What Not to Trust
How clearly can you see yourself?
Verse of the Day
Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.
Today’s Devotional
I want you to imagine that you are standing in front of a full-length mirror. (And yes, your clothes are flawless, your hair looks nice, all is well.) Now you step closer and closer to this mirror, until your nose is actually touching the glass. (Don’t worry, we will clean off the nose print later.)
With your nose on the mirror, how well can you see yourself? How much clarity do you have over what you look like? Can you tell if there is any food between your teeth? Can you even see yourself?
The answer is no. Because you are too close. And that’s what this verse is trying to tell us. We are too close to ourselves to see things clearly. We simply cannot trust our own insight of ourselves to live a fruitful, productive life of faith. Going back to the story I shared on Monday, I could not see my own selfishness until it was pointed out. Because I was too close.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be foolish. And this verse tells me that relying on my own insight is foolish. So where do we get wisdom?
- Psalms 111:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. If I have a reverence and awe for God, then I am laying the foundation for wisdom. That seems like a good place to start.
- Proverbs 2:6 says that the Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding. If I want to learn those things from God, I need to be reading my Bible, looking for God’s wisdom. I also need to be listening as I pray (and writing down what He is teaching me.)
- Proverbs 11:2 says that wisdom comes with humility. If I want wisdom, I need to remember my place in the Kingdom. I am no better and no worse than anyone else. Humility teaches me the value of service to others.
- James 1:5 says that if I am lacking wisdom, I need to ask God. who gives generously. That makes me wonder, when was the last time I asked God for wisdom?
- First Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus “became wisdom from God for us.” Jesus is the personification of wisdom. If I want wisdom, I need to be studying the actions and words of Jesus so that I can say and do things as He did.
- Lastly, in Ephesians 1:17, Paul clarifies that it is spiritual wisdom and insight we are seeking, and that God is the giver of that kind of wisdom.
I must have wisdom to navigate my own thoughts, feelings, and actions to bring them into alignment with God’s will for my life. But another part of today’s verse stands out to me: It doesn’t tell us to “be wise”, it tells us to “walk in wisdom”. So what does that mean? If I am walking, then I am not standing still. I am not being passive waiting for God to show up with a magic wand to impart wisdom. I am moving. To the best of my ability, I am moving in the direction that I believe God wants me to go. This seems to be the biblical version of “God can’t steer a parked car.” I need to be actively taking next steps of wisdom in order to be walking in wisdom. The verses above give us some suggestions of what these next steps might be.
I need to trust the word of God enough to realize this truth: we cannot see clearly the things we are too close to. As I am practicing the “walk of wisdom”, I need to respect and revere God. I need to know that wisdom comes from God, so I need to be listening and attentive. I need to live a life of humility, constantly asking for the Spirit’s help. I need to ask God for his wisdom. I need to study and emulate Jesus. Otherwise, I am choosing foolishness and a lack of clarity that does not sound pleasant. Today, I will trust God that His wisdom is better than my insight.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How has your own insight led you astray?
How can you show God that you fear Him today?
How can you choose humility today?
What wisdom do you need to ask God for today?
How can you imitate Jesus today?
How would having wisdom from God help you to live a life of faith?