The Art of Living
Wisdom (Hebrew: khokhmah) is not just good advice. Nor the promise that if you do A, B will happen. Neither is it about knowing stuff in your head. It is all about being able to put it into practice in your life. This is why artists and craftsmen were the ones who were said to have wisdom. They didn't just know what made a good sculpture. They could make good sculptures. And when we have wisdom, we are skilled in the art of living. Proverbs for that reason proverbs isn't a book that tells us what to do, or what will happen if we do it. It is a collection of insight from God's people handed down to us to help us become the artists of our own lives.
wisdom and God
Proverbs tells us that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, which has less to do with being terrified of God and more to do with having a healthy understanding of our place and God's place in the universe. We are not God, nor do we get to make up what is wise and what is evil. In order to live with the grain of the universe, we first must humble ourselves before God and accept God's definition of right and wrong, even if it is inconvenient for us. When we begin to make our own definition of right and wrong/wise and evil we invite destruction and brokenness into our lives and world.
wisdom and wealth
There is nothing inherently sinful about wealth. God gave King Solomon great wealth, and He continues to use the generosity of His people to fund important works of mercy and justice around the world. But God's people are called to be very careful when it comes to the pursuit of wealth and very generous when it comes to caring for the poor. Money is more than a means to buy the things we need. It is power, and it always has been. Love of money is a "root of all kinds of evil," because it is often the love of being able to wield power for our own benefit.
wisdom and work
Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). The instruction to pray for daily sustenance implies that we are meant to always be engaged in the work and provision of life. We are not meant to be workaholics, but neither should we be idle. Work has existed since before the fall when God created Adam to rule over the garden. We are called to engage with the life and work we've been given.
Wisdom and Sex
There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a young woman.
This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
-Proverbs 30:18-20
