Wisdom for the Heart

For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways Proverbs 2:10-15

We live in a world where other people affect us.‌ Sometimes they entice us to sin with them. ‌Bank robbers always need a get-away driver. ‌But most of the time sinners entice us to sin because we react to their sin. For example, your daughter rebels and entices you to anger and frustration. or to make excuses about her behavior. Or your friend complains about his family, then you gossip about his complaint.

‌To figure out how to wisely navigate these waters we need to figure out what is wisdom for? Is it for the head or heart? We typically think of it as a mental, cerebral exercise. “If I only knew the right thing, then everything would be ok.”‌ But knowing is only part of living wise, you eventually must want to do what you know to do.

Solomon says wisdom is for the heart (v. 10). Wisdom, the fear of God (v.5) must touch the heart then it will be pleasant. A pleasant heart delighting in wisdom makes a person impervious to others.

‌So when other people affect us, our heart should be shielded with wisdom. Our delight in what’s right trumps their rush to spread sin. This is why a wise life looks jolly, not jealous. And it sounds encouraging, not grumbling. And ‌it feels content, not contentious.

‌So, don’t merely be thinkers of the word, but heartfelt doers.‌This is one reason God gathers us to worship each week.So that we will not merely be knowers of worship, but heartfelt doers as well.