Knowledge & Wisdom

There is a difference between knowledge (having facts) and wisdom (making practical application of those facts). Without wisdom, knowledge has little, if any value on its own. The problem is that the knowledgeable are usually unaware of their foolishness.

God's Vengence

If we do not trust God to vindicate us, then we will be susceptible to hatred and self-pity. Anger and bitterness will stalk us. We can become angry at those who offend us in these ways. But we must come to the quick conclusion that when someone offends us --- it is God's problem and not mine!

Christian Living

As Christians, we are to live in contrast with our culture. But if we live life God's way ...

... we may be falsely accused or misunderstood
... we may not be truly appreciated for our genuine love
... the true value we contribute may never be rewarded
... our ideas and attempts to contribute may be ignored or discounted

The Bible tells us to stand against our culture. Oddly enough, our culture concludes that anyone who stands against it is irrelevant.

Wisdom Speaks

To be wise in our speech, we must exercise self control. Our words should be honest and well chosen. Our words should also be well measured. Often the best example of wisdom is that which is not said --- rather than what is said.

Comforting People

The best comforters are those who know something about personal suffering. Notice that when you are suffering and others say something like, "I know just how you must feel," you generally discount such statements ... unless you know they've suffered as you are. So it would seem that if I want to truly be able to comfort others, my ability to do so can only be born of my own suffering.

Assumptions & Conclusions

Wrong assumptions lead to wrong conclusions. We dare not take our limited experiences in life and jump to conclusions about life in general. We must remember that, no matter what, we never have all the facts. This is why the Bible says to, "Lean not on your own understanding." Even at its best, our understanding (of anything) is incomplete.

Righteousness

Righteousness is not the same as sinlessness. It is quite possible for someone to not sin and still not be righteous. Of course, the only person who was truly without sin was Christ --- and He was the definition of righteousness. The point is that it wasn't the absence of sin in Jesus' life that made Him righteous. So what was it that made Him righteous? His relationship with God, and the presence of God's character in Him.