Proverbs: Chapter 1: 3 (NKJV)

Last time, we looked at these verses, and went over verse 2, discussing that it is important to study God’s words of wisdom and to find Godly people to associate with and to learn from. Let’s look at these verses again, to refresh my memory, and then go on to verse 3.

2 To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, 3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion---“

Proverbs 1:3 Tells me that once I FIND people like that, then I need to be able to receive instruction from them… instructions about wisdom, what justice is, and how to judge (not always people, but often, actions and situations) with justice and equity (fairness, impartiality).

Many situations in life come up when we have to make judgments between people, and we need to use wisdom when they do. This also becomes important if we are parents. We need to use this kind of wisdom when we have to judge situations between children. This is often very hard to do, especially when we’ve had a hard day for whatever reason… and I speak from experience, having raised 6 children and several foster children. This is where cultivation, in our own lives, of the fruits of the Spirit becomes very important.

I was very blessed to have been given a mom that was one of those special people who had the qualities spoken of in these verses. Not only that, but many of her friends, people from our church, also had these qualities, and she firmly believed in “not forsaking the company of the ‘brethren’ so we had several Godly people that we were around regularly.

Today, the world has changed so much that many people don’t have the rock of a Christian family to build a foundation on. They have heard of problems in churches, and about hypocritical people… all the bad things, and may have even been hurt by “church people.” Unfortunately, people are people and not a one of us is perfect, so there ARE no perfect churches. Instead of judging OTHERS, we need to spend our time comparing ourselves to what Jesus wants US to become.

I think that is why Jesus stresses that we need to love and forgive others, AND, in fact, if we DON’T forgive others, we can’t expect forgiveness from Him. That’s why He says to ask God to “forgive us our trespasses/debts AS WE HAVE FORGIVEN those who have trespassed against us…” My main point is, that we need to actively seek out a Christian source of wisdom/modeling to associate with, as well as reading and studying God’s word… if not at a “church,” then at a House Bible Study, or something. This, and reading/listening to, our Bible, is how we “receive instruction…”