by Kim Wiezycki
Who Am I?
My mouth will utter truth.
I am better than jewels.
I hate a perverted mouth.
I am understanding.
I love those who love me.
I was established at the beginning.
I am God's delight.
Listen to me.
Find me and you will find life.
Who Am I? According to Proverbs 8, she is Wisdom. Wisdom calls and beckons us and yet at times, we still ignore her. As I read this chapter in Proverbs again, for the purpose of reminding me to use my words carefully, I am reminded of how absolutely imperative using wisdom is in our moment-to-moment lives.
Because God loves us, and like the good parent that He is, we are warned of the specifics of acting without wisdom. We are Christians and one of the characteristics we deeply desire in our faith journey is to become more wise. So, why do we say foolish things when the Holy Spirit is prodding us to say the right thing? Or why do we sometimes say nothing at all? (James 1:19)
Proverbs 3:7 and Isaiah 5:21 both warn us not to be, "wise in our own eyes." We are told to turn away from evil. But let's face it, much of what we want to say or do to someone who has aggravated, angered or embarrassed us, is evil!
Have you ever screamed at your child or husband in frustration and you feel justified at the moment? Yet it says in Proverbs 18:6-8 that, “a fool's mouth is his strife and his ruin.” We usually realize the truth of that later, don't we?
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21
I have to remember daily that my words and my response must be in line with God's instruction or I will reap consequences I never intended. I have experienced the "death" of friendships or other relationships as a result of going against wisdom. Did I know better? Yes. But as a human, sometimes I am "wise in my own eyes," only later do I realize the pain my words or actions caused.
Ephesians 4:16 tells us to speak the truth in love. We are not to exasperate our children and we are to respect our husbands. The words we say can build up or break down the very spirit of the people we are in relationship with, even co-workers and those in authority over us. Yes, truth must be stood for, but God guides us in how to do that.
Wisdom.
Refer to the scriptures before reacting to a situation. Don't seek your own desire. Don't quarrel against sound wisdom. In 2013, become another year older and another year TRULY wiser, by reading and putting into practice God's wisdom for your life.
Kim has been married to Larry Wiezycki for over 16 years and they have two boys, ages 9 and 11. When Kim isn't in church, she can be found teaching curly girls how to take care of their hair, spending way too much time on Facebook or reading real books, and running a 5k here and there.