“Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father, and do not forsake the teaching from your mother.” (Proverbs 1:7–8, NET).
Reverence for God is the key to success. If God is the One who created the heavens and the earth, and we happen to live on earth, wouldn’t it just make sense to consult Him for anything we need to know about things happening on earth? Is it not even more essential to consult Him concerning things related to our lives in particular?
I dare you to think about a strong-willed (or willful) boy who’s 4 years of age. Think about how caring, friendly, and intelligent he might be. People laud him for his winning smile and personality. Now, think about what it might be like to give him instructions, like how to assemble a toy, keep his room neat, or manage his time. How simple or complex might it be? What if he thinks he knows almost everything and tells you you are wrong a lot? How does that sit with you? One more: What if you have a set time for him to bathe every night, but he has his own agenda. If you were his father or mother, how might you handle interacting with him when he’s locked into his own plan most times?
Here’s a scary thought: even the most compliant among us, if we are not submitted fully to God, we are more like the willful boy example than we might suppose. God wants to speak to us as soon as we wake up, but some have other things to do. God wants to hear from us, but most would rather talk to friends with problems as insurmountable as ours. God has a roadmap for our days and nights, but some have decided we know better than He and end up getting lost. Do you see where this is going? There is absolutely no way that a proud/willful human being who is not willing to submit to God can prosper for long, if at all.
Lasting success is predicated upon yielding the will to our Creator. He has a warehouse of wisdom and instruction for every area of our lives. If you realize your need for help about relationships, prophecy, race issues, sexism, addictions, child rearing, work/life balance, interpersonal problems with those closest to you, or perspective on the news cycle in a world seemingly gone mad, learn to worship and respect your Creator. Embrace wisdom and instruction as an obedient child listens to his parents, and you will prosper, no matter what trials you face in life. The bonus is that you will also be saved when Jesus returns. A word to the foolish is wasteful. A word to the wise is sufficient. #truthtuesdays
