I have been thinking a lot lately about where people get wisdom. I mean it seems time and time again people are hearing bad advice and running with it. The more I think about it the more I realize that we are constantly bombarded with advice. You've got Oprah, Dr. Phil, Maury, Kathy Lee, The Today Show, radio, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, bloggers (ironic huh?), co-workers, friends, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, books, all telling us how to do things.
People are all too glad to be helpful. I thought I would just take a few minutes today and rant a little about where we get wisdom in our lives and how it can wreck us or help us.
So first of all, I am not saying that talkshows and books and friends and family are bad places to gain wisdom. I just get a little freaked out that people hear bad advice and it can wreck them. We've all been there, took the wrong advice or wisdom and it worked out bad. For me, the dumbest advice I ever take... is my own. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." In other words, I am really dumb, on my own... If you go through life and just do things because YOU think it is the right way, you are screwed.
About a year ago our washing machine broke. So... I became the Maytag repair man. I thought hmmm, must be the motor, I'll just order one online and slap it in myself. Motor shows up on the door step, I put it in, plug in the machine, it fills with water and...... nothing moves. Crud!! Okay so now pride kicks in, just a little, not too much, tee hee. Okay so it must be the timer, duh. Go online order a timer, shows up, put it in, washer fills up with water..... nothing - again. I have never gotten this thing fixed to this day, luckily friends of ours intervened into the insanity and blessed us with a new washer.
If you are like me, it is really hard to look anywhere but within for wisdom, and let me tell you there just simply is none in there. You have to be extremely careful where you look for wisdom, for some it's not looking within for wisdom, it is looking to anyone who will listen. This too is dangerous. Proverbs 14:15 "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps."
Did you hear that? A prudent man gives thought to his steps... This does not mean a prudent man knows everything. But, he looks in the right places. It is so important to look in the right places. Don't just listen to any idiot with an opinion, including yourself. Heed wise counsel. Look for someone with their stuff together. If you're having money problems, talk to someone who has it together financially and do what they are doing. If you have issues with your kids, talk to someone who doesn't appear as crazy as you do and learn!!
I think often times we are too prideful to admit that we don't know what to do, so we either seek help in the wrong places, or with foolish people who don't know anything, or we just don't seek help at all and just suffer. Seek wisdom from those who you know are wise!! We all know people who are wiser than us. Suck it up and ask for help!!
The first place to look should always be God and his word. Pray and read your bible, ask him to show you the steps to take, I promise he will. Just be careful who and what you listen to, tune out the idiots and listen to the wise people!!
Proverbs 13:14 "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death."
Don't be like me, just call the Maytag man!!
