Praying for wisdom in someone’s life today, and as I contemplated their approach to life, two equations came to mind.
Surrender = Life
Control = Death
When we strive in our own strength, we are really trusting in ourselves, not God. To trust in ourself is to deny God His rightful place in our life, that is if we understand what it means to invite him in. To believe we can conquer with God’s help, is wisdom. To trust in ourself is wearisome.
With God = Wisdom
Without = Weary
I was reading in ‘Old Testament Wisdom Literature’, by O’Dowd and Bartholomew, where they speak of C.S. Lewis and his understanding of the modern day Christian’s idea of wisdom.
We have the head knowledge, much like Qohelet in the book of Eclesiastes, but to gain true wisdom, we must surrender to God’s process. C.S. Lewis helps us picture this process starting with a small cottage. We are thrilled God has come to live there, but when he starts to “knock walls down and reconstruct the house we are far less happy about his presence.”*
Last night I wanted to find some stretching exercises on the internet. I opened up the first file I found. It contained some yoga stretches without a lot of their verbal theology, however I smiled when I heard the young woman say, “now determine your intentions for the day.”
I choose life, I choose wisdom, and so determine to surrender to God’s intentions, and His plan. He’s been knocking down my walls for a while, can’t imagine He’ll stop until He’s finished.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21)
*C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Glasgow: Fount Paperbacks, 1977), p. 172