Be Wise

 

DAILY VITAMIN

-Be Wise

"In this silly life I have seen everything, including the fact that some of the good die Young and some of the wicked live on and on. So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don't be too wicked either-- don't be a fool! Why should you die before your time?" (Ecclesiastes 7:15-17 TLB)

To be wise is to be able to discern what to do and how to do it when it's the right time to do it. Sometimes, it might look nasty, but at all times it is the right thing to do. It was how Jesus lived. He did things not because it was what people expected of Him, He did things only when it was God's desire and what would yield the best result. For instance, at a time like ours where most preachers would love nothing more than to increase the number of unrelenting followers, Jesus refrained from being a cult hero. At a time, when even preachers would love to be on the good side of governments and influential people, Jesus chose truth above all else. As such, He chose God first before anything or anyone else.

In other words, wisdom doesn't live to please people, it lives to do what's right and also to protect those who yield it. The principal reason why as recorded numerous times in scripture Jesus avoided certain confrontations. It wasn't fear; believe me. A man walks on water and calm storms has nothing to fear. It was wisdom at play.

The Bible says it can offer a man the security money does; with many more advantages. The rich man could be killed by something very silly, but never with wisdom. Wisdom knows when to say no, when to run, when to hide and when to fight for what must be fought for. Wisdom knows how to apply itself in the seasons of life as required for the best possible form of living. It doesn't mean being too good; being too good can get you killed or someone else. Do you know how many parents have lost kids because they couldn't stop giving them handouts despite knowing the money only went to hard drugs? Countless. Being wise is being disciplined, strategic enough and bold. It's about choosing what works and not merely what's available regardless of how strenuous it may seem. It is about giving yourself a solid foundation for stormy days. Wise people are kind to those others aren't particularly interested in, because they know when others fail those are the folks who will stand for you. Wise people save against inevitable hard days. Wise people gather when others are asleep. Wise people spend less when the economy crumbles and invest more when it appreciates. In the real estate angle of this economics, they do the reverse. But all in all, wisdom helps do just the exact right thing at the exact right time in the exact right way it should be done. Hence,even this new year, start with absolute wisdom. Consciously choose to live every day with wisdom at play; for it is priceless, providing a man with a long good life, riches, honour, pleasure and, most importantly, peace (Proverbs 3:13-17).