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Start Where You Are

          My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. (Proverbs 2:1-11)

             Wisdom isn’t easy. Today’s passage suggests that it requires: accepting words, storing up commands, turning one’s ear toward it, and applying your heart to understanding. Further, you must call out for it, cry for it, look for it as for silver, and search as for treasure. Then, at long last, you will understand the fear of the Lord. You will find the knowledge of God. This is the point at which wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding will be yours, with all their benefits. That’s probably the reason why so few people end up gaining wisdom. They end up with what might be called “street smarts.” They end up shrewd, but not wise. 
            I understand this reluctance and failure. I don’t have time to study, search, call and cry, look and search some more. The good news is that we don’t have to follow this path to a universal wisdom. We don’t have to be “all-wise” to be wise in smaller things, we just need to be connected to the source of all wisdom. Gaining wisdom isn’t about going up on a mountain and studying with some guru, but about doing all the searching Solomon was talking about in your specific situation. To be wise, you start where you are.

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