In the 8th grade…
Mrs. Wilson gave me an “A++” on a writing assignment.
Not just an “A++”, but an “A++” with exclamation points!!
I was convinced I was a writer.
Every night I hurried home to work on my next literary masterpiece.
Finally I finished.
I spent a lot of time imagining the praise I would receive from readers and critics around the world.
There was just one problem.
Unless I did something, nobody but me would ever read my marvel of modern literature.
The solution?
Ask Mrs. Wilson for her critique…
Maybe she’d share my work with the class…
Maybe she’d call an assembly and share it with the whole school…
Maybe the local paper would take pictures and write a story about the amazing 8th grade literary genius…
A week passed with no response.
Then one day Mrs. Wilson said, “See me after school today.”
Finally school ended. I almost ran to her classroom.
“Sit there”, she said, and pulled my masterpiece from her desk.
Red marks covered the page.
Notes filled the margins.
I was so stunned I hardly heard what she said.
In my search for praise and approval…
I missed the wisdom she was trying to give me…
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Proverbs 19:20
I wonder…
Do I approach God the same way?
Asking for His guidance and direction…
Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness… Psalm 5:8
But in my heart wanting only His praise and approval for what I am already doing?
And in my search for approval and praise…
Do I close my ears and my heart to His words…
And miss the wisdom of God…
Wisdom available to us all…
If only we will listen…
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; Proverbs 2:6
Note: An earlier version of this post first appeared in November 2015
2 thoughts on “Finding the Wisdom of God”
Let his will be done Amen.
And Amen to that! Thanks for the comment.