Oh my dear ones I come with heavy news and a request for prayer. After several tests the doctors found that our brother Chris has stage 4 cancer. Please be in prayer for him and his family. Also pray for wisdom in whether to embark on Kemo therapy or not. This morning we want to move from qualities or values of people who had major impact on Israel and our lives, to Solomon’s words about how we must strive to become people of influence through our lives. In the first 9 chapters of Proverbs he emphasized the qualities we should strive to make dominant qualities in our lives. Then in chapter 10 he starts off with the needs for being wise and the result of that. Let’s look at Proverbs 10:1 “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.” First lets deal with the issue of son- the word used here is gender neutral in other words it can be applied either way — here Solomon is speaking to his sons but it applies to daughters also. Now let’s drill down in the statement Notice: he doesn’t say good child he says a wise child brings joy to his parents. Looking back to Chapter 1-9 tells us 7 features that qualify us as wise. They are: Fears the Lord Honors parents Is responsible Works hard Treats others with respect Makes good friends Accepts correction These aren’t just for children they are also qualities we should yearn for achieving in our own lives. These aren’t a righteousness checklist but qualities we aspire for in order to be wise, for Christ has checked that list for us already.
This list is overwhelming so let’s take in one bite, just pick out one of these to focus on so that we can grow in wisdom together.
Which one do you need to pay attention to? Now that we have picked one out let’s ask God for a way to grow in this area. So go with God today and let’s see how He develops Wisdom Living in our lives.