Wisdom

Mark your calendars. I have had nothing to say for the last two days. For someone with a response to everything, it is an unusual state of events. Part of it is that the continual news about the debate on national health care reform has worn me down. Could having to live under a system of nationalized health care actually be any worse than having to listen to the politicians and pundits continually talking about it? (Uh, that was a rhetorical question and the answer is, "yes.")

The other part of having nothing to say is that we are hosting a couple of young people in our home who are interning at the Capitol this week. Most of my attention has been on them. Being several years beyond having teenagers in residence at my home allows me to thoroughly enjoy the company of the "young folks." There is nothing like seeing their passion and enthusiasm to rekindle my hope for our nation.

One of the topics we have focused on this week is wisdom. Wisdom is a trait that is spoken of often and greatly respected in scripture, however it is not an attribute that seems to be prized in our society. It is a gift that is available for the asking, yet who remembers to ask for it? Wisdom is necessary to understand righetousness and justice, but we argue the issues without understanding. We call evil good and good evil and expect the Lord to bless us anyway.

Where is the wisdom in passing legislation where one generation will enjoy the benefit and the next generation will pay the bill? Where is the wisdom in using tax dollars to prop up companies or banks which have made poor financial decisions? Where is the wisdom in passing entitlement programs with no hope of sustainability?

Think about it. When you voted in the primary last week, was the wisdom of the candidate you cast your vote for a major factor in your decision? Or, are you in the majority of people who did not even bother to cast a vote? Was that because a lack of wisdom on the part of the candidates running made you decide to just sit the race out? Or, was it a lack of wisdom on your part not to even weigh in?

Proverbs 9:10 tells us that The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

He freely gives us wisdom. Do we freely use it?