“Turn left in .5 miles.” The soft, friendly voice of our Magellan GPS unit (whom we have fondly named Maggie) was preparing me for my next driving maneuver, but something in me said that this was not the right direction. I quickly pictured in my mind the map I had looked at earlier, checked the digital compass on my rear-view mirror, and knew I should be heading south instead of east. In what ended up being a split-second decision, I went with my instinct instead of following the instructions of my cyber-friend. She quickly “recalculated” the route in light of my insubordination, and in the end I wound up at my desired destination in a little more direct way than I would have following her original instructions.
We’re embarking this summer on a sermon series in the book of Proverbs, a book filled with practical instruction for navigating the pathways of life. However, it’s interesting to note that in this book, as well as in the rest of his word, God does not give us GPS-like directions for how to live. He does not lay out in detail the “shortest route” to a good marriage or the “quickest way” to raise godly children or the “easiest path” to being a good employer or employee. Rather, like a compass, God orients our hearts towards a spiritual “true north” or what Proverbs calls “wisdom.” When we seek and follow God’s wisdom in life, we won’t necessarily all take the same route, but we will be headed towards the same destination which Proverbs describes with words like “righteousness, justice, equity, joy, peace, integrity, humility, life, etc.” Some roads may be bumpier than others, and undoubtedly we’ll make some wrong turns along the way, but when we’re guided by true wisdom, we can be sure we’ll reach our final destination safely.
Ironically, in Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as the voice of a woman calling out for young men to walk in her way, to follow her path. But this is not a GPS-voice giving us detailed instructions to be blindly followed, rather this voice points us like a compass to the source of true wisdom: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One insight.” (Proverbs 9:10). Wisdom is found not in a set of rules or steps to follow, but in a relationship with the Lord. And that relationship is made personal through the knowledge of the Holy One, Jesus Christ, “who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
If you want practical help in navigating the winding paths of life, there are plenty of GPS-voices in the world to try to guide you in the way. Many of them, though well intentioned, will ultimately leave you stranded in the dark wilderness. Only when our ears are attuned and our hearts are oriented to true wisdom, given by God, found in the person of Jesus Christ, and laid out in his word, will we be able, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, to stay on the path that ultimately leads to true and eternal life.
Why not check out the book of Proverbs with us this summer and hear what Wisdom has to say.
