I just slammed the door... on my own face.

Well I've been super busy with work and the like lately, so I haven't been able to blog too much (if at all). Well cos I haven't really had time to blog about anything with substance, I thought I'd delve into my past. In year 10, I wrote a few things for our Christian group thingy at school, a few things for my Christian friends and a few things just for myself. They were, I guess, my thoughts and perhaps revelations (?) at the time. And seeing as though it all started in year 10, I just shoved them all into a folder called the 'X' Files. (X being 10 in roman numerals - heh it took me a while to remember that when I came across the folder).

So I guess I'll let ya all have a sneak peek into what I thought back then, heh it's kinda funny when you're reading a 'younger' you talking to your 'present' you. I guess I'll also shove in a bit about what I think now. So without much further ado, and with the aid of my trusty cut and paste (Tim Yao knows all about that), I bring you my first snippit.

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WISDOM

Wisdom – one of the most important aspects of being a Christian. It governs our lives discerning between the good the bad and the ugly choices we are faced each and every day. And probably as you’re well aware of, you don’t need a thesis to explain the importance of wisdom.

Proverbs 4:5-7:
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

What’s important to note however, is the gaining of wisdom. Where exactly do we obtain our wisdom from? What’s our primary source of wisdom?

James 1:5:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

So there we have it in a nutshell, wisdom is important and its source is from God.

And what’s so hard about that you might ask? A point I want to zero in on is the ‘source’, our source of wisdom. True, if we lack wisdom we should ask God. Yet is that really the case? Are we really obtaining our wisdom through God or perhaps are we getting it through other means?

There can be a tendency for many to seek out the wisdom of people before (if ever) we seek the wisdom of God. When we are faced with a problem, do we immediately pray and seek guidance from God? Or do we pick up the phone and immediately ring a friend? To qualify that point, there is nothing wrong with asking friends for help, for encouragement and what not.

Ecclesiastes 4:10
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

But there should be a concern if all we’re doing is continually asking others for help and advice while ignoring the true wisdom of God. Or there should be a concern if we place the value of people’s wisdom over God’s wisdom. While man’s wisdom might be false and fake, God’s wisdom is pure and perfect.

Receiving our wisdom directly from God also gives us a greater independence from people and a greater dependence on God. And what a great situation that is!

The reverse is also true, are people primarily always relying on us for help? Do we always try to fix their problems through our own understanding and wisdom? Or do we point them towards the wisdom of God?

“Give a man a fish and it will feed him for a day, teach him to fish and he will be fed for eternity.”

When we give others, whether it be our friends etc our advice and wisdom we might help them through that one situation. Essentially, we’re giving them a fish for the day. But are we really solving anything? Would it not be better to show them that there is a greater wisdom than we can ever fathom, a wisdom obtained only though one way – God. We won’t always be there for everyone, what greater importance it is to show people the true source of all wisdom.
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If you didn't understand a word I wrote, I hope this following extract from Steve Sampson will help. (I actually wished I came across this when I was writing the above back in year 10)

All emphasis is to look outside, not inside (for information and wisdom). Spiritual growth stops because communion with the Holy Spirit stops.

What I think now: While I still follow what I believed in then, however I guess the difficulty lies in being there for people (I'm not only referring to friends) without distracting them from the source of wisdom itself. Sometimes I guess it's hard to just say: ask God, rely on God, seek God and not feel somewhat 'useless' (for use of a better word) at not being able to give them a quick fire instant solution answer. But at the end of the day, it isn't about what I want eh? And amen to that!

And as an aside, I've noticed the dangers of such 'human' wisdom. There's a lot of ideas circling around of which people have imparted into their lives, ideas which sound smart, wise and truthful. And while I'm not having a go at people's opinions (who's to say I'm right all the time?) I am raising an eyebrow when people have an opinion and yet they cannot even justify it or even know why they believe it in the first place. In many cases, I just see it as a by product of humanistic wisdom that people seem to gobble up just cos they think the person who said it seems, or is, super smart and wise.