Wisdom In Taking The Time!

Wisdom. We all need it. Without it life is tougher. Certainly there are difficult things which must be done and great effort is worth being expended. However, wisdom in approaching even these tasks can make them less of a burden.

Solomon noted in his investigation of life…
“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but WISDOM HELPS ONE TO SUCCEED.” ( Ecclesiastes 10:10 ESV)

Have you ever tried to split wood with a dull ax or cut a board with a dull saw? A lot more energy is expended than if the blade of the ax or the teeth of the saw were sharpened. It seems the wise thing to do would be to take the time in the FIRST PLACE to sharpen them, making the task go much easier and quicker.

There have been a number of times I have decided to quickly trim a few of our roses. I have grabbed the pruners, but considering I was just going to trim a few, have not taken the time to go get some gloves. Usually the result has been that I have gotten a thorn stuck in a finger and found it took longer to remove the thorn than it would have taken to have gotten some gloves in the FIRST PLACE. Am I gaining wisdom?

I also remember trying to dig holes to replace several cedar fence posts along our driveway. Digging with a shovel, I found it difficult to keep the holes from being too wide, partially because I was so close to the concrete slab on which we park. After spending the energy and time digging one hole, I decided I needed the right tool for the job. I went and purchased a posthole digger and dug three more holes in less than the time I had spent digging the first. I should have taken the time to get the right tool in the FIRST PLACE. Am I gaining wisdom?

We have busy schedules. We look at our calendars for the day and see so many things listed on our “to do” lists. So many appointments. So many tasks to be accomplished. Do we find ourselves just launching into it all and then wonder at our feelings of being disorganized and getting frazzled? As the urgent cries for our attention, sometimes the important is missed. Wisdom is needed to prioritize our day. Perhaps it often boils down to having not been wise enough to take the time to do what we should have done in the FIRST PLACE; PRAY!

Even our Lord gave us the example of beginning the day in such a manner.
“(35) And RISING VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there HE PRAYED. (36) And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, (37) and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’” ( Mark 1:35-37)

Perhaps Simon Peter and the others thought Jesus should have been busy about His urgent business; that which Jesus Himself acknowledged He had come to do. ( Mark 1:38) What they needed to learn was the importance of putting in FIRST PLACE time spent in prayerful preparation. May we also remember that even with pressing priorities, PRAYER is the PLACE TO BEGIN. Such will sharpen our focus on the reliance on God’s strength for the day, help prune away some of the anxiety otherwise associated with the tasks before us, and help keep the truly important stuff in view.

Have a great day FINDING SUCCESS THROUGH BEGINNING RIGHT!
Carl

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