Follow Wisdom

“If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face; confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins. So don’t waste your time on a scoffer; all you’ll get for your pains is abuse. But if you correct those who care about life, that’s different—they’ll love you for it! Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it; tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it. Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of- GOD, insight into life from knowing a Holy God. It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you.

Then there’s this other woman, Madame Whore— brazen, empty-headed, frivolous. She sits on the front porch of her house on Main Street, And as people walk by minding their own business, calls out, “Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time! No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.” But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet, that all her guests end up in hell.”

Proverbs 9:7-18 MSG

http://bible.com/97/pro.9.7-18.msg

Wisdom reminds us to share our message with others who are interested in growth and improvement. We tend to get beat up when we carry out message to those who prefer to criticize and prop up their own point of view. It's easy to be caught up in debate over disagreement, but there's little hope of changing someone's mind through debate...other than possibly an observer. My encouragement: surround yourself with people who care about life, people who want to improve and ripen along their journey.

Also, never forget there is another voice calling out to us...Proverbs calls this voice the Whore! Harsh and real. This is that voice that calls to our appetite for destruction and vice. The voice that says no one ever needs to know about this.

Here's a life tip: if you're pursuing a course of action that you hope NO ONE EVER finds out about, you're probably listening to the voice of the Whore. It's the wrong path. This is different from planning a surprise or making something in secret to eventually release to the world. This are those thing you hope to keep tucked away between you and nobody else. Secret sin, hidden living, broken rules, something that you know you'd be ashamed of if it were announced on Facebook or the local newspaper. Those activities that we sometimes think can be hidden come from the mouth of the Whore lying to us. There is no good future there. There's only death and disappointment. Run from those ideas and live free!

Blessings today as you go through your actual life. Be at peace. Be real. Be honest with yourself. Are you following Lady Wisdom or Madame Whore? Choose wisely!

Blessings today and always! –M