Be careful who you hearken to.
This advice applies to the people we seek counsel from, the data we eat, and the philosophies we follow. The voices and stories we allow to turn out to be an element of the guiding principles in our lives will either lead us closer or further away from the Lord. We find this truth exemplified throughout the Bible. Adam and Eve selected to disregard what God had told them and heeded the words of the crafty serpent. Likewise, Rehoboam listened to his silly friends as an alternative of the smart counsel of those that were older and more experienced. And Ahaziah followed the recommendation of his wicked mother.
If these individuals had sought godly advice as an alternative of following the speech that was easiest to listen to or most tempting, problems might have been avoided. What they needed, and what we still need today, is discernment. We must concentrate on the voices we’re lending our ears to and learn to distinguish between the philosophies of the world and the reality of God’s Word. Only then will we have the opportunity to follow Jesus unhindered by the voices clamoring for our attention.
Biblical Example of Solomon – Praying for Wisdom, but Later Falling into Foolishness
God told Solomon he could ask for anything and receive it. The Lord did this in kindness to Solomon’s father, David, whom He had promised the kingship. As such, the gift was unprecedented. Solomon could have asked for anything: wealth, power, a bigger kingdom. Yet he didn’t request any of those common desires. He asked for discernment (1 Kings 3:6-9).
Because of his youth and up to date ascent to the throne, Solomon knew he would want wisdom when ruling, so he could make proper judgments. He recognized that discernment was needed within the lifetime of a king, and that’s what the Lord granted the young ruler. He was pleased with the request and even granted Solomon what he had not asked for – wealth and honor (1 Kings 3:10, 13-14). As God told the king, “I provides you with a smart and discerning heart, in order that there won’t ever have been anyone such as you, nor will there ever be” (1 Kings 3:12, NIV).
Much of Solomon’s life testifies to this truth, reminiscent of his righteous judgment within the case of the 2 women and the kid (1 Kings 3:16-28). Hiram, the king of Tyre, also praised the wisdom of Solomon (2 Chronicles 2:12). People traveled from afar, including the Queen of Sheba, to listen to the teachings of this smart king (1 Kings 10:1-9). Who else could have written the pithy sayings of the wisdom literature within the Bible? Biblical scholars recognize Solomon because the creator of books like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. The smart ruler was right; wisdom starts with proper fear (or respect) of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10).
However, even the wisest individuals will not be resistant to temptation. As Solomon adopted more customs of the encompassing cultures, doing exactly what Moses had warned against, he step by step fell into decline (see Deuteronomy 17:14-17). He collected chariots from Egypt, practiced polygamy by marrying foreign women, and was eventually seduced into worshiping the detestable idols of the nations, including Ashtoreth and Molech (1 Kings 11:3-6). The young man who had prayed for wisdom eventually grew old and acted in foolishness by turning away from God.
Solomon’s case will not be unique. We are all prone to following suit if we fail to proceed practicing discernment. Praying for wisdom will not be enough. Neither is growing content with our ability to make judgments. We must continually seek the wisdom of God and actively walk within the ways of the smart. Only then will we avoid the error of Solomon.
The Need for Wisdom in Following God
Scripture provides multiple images for wisdom, including being personified as a lady. Wisdom contrasts in appearance and actions with the silly, adulterous woman who leads victims to their demise (Proverbs 5:6). Thus, having wisdom is like owning treasure. As Proverbs tells us, “Blessed are those that find wisdom, those that gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields higher returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare along with her” (Proverbs 3:13-15, NIV).
This imagery contrasts with what number of believers view discernment today. Too lots of us have associated practicing wisdom in our selections with legalistic practices. Thus, some Christians assume that when someone mentions the must be discerning, that this is similar as legalism – following a algorithm for the sake of earning God’s favor.
As the language of Proverbs shows us, though, discernment will not be a limiting practice by which we self-righteously create a checklist of dos and “don’ts” for ourselves. Rather, we’re utilizing the wealthy treasure that is on the market to all who pray and ask for it (see James 1:5). Discernment allows us to make decisions with a concentrate on what’s going to make us more Christlike.
And we cannot dismiss the necessity to determine between what is true and improper, and even what is sweet and best. If we wish to follow the Lord and obey His Word, then we’d like wisdom since Scripture is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). We must experience the transformation of our minds if we wish to know and do the need of the Lord (Romans 12:2).
Protecting Ourselves from False Teaching and Temptation
Cultivating judgment also protects us. There are individuals who seek to steer us astray from the reality, wolves in sheep’s clothing who sneak into our churches to prey on us (Matthew 7:15). False teachers have been around because the early days of the church, and just like the early disciples, we have to be able to contend for the religion and spot questionable areas of doctrine after we see or hear it.
Christians today can learn from the instance of the Berean Christians who correctly compared the message of Paul to Scripture. The book of Acts tells us: “ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11, NIV). They used proper judgment in order that they didn’t merely imagine whatever was told to them.
Like the Bereans, we must always grow in our faith, so we will not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine (see Ephesians 4:14). We need a solid understanding of Scripture to have the opportunity to practice discernment after we hear recent teachings that don’t align with God’s Word.
Wisdom also guards us from temptation since it reminds us that sinful desires only produce harm. The book of Proverbs shows us the folly of those that walk the trail of sin. Though it might appear desirable, sin all the time results in destruction. We see this exemplified within the adulterous woman. Her words, and the temptations of sin, appear sweet but eventually turn bitter (Proverbs 5:3-4). When we turn away from wisdom to follow the silly woman, our path will only result in destruction for her house results in death (Proverbs 7:27).
Walking As a Wise Christian
To avoid being ensnared by false teaching and temptation, we must walk within the ways of the smart. This starts with fearing, or reverencing, the Lord and honoring Him as God. True wisdom comes from Him and differs from worldly wisdom (Proverbs 2:6; see also James 3:13-18). Anyone can increase their basic intelligence and even gain a level of prestige among the many people of the world. However, godly discernment originates with the Lord and His Word. Sometimes what may seem to be selection in accordance with the ways of the world is foolishness within the eyes of God.
We must humble ourselves and ask the Lord for discernment. The Spirit will then help us as we study the Word and grow in wisdom. With the words of Scripture filling our hearts and minds, we will likely be higher equipped to make decisions and exercise discernment in moments that decision us to act, or to be still and wait on the Lord.
Following the trail of wisdom also means keeping company with the smart, not the silly (Psalm 1:1; 1 Corinthians 15:33). We won’t all the time have the opportunity to decide on who we’re around, but we are able to take the initiative to form godly relationships with those that love the Lord and follow Him. The more we’re exposed to those that seek to honor God with their lives and selections, the more we are going to learn to model their behavior, imitating them as they imitate Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, and Hebrews 13:7). As Proverbs 13:20 teaches us, “Walk with the smart and turn out to be smart; associate with fools and get in trouble” (NLT).
Ultimately, the difficulty of discernment boils right down to who we wish to be. We shouldn’t evaluate situations and selections based on a desire to look outwardly righteous or to earn the next standing with the Lord. Everyone has done improper and are equally in need of God’s grace. Instead, we must always pray for and practice discernment with the main target of becoming more like Christ – To be the one who shines His light right into a dark world; to be someone who loves with a self-giving love, overflowing from a spot of deep understanding of the love that He has given. A Christ-follower desires to grow to be more like their Savior, which is the first reason to practice godly discernment.
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