God’s priorities and the wisdom and guidance those thoughts provide. We know that if something is important to God, it needs to be important to his children as well. Why then do we so often allow the world to dictate our values?

Priorities are spiritual motivators. There are so many things in our lives that require our attention. Very few people are able to live a monastic lifestyle fully focused on the Lord. 

The pace of life in Ephesus would rival the pace of any major city today. Paul told the Ephesians to “look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of time, because the days are evil.” Each day is to be lived carefully aware that the world moves at a pace that doesn’t leave time for God or for his best use of our time. The days that are “evil” are the days we spend walking the world’s agenda rather than God’s.

Paul then gave the Ephesians, and us, some great advice. He warned the early believers not to be foolish and then advised them how to stay close to God. He said, “Understand what the will of the Lord is.” The key to not living a foolish life driven by the world’s priorities is to know God and understand what he most wants for our lives.

When we made God our King, we gave him the right to govern our choices. When we asked Jesus to be our Savior, we also invited him to be Lord of our lives. God is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present in our lives. His authority is unique because it is always motivated by his perfect love. Submitting to God’s will is easy when we realize his priorities are a product of his perfect knowledge and his character of love. That’s why it is foolish to live with the world’s priorities rather than God’s.

God has a schedule for each day. We know that God’s priorities are wisdom. May our goal be to walk every day led by the perfection of God’s wise plans and praying as Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

It has been said the most important word in the twenty-third psalm is the fourth one. “The Lord is my shepherd.” If the fourth word isn’t true, then the rest of the Psalm can’t be true.

We aren’t saved because God gave us the gift of salvation. We are saved because we personally choose to receive the gift God gave. Our relationship to God is a personal decision and a personal priority. We don’t return God’s love until we choose to. Genuine love is freely given.

God wants to be our shepherd so he can care for us, protect us, and lead us. He wants us to have the things we need. He plans to provide those things. He is a good, good Father. 

If the Lord is your shepherd, you can rest in the security of knowing you are cared for, protected, and led by God’s Spirit. You are God’s child, and your life will always be his high priority. 

Do you choose to return his love by making him your highest priority in life?

Do you make the personal decisions that honor his plan for your life and humbly submit to his perfect guidance? Your best life is found in belonging to God’s flock and following your divine shepherd.

Our personal relationship with God needs to be our personal priority. We cannot serve “two masters” and say, “The Lord is my shepherd.” God’s priorities are wisdom, and our priorities can be our wisdom if we allow ourselves to be led by our Shepherd. 

Wisdom is making your personal relationship with God your personal priority. The green pastures and still waters ahead will be your personal reward as a result.

Even two- and three-year-old children rebel against being “bossed around.” If you are a parent, you have probably heard one of your children say, “You’re not the boss of me.” Why did God create us with free wills when he knew we would want to use them in the wrong ways?

God could have created us as robotic believers who knew nothing except how to obey. God could have limited people’s ability to sin. Why did God create us with the right to choose while knowing we would choose wrongly?

God created us to love him and to love others. Love is a choice, so we were created with the ability to choose. We could not have a personal relationship with God, or with anyone else, if we didn’t have the ability to make choices. God is love, and we were made in his image.

That’s why God’s perfection requires a sacrifice for sin. God knew sin couldn’t exist in heaven or heaven wouldn’t be paradise. Paul wrote, “You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.”

Who is the “boss” of us? The One who bought us. He didn’t want us to be led or controlled by anything less than his perfect, loving will for our lives.

Exercising our free wills in this world is normal. Actually, the world applauds those who do. It takes spiritual strength to choose to submit our wills to our heavenly Father. We serve whomever we follow. God wants us to follow him.

A bondservant indentured himself to someone for a price and was, in many ways, “owned” by his master. Our Master bought us himself so we would no longer be owned by the world. Who is the “boss of you”? The Father who bought you and wants only the best for your life.

God’s priorities are wisdom. Aren’t you glad God made your salvation his high priority?

The confident Christian is the one who can know their path has been directed by God. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done” in the model prayer (Matthew 6:10). The psalmist taught that our steps are “established by the Lord” but then provided a contingency. Our steps are established by the Lord “when he delights” in the way we have chosen.

God cannot lead the person who will choose not to follow. We were created with the freedom to choose, and God honors our free will. God is a good Father and wants nothing more than to provide us with the wisdom and direction we need to walk in his ways. But God will allow us to lead, to wander, and to make different choices as well. A good Father gives advice to his child then allows his child the consequences or rewards for the choices made.

Who can walk with God’s priorities? 

The child who is willing to trust the wisdom of his Father more than his own. 

The child who wants to delight his Father with his choices rather than the child who seeks to delight himself or others.

The child who knows that God directs the paths of those who will in every way “acknowledge” or know God’s priorities are wisdom.

Imagine knowing that your choices have “delighted” your heavenly Father. Imagine the confidence of knowing that the steps you are taking are those the Lord has established for you to walk. All of that is possible for the Christian who values the priorities God has set forth in his word. God’s priorities are wisdom. God is delighted each time you choose to walk in his ways.