I'm going to write on a topic that will surprise most i'm sure...at least, as it is coming from me. And...Or. Do we, as Christ-followers, have to choose between risk or wisdom? Or...could it be that risk and wisdom run congruently within one another?
If you know me, then you know that I've been all about "risky faith living" since encountering the totality of God's love for me. I've taken some God adventures that haven't seemed "safe" or have failed to always "make sense" to others, including Christians. I'm speaking from a place of knowing and walking into risk, while concurrently recognizing wisdom's adjoining necessity.
Wisdom. She displays God's character at all times. She emphasizes the direct need for accountability and Godly counsel. And she highlights community. She is a direct accumulation from our past experiences, not biasing our beliefs and decisions, but propelling us into truth that has been acquired from insight. I've recently begun to dive into Proverbs and i have noticed the numerous times that this wisdom book emphasizes listening. It references our ears, hearing, observing, learning, being taught, and allowing rebuke...major listening skills! Particular verses even go so far as to rebuke constant or much "rambling of speech or mouth" and naming this as highlighting ignorance. "Slow to speak and slow to become angry". The tongue and our speech, as well as our lack of listening, is telling of the state of our heart. Response of hostility, defensiveness, and aggression runs incongruently with wisdom and is counterproductive to furthering any amount of insight that we might gain.
It becomes pride when we believe that we are infallible and neglect sound wisdom and counsel. Perhaps we should be looking deeper--why is it that we don't want to enter the accountability of our community? What is causing us to close ourselves off, harden our hearts and retreat? Responses are indicative to what is at our heart.
I am grateful for every struggle that has led me deeper into the Father's arms of loving wisdom, and know there are many more trials to come. Also, I am very thankful for those who have been faithful in speaking into my life. Obviously, Christ is THE reason for any growth and strength, but it has been cool looking back and seeing how many people he has carved into my life to help speak truth along the way. He can bless us with as many people like this as he wants in our lives; however, it remains our choice as to how we walk forward in humility and vulnerability. I am so thankful for God's grace and the pure power of the Holy Spirit in his ability to mold our hearts to be open and hungry for truth and wisdom, no matter the cost.
The cost is our pride. Naturally I lean towards a rather stubborn personality, which has been life-saving at so many times in my life, but has also stood in my way at other points. Do we want to walk in true vulnerability and humility? Ask for counsel. Not the half-hearted, sugar-coating type of counsel...we must surround ourselves with people who know us inside and out, who will speak the truth to us straight up, no holes barred. Truth in love. This is our responsibility to others and it is our necessity to obtain for ourselves. We cannot walk in this faith with the pride that believes "I will never fall" or "I have all the answers", for to do so is beyond risk, it is dangerous ignorance. "We all sin and fall short of the glory of God"...but we fall less when we surround ourselves with loving truth tellers...and surely we are quicker to get back up!
Let's start arming ourselves with truth. With Godly counsel. Accountability. Humility. True reckless abandon of our pride into what is "Faith Walking". We start clothing ourselves in wisdom, and we watch the amount of scars we inflict on ourselves and others start diminishing. The key is knowing God's character. Soaking in his presence, his truths and sitting at the feet of our one and only Savior. Knowing who it is that we serve, so that we are capable of spotting the fallacies that Satan brings to worm their way in.
Wisdom. It's not an either or. Its not risk or wisdom; this faith walking business is risk and wisdom as one.
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