“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20
I recently gave a copy of the ‘Luther’s Small Cookbook for Men’ to Nancy K., who is a member of my church here in Illinois and after reading through some of it, she asked; “you guys call yourselves weasels”? Why yes, we are redeemed weasels living in a fallen world. If you want to be wise, stay in the Word and invite wise people into your life.
You don’t need a lot of friends. You don’t need to be popular. You just need a few good friends who build you up, not tear you down; who are wise, not fools. If you hang around with fools, that’s what you become. But if you spend time with wise people, you’ll grow wiser. It’s like the old saying: “If you want to soar with the eagles, you can’t run with the turkeys.” I hope that you have heard that saying and if not, please stick it on the fridge.
Strive to become wise. Why? Because wisdom is all about love. Wisdom shows up primarily in relationships. If I stand on the edge of a swimming pool, and I’m trying to pull you up and out of the water while you’re trying to pull me down, which is easier to do? It’s always easier for somebody to pull you down than pull you up. People who pull you down are not your true friends. Real friends pull you up. They encourage you in your pursuit of godly wisdom by offering their own. They make good relationships. Do you have anybody in your life who is sharing their wisdom on a regular basis? During this Advent, living in this fallen world, you need that kind of encouragement in your life if you want to be a wise person.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay