Reacting to life leads to existence!

Probing Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns. She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city. “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”

The word for "simple" {פְּתָאִים}  here means: without pause,  folly, a silly person, one easily persuaded and enticed^[1] - not an uncomplicated life. God desires us to live a simple life in that sense, however, when we live a “simple” life in the way this is described – folly, silly, easily persuaded; my personal favorite would be “without pause”. This really describes an existence without thought or care. This is not what “living” is! When our existence is based on reactionary responses, we stumble from mess to mess, sometimes getting “lucky” but never experiencing what the Word of God calls “life”. 

Notice the invitation that Wisdom makes to us – not to call in and get someone’s opinion or counsel – someone, by the way, which you do not know nor do they know you. How can some person that does not understand the context of your life really give you good counsel? How can you follow a stranger’s advice when you do not really understand their perspective of life? What if they do not believe in God, or eternal issues? Our “world view” impacts every view we have in life. I remember two doctors that worked with expected mothers. One believed the unborn were “persons of worth” the other believed the unborn were “its” and nothing important until out of the womb. A good friend was in her pregnancy and was bleeding. She was about to fly on a trip. The first doctor would have told her to delay, get bed rest and see what happens – don’t put extra pressure on the baby. The second doctor said go ahead and fly; whatever happens will happen. The second doctor was her doctor; he was also ours. She had a miscarriage, and it was after that that I found out that he did 100 births a year and about 400 abortions. That’s when I found the other doctor. I learned very clearly at this time that how we view things affects all our counsel to others. This is why it is important for us to listen to Wisdom. 

The call is not to hit and miss, but to come and abide with Wisdom. Come to Her house; spend meals with Her. When you abide “in” Wisdom your life becomes proactive. You evaluate life from an eternal perspective and the values of the Word of God. You stop reacting to life and begin “living” it! Even when you seek counsel from others, you will take the time to get to know them so their words have a context you can trust. Reread the invitation Wisdom is making, it is clearly proactively urging us to come, abide and live. What is holding us back?

How much time do you spend in the Word of God? Do you read it, or study it? Each time you spend time in the Word, do you seek clear applications for your life? The people that you allow to speak truth into your life, where do they stand on the Word of God? The last time you encountered a surprising circumstance, did you “react” to it, or did you slow down and think through the situation and plan a response?

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^[1] Gesenius, W., & Tregelles, S. P. (2003). Gesenius' Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures (697). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.