Category: wisdom

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family wisdom

What Marriage Has Taught Me

woman wearing white wedding gown holding hands with man while walking
Photo by Jeremy Wong on Pexels.com
Out on the town for our 35th anniversary

A lot has happened since I said, “I do.” On my wedding anniversary, I pondered what thirty-five years of marriage has taught me.

On December 3, 1988, I took the plunge with a lady I had fallen for nearly two years earlier. We began as college classmates, learned to like each other (despite our very different music and fashion tastes), and fell in love, to the surprise of nearly everyone (including us).

Since that unseasonably warm December day, we’ve had a lot of adventures and misadventures. We’ve experienced career changes and loss. And we found ourselves in ministry. Boy! We didn’t see that coming!

Along the way, we raised two great kids, two cats, and a dog who hated children. Considering my wife was in children’s ministry, we didn’t consider that an asset.

There are time-worn tips on how to have a successful marriage. There are also a few lessons I learned along the way.

Today, I am pondering some of the lessons I learned. Here are four observations that come to mind.

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Wisdom and Talking Cartoon


Being quiet has its advantages. When we slow down and listen to others, we can be perceived as knowledgeable without saying a word. This concept and a proverb led to this wisdom and talking cartoon.

Wisdom and talking cartoon: A boy says, "Everyone thinks I am wise until you call on me and I have to open my mouth!"

There are several Bible verses that speak about this. But for me, James 1:19 has helped me greatly over the years. If only it was easy to apply to everyday living! Social and traditional media encourages us to spout off whatever comes to mind. After all, a blog with no content isn’t very compelling, is it?

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Bible Proverbs wisdom

What is the Wise Known For?

“The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.” Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

We need a lot of wisdom these days. It seems that there are plenty of problems and very few solutions. So how do we discern wise voices from foolish ones? What is the wise known for?

“The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.”

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

In this information age, we are deluged with facts and opinions. It can be very difficult to discern truth from fiction. We need effective communication more than ever before. Yet, that appears to be in short supply.

There is no lack of hysterical voices spouting opinions that stir our emotions. Angry, offended voices are everywhere. Instead of more effective communication, we get more emotional voices.

Today’s proverb reminds me to be very careful of the voices I listen to.

  • Is it a wise voice?
  • Does the speaker show understanding?
  • Are the words based on facts or opinions?

We can do better by considering if the voices we allow into our minds are wise voices, or merely meant to inflame.

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wisdom

A Treasure of Knowledge

“Wise people treasure knowledge,
but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.”

Proverbs 10:14 (NLT)
red and black wooden chest on white sand
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

We live in an age that has a ton of information, but so much of it can be false. We can do research only to find that the source isn’t reliable, or isn’t possible to discover where it came from. How can we treasure knowledge when there is so much babbling going on?

  • Search for multiple sources, not just the ones we agree with. It is better to get divergent opinions than to seek comfort in information that we agree with.
  • Be humble. Pride keeps us from learning anything new.
  • Be a lifelong learner. There is too much information and new discoveries to remain at the same level of knowledge when we were in high school and college.
  • Know the difference between facts and opinions. Anyone can babble an opinion. And anyone can interpret facts. But what are the facts?

Knowledge is worth pursuing in any field. It can end up being quite a treasure.

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wisdom

Wisdom Leads to Joy

Wisdom Leads to Joy

To be wise is to learn what is important and what won’t matter in a few years. It is to be able to discern between the foolishness of short-term pleasure and long-term satisfaction. Wisdom leads to joy while foolishness leads to heartache and regret.

“Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”

Proverbs 3:13 (NLT)

Someone may know how to manipulate and get their way in the short term. But what happens to the relationship with the duped victim? Another person may give in to a short-term addiction only to discover it ruins their life. None of us can predict the future. But wisdom can help us shape our future in ways that are predictable and tested through the ages.

Yesterday, I was listening to How Now Shall We Live? by Chuck Colson. In the book, he writes what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote this phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

United States Declaration of Independence

Colson’s assertion is that this opening phrase was never meant to be a license to hedonistic pleasure. John Stonestreet from the Colson Center also alludes to this and quotes Colson on a July 4, 2019, podcast. “Happiness” was not meant as an excuse to do whatever feels good. Instead, happiness comes from living a virtuous, wise life.

Wisdom causes us to pursue virtue. That pursuit leads to joy. My hope and prayer for everyone are that we take a long-term approach to life and pursue a wise life of virtue that leads to happiness and joy.