Seeking Wisdom

In Proverbs 4, the teacher says the beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight. The rest of the chapter discusses pursuing wisdom or the path of the wicked.

What do you fill your mind with? What do you read? What do you watch on TV or movies? Music?

Where you turn your attention and focus, there your mind goes. It occurred to me after writing a piece a few days ago about thinkers that most of the time when I’m reading theology or spiritual writers, they tend to be seekers. They are seeking God. And they write about their search. And their discoveries. I read some “theology” where people think they have discovered a previously unknown fact in the Bible and build a new theology. I see where they are going, wonder what translation they’ve discovered from the Greek or Hebrew that 2,000 years of scholars have missed, and go on.

I also listen to good teachers whom I’ve vetted as trustworthy. I prefer my theology to be traceable to ancient sources. Not some new age or literalist thinker.

It’s political season. Are you filling your mind with CNN or Fox? Do you realize that they exist solely to get you emotionally involved so that you’ll keep watching? And they can keep feeding you ads?

Other people have one spiritual teacher they follow. It is good to seek many in order to balance your learning and assure that you are not going off chasing squirrels.

Ancient wisdom held that as you think you shall become. Earl Nightengale put it “you become what you think about.” You can fill your mind with angry emotion and become a surly, angry person. Or fill your mind with wisdom, and become a reflection of the fruits of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, and the others.

Your choice.

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