I’ve been challenged by something a friend said to me over dinner a couple of months ago. She and I were discussing parenting and how much wisdom one needs in order to raise God honoring children in a society like today. She said, “I had no idea how I was going to raise a child when I myself was still a teenager. I did the only thing I could think to do. I took God up on His Word and I asked Him for wisdom. And that’s what I’ve been doing for 17 years.”
I find her words fitting for this time of year.
January is the time when resolutions are spoken, commitments are made, theme words are championed and everyone writes about it, speaks about it and attempts to live it. I know this because it’s me to a tee! I’m a huge advocate for focus and vision, plans and goals. The whole “new year, new you” inspires such beauty in new beginnings that I typically bust out of January like a canon that has just exploded.
But this year, instead of rushing into execution, I’ve been challenged by my friend’s simple sentence: “I took God up on His Word and I asked Him for wisdom.”
Instead of doing, I want to be.
Instead of rushing, I want to rest.
Instead of being busy, I want to be purposeful.
I know the only way I can live this kind of year is by pausing, asking, pondering and taking time to really get to know Him and what He desires for my life. Not just for parenting, but also for my health, my friendships, my neighborhood, my work, my marriage, my home, my finances, my faith (the list continues).
I don’t just want my month of January to explode; I want every month to explode with wisdom because I took the time to build my new year on a foundation of His Word.
So that’s what I’m going to do.
I will be focusing the next 30 days on 30 sayings of the wise found in Proverbs 22.
Wisdom: the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgment: intelligence, sense, smartness, judgment, prudence, logic, rationale, soundness, advisability and understanding.
Here’s to not only a great year, but a wise one.
“Listen carefully to my wisdom; take to heart what I can teach you. You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within; you’ll give it bold expression in your speech. To make sure your foundation is trust in God, I’m laying it all out right now just for you. I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—tested guidelines to live by. Believe me—these are truths that work, and will keep you accountable to those who sent you.” – Proverbs 22:17-21 –
