At the beginning of the biblical book of Proverbs, Solomon states his purpose by saying that his proverbs are…“for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” Proverbs 1:2-3

I am thinking that wisdom and discipline are related but different. Discipline and the old word “prudence” refer to how I live my life. The Webster’s definition of prudence is “the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason”. This is what I hope for as I raise my sons from their teen years to their early 20s. I want them to be disciplined and prudent. I want them to be able to govern their own lives, to keep a balanced checking account, to do their own laundry, to get to bed on time so that they will be fresh for a day’s work, to write their thank you notes, to remember their mom on Mother’s Day. That’s discipline, and discipline is necessary for a successful life.

But Solomon wants to lead us through discipline and on to wisdom. If discipline gives me the “how” of life, wisdom leads me to the “what” and “why” of life. I know how to live, but do I know why I live? Many people have conquered discipline and have found a measure of success in life. But fewer people have latched on to the why. Solomon tells us that wisdom is the understanding of “what is right and just and fair” and doing these things, living in this way. This then moves us beyond a merely successful life, into a truly blessed life.

And how do we know what is right and just and fair? We come close to Jesus, as God the Father’s doorway into life, and we rely on the filling and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Here’s my prayer for you and for me today. “Dear Father, thank you for practical help in acquiring a disciplined, successful life. Help me to hear your voice and live the life of wisdom and purpose that you are calling me to live.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7

This entry was posted on Friday, July 3rd, 2009 at 8:50 am and is filed under Jay's Blog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.