In reading Ecclesiastes for the study that we're doing at St. David's right now, I ran across this passage.
"Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day. For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection. But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner" (Eccl. 7:11-12, NET).
The obvious, and striking, question that I immediately asked myself was: Since wisdom and money are both useful, but wisdom is more advantageous, do I give more of my attention to money or to wisdom?
Please notice that I'm not saying (and the Bible is not saying) that money is bad. It's only saying that wisdom is more useful than money for preserving the life of it's owner.
Practically speaking, I probably spend more time each month accounting for and making plans with and about money than with and about wisdom. Much of that accounting and planning is good and necessary. The challenge that I felt was this: Will I at least consider matching the time and effort I give to gaining and accounting for money with the time and effort I give to gaining and accounting for wisdom?
And an immediate follow-up to this question is, What would this look like?
In the letter of James we read, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5, ESV). So we can get something, wisdom, that is more useful than money when it comes to preserving the life of its owner, and all we have to do is ask God. All we have to do is pray in humility (i.e. recognizing that we lack wisdom, which means we can't be proud). And we must pray in faith.
Praying in faith simply means trusting that God is generous and wise; it means trusting that he will give us the wisdom we ask for and that he has the wisdom to give us. As James continues, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-7, ESV).
We Christians have something better than a money tree. We have a wisdom fountain. As we prayed last Sunday, "Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen" (Book of Common Prayer p. 231, emphasis added).
This Sunday the sermon will focus on prayer, which is our access to the wisdom fountain. My prayer, as I prepare for Sunday, is that we will assemble for worship confident in our access to something more useful than money, God's wisdom. I also pray that we will intend to practice a realistic, daily plan to collect and live on his wisdom, as surely as we collect and live on the money that he allows us to use for a season. Money is temporary. God's wisdom is eternal. And our loving heavenly Father is the giver of both. What a great God we serve.
The lessons for this week are:
Genesis 18:20-33
Psalm 138
Colossians 2:6-15
Luke 11:1-13
Announcements
"Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day. For wisdom provides protection, just as money provides protection. But the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner" (Eccl. 7:11-12, NET).
The obvious, and striking, question that I immediately asked myself was: Since wisdom and money are both useful, but wisdom is more advantageous, do I give more of my attention to money or to wisdom?
Please notice that I'm not saying (and the Bible is not saying) that money is bad. It's only saying that wisdom is more useful than money for preserving the life of it's owner.
Practically speaking, I probably spend more time each month accounting for and making plans with and about money than with and about wisdom. Much of that accounting and planning is good and necessary. The challenge that I felt was this: Will I at least consider matching the time and effort I give to gaining and accounting for money with the time and effort I give to gaining and accounting for wisdom?
And an immediate follow-up to this question is, What would this look like?
In the letter of James we read, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5, ESV). So we can get something, wisdom, that is more useful than money when it comes to preserving the life of its owner, and all we have to do is ask God. All we have to do is pray in humility (i.e. recognizing that we lack wisdom, which means we can't be proud). And we must pray in faith.
Praying in faith simply means trusting that God is generous and wise; it means trusting that he will give us the wisdom we ask for and that he has the wisdom to give us. As James continues, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-7, ESV).
We Christians have something better than a money tree. We have a wisdom fountain. As we prayed last Sunday, "Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen" (Book of Common Prayer p. 231, emphasis added).
This Sunday the sermon will focus on prayer, which is our access to the wisdom fountain. My prayer, as I prepare for Sunday, is that we will assemble for worship confident in our access to something more useful than money, God's wisdom. I also pray that we will intend to practice a realistic, daily plan to collect and live on his wisdom, as surely as we collect and live on the money that he allows us to use for a season. Money is temporary. God's wisdom is eternal. And our loving heavenly Father is the giver of both. What a great God we serve.
The lessons for this week are:
Genesis 18:20-33
Psalm 138
Colossians 2:6-15
Luke 11:1-13
Announcements
Our Wednesday evening Bible study following the 6pm Mass will conclude our reading of Ecclesiastes, covering chapters 10-12. Also, our St. Augustine's Prayer Books are in. We are suggesting a donation of $15 per copy.
Blessings to you all,
Fr Greg+
Blessings to you all,
Fr Greg+
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