Learning from the Wisdom & Experience of Others

One of the first disciple habits which I began to practice following my conversion was to read the chapter in Proverbs which corresponded with the day of the month.  So today on the fifth of the month the devotion topic will be taken from the fifth chapter of Proverbs.  The book of Proverbs is the accumulated wisdom which is passed down from a father to his son.  While everyone receives pearls of wisdom from parents the biblical author has much which we (particularly men) need to hear.

First, we learn an important principle for learning from another’s wisdom.

1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, Proverbs 5:1 (ESV)

We must be attentive.  We have to be willing participants in the learning process.  This is why so much accumulated wisdom has been lost over the generations.  Often the person who possesses the wisdom is ready, willing and able to transmit that wisdom to the next generation, but those who need to learn are not ready to receive.  As a parent we need to be constantly transmitting our values and accumulated wisdom to our children because we can never be sure when they are listening.

Next, we learn the purpose for our paying attention to the wisdom of others.

2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. Proverbs 5:2 (ESV)

Each of us have much to learn.  Beware of anyone who thinks he/she knows it all.  Those who have followed God will be the first to admit their own ignorance and waywardness.  Learning discretion (the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation) is a worthy goal and should be a topic of interest for every Christian.

Now the lesson and point of all this accumulated wisdom is simple and severe.

3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, 4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; 6 she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. Proverbs 5:3-6 (ESV)

Be careful!  You really cannot trust your lying eyes.  The weakness in your character is known by your enemy.  Satan will never show you the consequence of an action, he will simply entice you. As a pastor for twenty-four years let me tell you that moral failings bring great heartache, not just to the offender or the offended but to many innocents whom you would never wish to harm, but who will be harmed more than you can comprehend.

Each of needs to hear and learn this lesson, because the statement “there but by the grace of God, go I” is true.  None of us are beyond experiencing a moral failing! For this reason each of us who name Christ as our Lord, and claim to love our spouses, our children, and our testimony need to be vigilant and guard our eyes and our hearts.  Each of us need to follow Job’s example when he said:

1 I have made a solemn promise never to look with lust at a woman. Job 31:1 (GN)