WEDNESDAY WISDOM (#5)

WISE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES

You know, I was just sitting here thinking of how beneficial it would be and would have been, for some of us, to have had wise people to "speak wisdom" into our lives and mentor us as we grow. Do you remember having the thought at all, that you needed one or wanted one even? I was just looking at Titus in the Word, Ch. 2 and it admonishes older men and women to intentionally be examples, mentors, and "speak wisdom" into the lives of those that are younger around them.

As we get older, our speech, appearance, mannerisms, thinking process, heart, etc. shouldn't look the same. We should be getting wiser, making better choices, and choosing to live out our lives responsibly in front of others (basically more mature). Think of what kind of world we would live in if everyone did that. What kind of men (husbands and fathers) would we have if every one of them had an older man whom they could be accountable to, to ensure that they were "...temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perserverance (NAS)." What kind of women would we have if an older woman taught younger women (while they were practicing this lifestyle themselves) to have "...reverent behavior, not malicious gossips,...teaching what was good, so that they may..." be encouraged to "...love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure,...kind...," etc.? It even says that young men should be encouraged to do good deeds. Do we do that or even think about it? Is this too much or archaic in our post-modern world? Surely not. The Word doesn't get old, therefore its admonishments and commands do not. This wasn't a sermon though. I just want us to think.

How wise would it be to link our children, the young ones as well as the ones going into young adulthood, with such wise people? Wouldn't you like to have someone, besides yourself in your parenting role, to "speak wisdom" such as the kind discussed in this post (in Titus 2) into your children? I'm not sure if I had the thought or the inkling to seek out this kind of person for me, nor do I think that my parents thought very much of this, in an intentional way, for the benefits described above, but as you get older, you see the need to have yourself surrounded by wise men and women, for your benefit and your children's. I can remember some people that may have been friends to our family or a family member here and there that may have shown us great and/or memorable things, or said something that I'll never forget, but for the most part, we were surrounded by parents who were our primary mentors and you take what you get. As I've found out since I've had children, parents aren't perfect, but I do know that we certainly had ones that loved us. But, while I don't regret the upbringing and wisdom my own parents gave to me, I know now that I would have benefitted from the additional wisdom and mentoring of outside strong, Godly individuals who could take up the slack where my parents left off, or gave me things that my parents could not or weren't equipped to give (I'm not talking about material things.).

I try to find women now who can do exactly what I'm discussing here, with me. I try to expose my children to people like that also. I wish I had discovered this concept and "need" earlier in my children's lives, but God knows, because my children are really His and He holds their future. Thank God I realized this concept at some point. I hate to think that it might be too late, but God can send my soon-to-be men other men that can fill their lives, at just the right time, with the wisdom and knowledge God wants them to have, despite my lateness and errors in parenting. He can also help me to continue to pour myself into my girls and expose them to just the right women at just the right age and time.

Think about our world. What do you want it to look like or be filled with, as far as people are concerned? What can you do about it? This pertains to us with children and those without. All of us can "speak wisdom" into others' lives, while we're maturing, and mentor by example. Somebody always knows less than you do. Some of us are growing together, but we're doing so intentionally, and that's the key word. If you need a mentor, find one. If you are able to mentor, be one. I'm actually doing both. I have some great women in my life, and I mentor young women and girls in structured and non-structured environments as God has given me opportunity. I'm not perfect by any means, but I love the unfinished products of what God is making us into that have chosen to surrender to Him and the wisdom of others.

Please forgive any typos today. I'm homeschooling again and going from one thing to the next. Have a wiser Wednesday today than you had last Wednesday!!!