Review: The last three weeks' messages could be summarized using three prepositions: Work Unto,
Pray Through, and Speak Up [not in the sense of increasing the
volume of our words, but that our speech might be more encouraging]. This week
is no different. We are to Walk In
wisdom. Colossians 4:5 reads,
“Walk
in wisdom toward outsiders,
making the best use of the
time.”
In the Bible
“walking” is a frequent metaphor for the way we live or conduct our lives.
Today we walk less than the person living in the 1st Century, but I
think we can still understand the metaphor. Although, in places with long
drive-time commutes (e.g., Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland) perhaps we could
say, “Drive in wisdom” and not be far off.
"Walk In (or
with) wisdom"
This is an exhortation to conduct ourselves wisely (sophia). The word translated “walk” is
the Greek word peripateō (lit. to
step around). Whenever I hear this word, peripateō
I am reminded of something my Grandmother would say whenever we came to
visit—“I heard the pitter-patter of little feet in my driveway!” Literally our
walking, our childlike enthusiasm when wearing flip-flops, announced our
arrival before we even started knocking. The metaphor works here as well. The
way we live our lives announces in many respects who we are.
“For as wisdom is not essentially the
accumulation of a body of knowledge, but a mode of existence before God, so
too, folly is not a lack of knowledge but the absence of this mode of
existence.” (Colin Brown, Dictionary
of New Testament Theology, Vol. 3, 1030)
Wisdom
is not primarily intelligence, but reverence and obedience to God. Biblical wisdom certainly involved making the
right decisions based on the facts but it is centered in right relationship with
the Lord through faith and
obedience.
What does this mean? What does this wisdom look like?
1. A life of Wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10)
The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have
a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Many times in the Old Testament we are told that “the fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” but what is this fear? It is nuanced and
layered. It is not the terror or dread that makes you run away and hide, but
more a loving fear of disappointing him. It is a combination of deep reverence,
willing obedience, and steadfast love, mixed together into a faith response to
seeing God as he really is.
So if fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then if we are
walking in wisdom such a view of God will not be absent. Do our words and
actions informed by the fear of the Lord?
Does our interaction with outsiders demonstrate the fear of
the Lord? Do I trust God than my
own ideas and seek to please him more than I please myself? That is walk
A greedy man stirs up
strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:25-27)
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:25-27)
2. A life of Wisdom pleases the Lord
(Col. 1:9-11)
And so, from the day we
heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a
manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to
him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God.
Why did my Grandmother, used to say how much she enjoyed hearing the
“pitter-patter of little feet” coming down her driveway? Because it meant that
we were coming to visit her! So if I can use my Grandma as a dim illustration
of the heart of God, let me ask the question, “Where does God love to hear the
pitter-patter (peripateō) of our
feet?” We don’t have to guess. There are a number of such “places” written down
in his “journal” for us to read, places where he delights for us to “walk”.
For example, in 3 John 4, the apostle, inspired by the Spirit writes, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” So we could
say that God loves to see that we his children are “walking in the truth”. This investigation of how we should walk/live
will continue in future weeks with looks at the Lord’s directives that we
might,
- Walk in Love (Eph 5:1-3)
- Walk in the Light (1 John 1:7; Eph. 5:8)
- Walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25-26)
- Walk by Faith (2 Cor. 5:7)
- Walk in Christ (Col. 2:6; 1 John 2:6)
- Walk in Unity (Eph. 4:1-3)
Not only does walking in wisdom flow from a loving
relationship with the Lord, it also will help us to see our lives from God’s
point of view.
3. A life of Wisdom reflects a heavenly perspective on our
circumstances (Phil 1:21-26)
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I
shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to
depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh
is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain
and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in
me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to
you again.
If we are walking in wisdom, then we are living for Christ
and we know that whatever we face in this life it is not the full story nor
will it be forever. In fact, even if difficult circumstances last a lifetime,
or seem to cut a lifetime short, the Apostle Paul (who suffered more than most)
could write that, “I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to
be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
4. A life of Wisdom manifests kingdom values (James 3:13-18)
“Walk in wisdom toward
outsiders”
A wise life is centered
on God, and as a result it is also reaches towards
outsiders in love and justice. I have noticed that when in a foreign country,
you can usually pick an American out of a crowd of people simply by the way
they walk. For better or worse, they often walk as though they have the
privilege of citizenship in the most powerful nation on earth. So how can
people recognize that we are living our lives in the wisdom that God gives? We
find just such a description of godly wisdom, a veritable check-list, in James 3:13-18,
Who is
wise and understanding among you?
By his good conduct let him show his works in
the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish
ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is
not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every
vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first...
- pure, then
- peaceable,
- gentle,
- open to reason,
- full of mercy and good fruits,
- impartial and
- sincere.
And a harvest of righteousness is
sown in peace by those who make peace.
We would do well to apply this list to
anything we might be tempted to think is wise, either in our own words and
actions or in those of the world around us.
5. Wisdom uses time responsibly (v. 5; Eph. 5:15-16)
“making
the best use of the time”
As followers of Jesus, we are not to become lazy nor be wasteful with our time. “Making the
most” (exagorazō) means “to redeem
or buy back”. Jesus came
to give our time life, not kill it! Each moment has potential for eternity.
However, that doesn’t mean that we should be like the Mad Hatter running
around…”late, late, late!” Making the best use of our time also doesn’t mean that
we need to multi-task because it doesn’t say that we are supposed to get the
most done, but rather that we are to make the best use of time. So what might
the Lord consider the best use of our time? Ask him. Then dump the Gatorade at
his feet when he tells you the answer. Walking in wisdom means that there are paths we no longer walk because they are not the road that Jesus walks nor reflective of how he would hove us spend our time.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as
unwise but as wise,
making
the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit,
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing
and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
giving thanks always and for everything
to God the Father
in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ,
submitting to one another out of
reverence for Christ.
(Ephesians 5:15-16)
6. Wisdom
isn’t Gullible… know what you are up against (Matthew 10:19-20)
One last aspect of
walking in wisdom, that needs to be mentioned, is that we need more than ever
to take Matthew 10:19 to heart.
“Behold, I am sending you out
as sheep in the midst of wolves,
so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Beware of men, for they
will
deliver you over to courts
and flog you in their
synagogues,
and you will be
dragged
before governors and kings for my
sake,
to bear witness
before them and the Gentiles.
When they deliver you over,
do not be anxious
how you are to speak
or what you are to say,
for what you are to say
will be given
to you in that
hour.
For it is not you who speak,
but the Spirit of your Father speaking
through you.
This doesn’t mean
that we are manipulative, but that we face a determined enemy and may not be
delivered from their attacks. Yet, even in the midst of persecution we can walk
in the confidence of wisdom—wisdom that comes from a relationship with the
Lord. Jesus is never so close to us as when we are suffering for his name!
May all we meet this
week see the wisdom of Christ oozing from our life, especially when we are
squeezed by circumstances.
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