WISE OR NOT
Proverbs 19:20 and 27 NKJV
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.
27 Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
The ability to gain and walk in godly wisdom is available for everyone, regardless of an individual’s educational level, background, or experience. Godly wisdom is obtainable, but there are conditions. Godly wisdom does not simply come with age.
We can understand that natural wisdom is not always congruent with chronological age. All of us know people who have aged but have never grown up. We all know people who have gained in years, but being around them, the only thing that’s gained is their opinions. Conversely, we all know people who have wisdom beyond their years. So what conditions produce godly wisdom?
Proverbs is full of short but powerful insights into godly wisdom. Today’s verses are two very clear examples as to why some are wise and some are not. The first condition is the willingness to listen to counsel. The Hebrew word counsel means advice or a plan. Many times in speaking with young ministers, I have had advice for them, but I could tell they were not open to hearing it. Of course, I can’t be too hard on them. I have been there myself, unwilling to listen to counsel. So, a heart to listen to counsel is important.
The second condition is the willingness to receive instruction. Instruction means instruction. It can also mean discipline. But instruction is knowledge that is imparted. Instruction is different from the wisdom gained by experience. Experience is a powerful teacher but can often be a painful way to learn. Instruction in our verse for today implies what is gained from an outside source. The Scriptures come to mind as our first place of instruction. We can learn from the Scriptures or learn from experience. I would rather receive instruction.
Then, verse 27 reveals how to stay wise. Keep hearing, keep receiving instructions. When we stop hearing godly instruction, we can stray and get off the right path. The writer of Hebrews said we should pay close attention to what we have heard, or we will drift away from it. To get wisdom, keep looking for and listening to wisdom when it comes. It’s our call, wise or not.
APPLICATION
When it comes to counsel and instruction, we have to have the heart that is willing to hear. But not from everyone. We must discern the source as to whether the advice coming our way is in line with the Scriptures. There is a massive amount of advice and instruction available today, especially online, but often, we do not have the ability to vet the sources. If we can not determine the fruit in the life of the source giving the counsel and instruction, proceed with caution. And the first place to check is whether or not the counsel aligns with God’s counsel. The second place is to check our hearts as to if we have a witness on the inside. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and can keep us away from deception.
And then, remember to stay teachable, especially as we get older. I have seen too many older Christians stray off the path of knowledge because they stopped listening. They knew it all, and that’s a dangerous place to be.
So stay teachable, stay humble, keep listening, and be wise.