This week's wisdom for life comes to us from Proverbs 23 in the Message Bible.
Vs.4-5. Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; restrain yourself! Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder.
There is far more to life than money! When is enough enough? I'll never forget going to Africa for the first time with our family back in 2007. We did some ministry there and also visited some orphanages. I'll never forget what one of my children said to me afterwards: "Dad, these people have so little but they are so happy. Back home we have so much stuff but we don't have the same joy." How true. Learn the art of contentment. Be grateful for the breath you are breathing now, for life, for God, for friends, and for meaning and purpose.
Vs.20-21. Don't drink too much wine and get drunk; don't eat too much food and get fat. Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags.
Too much of anything, even good things, starts to control us and we become dependent, or even addicted, to it. There is wisdom in moderation. What has taken a hold of you lately that you need to break free from?
Vs.22. Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don't neglect her.
Mark Twain once said, "When I was young I didn't think my old man knew very much but by the time I'd turned 21 years of age I was surprised how much he'd learned in a few years!" How true. The older we become the more we should appreciate our parents. They weren't perfect but they did the best job they could. Each one of them have a story and the more we understand that story the more we will understand our own story and how they have helped to shape it. Continue to honour and respect your parents through each season of life. Remember, they gave you life.
Vs.23. Buy truth – don't sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight.
Once again, the worth of wisdom is extolled. What are you pursuing? Wisdom is found in a person, Jesus Christ – the personification of wisdom. The apostle Paul declared, "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)." May you find hope, meaning, love, and wisdom in Christ for your life today.