wisdom's call

I was nearly reveling in a meditation of a passage in Proverbs yesterday, while at work. Wisdom is depicted as a woman standing in a prominent place where important life decisions are made, calling out to all humankind.

The whole passage rather struck me, but especially the rendering which the TNIV chose from the Septuagint: "set your hearts on it," that is on prudence, or wisdom.

While wisdom is indeed a gift from God, it is something that requires effort on our part. We are prone to wander and our hearts apart from grace are not set on what is right, but actually on what is wrong. And often the wrong deceptively seems right to us, though we come to learn that something is indeed wrong. And if we persist in that way we will see the results of it in our lives. So we can't help ourselves, but need help from God, and God's help is a help that won't leave us helpless.

Wisdom requires not just a one time decision, but continued appropriation in being careful to stay on the path, because if we don't, we'll sooner than later wander off. We want to end well, not just begin well. And to end well, we're going to have to learn to walk well through life, and all the vicissitudes (or, changes; I might say disruptions) and challenges life brings.

It needs to start wherever we are now, through Jesus. God will help us. But we also need to walk by faith in it, however halting and stumbling our steps may be. To keep getting up and moving in the way of wisdom, depending on God all along the way. A way that sets us on a path with others in Jesus, not just for ourselves, but to help each other, and others join us in the way in Jesus.

What would you like to add to these thoughts here?