Wisdom

When God gave Solomon a choice of whatever he wanted to receive from all of God's providence, he chose wisdom. God told him he had chosen well and would be amply rewarded through the gift. The Church sees wisdom as a type of Christ -- another Gift that is larger on the inside than it appears on the outside.

I've noticed wisdom lately. I've seen it prematurely flashing out of my children, young as they are. I honor it when it's donated to me by a friend who cares more for what is best for me than about whether I will like what is said at the moment. And, to my surprise, I sometimes hear it coming out of my own mouth.

This is the part of growing older that I just love. God has, in fact, changed me over the years. I have grown in wanting what he wants. I am able to wait for good things, having seen that God's timing works exceptionally well. I know how to communicate the truth in love better than before, because I've seen fruit of trying lots of different approaches.

One might call this plain old horse sense. I would be inclined to agree with you, except that I see plenty of people who are smart, experienced and talented, yet who don't seem to be able to get out of their own way. Oh, I still find myself in that position too, sometimes. But, thanks to the mercy of Jesus, I have more than an abstract conviction that his ways are great than my ways. I have tried the other path often enough and have learned that the peaceful fruit of righteousness is far more juicy and sweet than the dry and woody fruit of getting what I might want instead. Folly, it turns out, is no fun.

Staying close to God's heart is the best place to be, and he gives us the tools to do it.

¹My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
²making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
³yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
⁴if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
⁵then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2

See? It's a promise.