The wisdom of life

There is much need today for wisdom. Wisdom is from the elders, those who, through a lifetime of knowledge and experience, have discerned the ways of life which actually work. Knowledge and strength come in our youth. Hopefully knowledge increases even as strength diminishes.But neither of these are wisdom. Knowledge is one of the building blocks of wisdom, but that knowledge needs to be lived before it can become wisdom.

In today's society we value knowledge and youth. We tend to discount what the elders (olders) share. The video below (Barry Schwartz in a TED Talk) is an eloquent description of wisdom from a human perspective. He refers to it as virtue, but it is similar to wisdom.

Remember that this was given just after the inauguration of Barak Obama as the President of The United States, so some of the references are to be seen in this time perspective. He eloquently shows the limitations of law and incentive as motivators and dirctors of human activity. Instead he shows, without ignoring law and incentive, the need for moral heroes to whom we can look for moral skill and moral will; heroes in the ordinary as well as extraordinary affairs of life.

Of course this is nothing new for us as Christians. Or is it?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Pro 9:10 NIV)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psa 111:10 NIV)

There are many such precepts in the Scriptures, but where is the matching behaviour today?

We seem to have lost wisdom, in our earthy behaviours as Barry Schwartz shows, and in our real life, the life of the Spirit, as  the powerless state of much of the Church shows.

The Western Church, and much of the rest of the world as well, is running after the latest teaching, the latest experiences, the latest "guru", but forgetting the true wisdom that only comes from a fear of the Lord.

There is much I could say, and will say in future blogs about the fear of the Lord. It seems to be largely absent from modern Christianity. Much of what passs for Christianity is little more than pop psychology, and poor psychlogy at that, rather than an acknowledgement of the Kingship of the Lord God Almighty as revealed by the Lord Jesus and recorded in the Bible. We need a real fear of this God, and not the insipid 'fear' that is preached as reverence, or some other lesser term.

We must return to our God. He is calling out from so many elders and fathers in the faith. Who will listen? Who will bow before the Holy One and live their whole lives as living sacrifices to the wonderful Lord Jesus.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.
(Rom 12:1 NIV)