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May 2010 - Pastor's Message |
With a general election this month most of us are probably trying to work out what is the wise use of our vote. We’ve listened to many voices throughout the election campaign telling us that the wise thing is to vote for them. Life will be best if we listen to what they say. But what does it mean to be wise? How do we really decide who is right? Each voice is telling us that they are right. So the question is how do we become wise and decide what is right living? |
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There are so many voices screaming at us everyday telling us that if we follow their advice life will work out for the best? Thankfully, God tells us in the Bible. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The first lesson of wisdom is to fear God. Fear does not mean to be afraid in this instance. It means to respect and honour Him. It means to acknowledge that he is God. In other words, real wisdom begins by putting God in his right place. Real wisdom comes as we allow God his rightful place as designer, maker and ruler of this world we live in. By implication that means he must be our designer, ruler and maker too. But why is that the beginning of wisdom? Why does seeing God as God mean I live a right life, spend my money well, become a good friend, or Father or husband, or a good worker? How does fearing God make us wise? Simply put, it because it’s his world. He made it and he knows how it works best. Putting God is his right place means acknowledging that God has every right to decide what’s right and wrong, and he certainly knows how things work best. After all it is his world! If wisdom is living the right way, making right choices, and having the right view of things, then only when God is at the centre will we understand what’s right in this world. God is the way we see this world clearly. We need him in order to understand what’s right and wrong. Furthermore these words teach us that it’s God who gives us wisdom because it’s his world. The Bible says elsewhere that the mark of the fool is that they say in their heart there is no God (Psalm 14v1). Anyone who acts this way may claim to be wise but does not possess real wisdom. So if we want to be wise God tells us that real wisdom begins by putting God in his right place. Sadly the Bible also tells us that by nature we are simple (Proverbs 9:6). That means we lack real understanding and wisdom because we don’t naturally put God in his right place. Treating God like that is wrong and has broken our relationship with him. But the good news of the Bible is that Jesus came, and by dying on a cross, has made it possible for that relationship to be restored. Because of Jesus the way is now open to turn from our simple ways and have an ongoing relationship with God. This requires a change in us. We must turn, from leaving God out of the picture, and with a real repentance for how we have treated Him, we make him our God, putting him in his right place over us. Do you have God in his right place in your life? Are you pursuing real wisdom? |