“Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding.” (Prov 2:2, NASB)
One of the most worthwhile pursuits for the Christian is wisdom. James says that if you don’t have it, ask, and you will receive it. So who am I to refuse something good offered by God? It’s encouraging to find it in unexpected places, but then again, very often God reveals things to you in places and times of His own choosing, and I’m good with that. With that said, here are three people who have shown me great wisdom. (I think this will be the first in a series of posts on the topic, so this one deals with wisdom in interpersonal relationships.)
- Karen at Only Sometimes Clever. She is a homeschooling mom who happens to be a believer. On a daily basis she deals with celiac disease and various food-related conditions within her ever-growing family. As a blogger she deals masterfully with trolls who object to homeschooling, folks who don’t understand (or care about) the above-mentioned food conditions, and any number of other topics. What I appreciate is her gentle spirit when she smacks someone upside the head who desperately needs it. My favorite Karen post: The Great Divide, Jr. or Where I Stand on the OEC/YEC Debate.
- Deb (I think), at Ukok’s Place. She is a convert to Catholicism and I am a convert from Catholicism. Needless to say, we have widely differing views on the subject. She has shown me that it is possible to be a Catholic and a Christian at the same time. Her ability to deal with those who, ahem, strenuously disagree with her shows a grace and wisdom that I envy (but in a good way). My favorite Ukok post: Why Protestants can’t receive Communion in the Catholic Church. That one is now up to 169 comments and you’re sure to find something to disagree with, but I encourage you to show the same grace as your bloghost. Did I mention that she likes bacon.
- Nick Hipa, guitarist for As I Lay Dying. Beside being an incredible shredder, he shows an incredible common sense and wisdom that, well, just isn’t common in this day and age. He’s been with the band for about four years and he – and the band – have figured out that dealing with personal differences, especially in close quarters on tour or in the studio, requires constant communication of the sort that subordinates individual pet peeves. My favorite AILD tracks: I Never Wanted and An Ocean Between Us from the Ocean Between Us CD.
The thing that these three folks have in common is their understanding that people matter to God, and that they can express themselves in a way that respects the often-hidden spirit of God within others. That’s cool.
And not that it matters, but I’m directly related to two of these three…
March 10th, 2009 at 21:15 pm
Alright, McCants, I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt, but you seem unwilling to respect others or their views. Thanks for playing, but you’re out of the pool.
March 10th, 2009 at 05:59 am
That gets to the heart of the matter – you don’t respect others. I can respect someone – even an atheist or a mormon – even though they’re dead wrong in their beliefs.
March 9th, 2009 at 23:12 pm
“but I respect anyone who diligently searches and is willing to examine why they believe what they believe – even young-earthers.”
Respect someone who “searches”??? How can they possible demonstrate that they are “willing to examine why they believe what they believe”? That’s completely circular? They “believe” because they have “faith”. Then they deserve the proper respect of any religion, astrology, alchemy, etc.
March 4th, 2009 at 19:59 pm
Mike,
The horse is dead; you can stop beating it. My personal belief, after looking at the Scriptural and scientific evidence, is that the earth is old, but I respect anyone who diligently searches and is willing to examine why they believe what they believe – even young-earthers.
March 4th, 2009 at 19:23 pm
“Any apparent conflict is a misinterpretation of the natural record, or of Scripture, or of both.”
The post you linked to asserts that the Earth is only 6000 years old. This conflicts with virtually every field of science. So, yes, her interpretation of Scripture is a misinterpretation.
January 1st, 2009 at 01:22 am
McCants,
That’s a bit strong. I wouldn’t say they hold the disciplines in contempt, but rather, they see the natural record as an inferior record of God’s creation. They see secular science, and even old earth creationism, as a threat to their theology. I see all truth (scientific or otherwise) as God’s truth, so science and Scripture can’t conflict. Any apparent conflict is a misinterpretation of the natural record, or of Scripture, or of both.
December 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
But “Young Earth Creationism” holds virtually every scientific discipline from Astronomy to Zoology in contempt.
July 3rd, 2008 at 20:45 pm
Nick:
What did you learn about yourself from Rock Band?
July 3rd, 2008 at 20:24 pm
Whoa thanks Uncle Steve! It means a lot to me that you shared these sentiments!
Also, I learned a lot about myself from the highly entertaining video game sensation Rock Band ; )
June 30th, 2008 at 17:35 pm
Hey, thanks for the kind words! I mean about me being “twenty-something.” Hehehe! I just turned 35, which, according to obstetrics, puts me in the “advanced maternal age” category for the baby I’m carrying.
And, I think it does matter that you’re related to two of the folks you mentioned. I think God forms families on purpose, and one of the reasons that they frequently fall apart is that we don’t want to learn what God wants to teach us, through the family He gave us.
Karen Joys last blog post..Now that I’ve read Life of Pi…