But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:33 NLT
I fully intended to leave you with a post on December 31 to finish out 2021. I did not.
I thought I would post something inspirational for the new year on January 1. I didn't do that either.
I have started a few posts in my head already this year, and there they remain for now - rattling around in my head.
So here we are, already finishing off the first week of 2022. I hope the new year is starting off well for you.
If I were to describe my week in a word, it would be "thoughtful." That's not to say that I have spent these seven days being thoughtful, as in doing nice things for people around me. (They say confession is good for the soul!) I have been thoughtful - as in "full of thought." Or thoughts. Perhaps the word should be "thoughts-ful"...🤔
At any rate, as I've already mentioned, there are things rattling around in my head. So, in my "thoughtfulness," there has certainly been a bit of introspection. I have considered things that I might do differently in the new year. I have mulled over the mess that was 2021, attempting to pinpoint where things went awry.
With that, though, has come a bit more sharing of thoughts. Not written sharing, clearly, but conversation. It's kind of weird for me, as I am not prone to a lot of verbal conversation.
I have had conversations with my husband - which is not unusual - but we seem to be talking about more substantial things at greater length. It's been good, especially as it remains a hard season in many ways.
I have had conversations with my daughter. Again, this is not highly unusual. We talk; we share. As a general rule, we converse by text. It works well, as we both, traditionally, tend to steer away from too much verbal communication. It's just how we're wired. But this week, we've engaged in actual spoken conversations.
I have conversed with friends and family and engaged in more verbal communication in a week than I normally would prefer. And I am okay. My head didn't explode. I have managed to be somewhat productive in spite of the kinds of lengthy conversations that I generally consider a distraction and a hindrance to getting things done. I'm pretty sure there's a lesson in there that the Lord is trying to teach me...
What I have learned and processed verbally in a bunch of different contexts this week, and what I have discovered as I have read and heard what other people thought about 2021 as they've been expressing their own plans and thoughts on the new year, is that, apparently, my last year's struggles were not really all that unique.
There is a lot of uncertainty and unease in the world right now. A LOT!
So today, a verse from my morning Scripture reading really resonated with me, particularly in light of some of the week's conversations. Proverbs 1:33 says, "But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
Out of context, you might assume the message of that verse is referencing listening to God. And certainly, it is critical, in times such as these, that we listen to God. But the "me" in the Scripture here is not God.
It is WISDOM.
The "fear of harm" is pretty much "driving the bus" these days. Everything it seems - from grocery shopping, to going to work, to getting together with family and friends, to even getting out and going to church - every aspect of life on planet earth in January 2022 seems to be being dictated by the fear of harm. We - collectively - are troubled. And there just doesn't seem to be a lot of peace. Fear is driving the bus.
You've may have heard often these past couple of years, as I have, about how many times the Bible contains some variation of the phrase, "fear not." I keep hearing that it is 365 times - one for every day of the year. I haven't gone through to count, but I figure it's there at least 365 times. Interestingly, though, knowing that I'm supposed to "fear not" hasn't really made me not fear. Maybe I'm just weird that way...
Or...
Maybe knowledge really is NOT power. Perhaps, knowledge is simply information.
One of the conversations Jeff and I had this week was about trivia, of all things. I know "stuff." I know a lot of stuff. I know stuff that I don't know how I know or why I know - I just know it. It's mostly useless stuff, really. I have a lot of information in my head which, I suppose, might be helpful in a game of Scrabble or for trivia night, but it really serves no other useful purpose.
Knowledge is information. We are living in an age of information overload! There is a lot of information bombarding us these days. Without taking this in a political direction, can I just simply point out that not all information we are given is actually accurate or true?
Knowledge is information. Information can make us, by definition, informed. It can make us smart. It can make us proud. It can make us annoying. It can make us afraid.
Knowledge can be used, or it can be misused. I am reminded of the children's story of Chicken Little. Even a well-intentioned sharing of information that is not accurate can produce anxiety and panic.
But there is a solution! This is incredibly good news!
WISDOM has the power to take the wind out of the sails of knowledge. Misinformation cannot stand up to wise processing. If we will simply put wisdom in the "driver's seat," the bus is going to move down the road in a much smoother fashion. When wisdom is applied, PEACE can replace the FEAR of harm.
Which all sounds pretty simple, right? Except, wisdom, it seems, is in short supply. Or is it?
IT IS NOT.
Wisdom is readily available. Perhaps I'll continue this train of thought through a few more posts, as this is getting lengthy. For now, I'd like to leave you with a question, and one more bit of Scripture.
What might happen if we let WISDOM drive the 2022 bus? What would this year look like?
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 NLT
That inner peace and freedom from fear that we've been seeking? It's found in wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. Ask Him for it.
...Just a thought...
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