Wisdom Is CallingSýnishorn

Wisdom’s Influence and Impact on Sin

Wisdom makes it clear that any person who chooses her must be willing to forsake evil. A relationship with wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is a reverential attitude toward God that leads to a relationship with Him through His Son. This, in turn, leads to a life of submissive obedience to Him. Wisdom makes what should be an obvious point: to fear the Lord is to hate evil. 

Wise people can be identified by their positive qualities to be sure; however, they can also be recognized by the absence of certain negative traits. Wisdom names some specific evils that she despises:

· Pride and arrogance

· Evil behavior and foul speech 

Of all the sins that wisdom could have mentioned, why does she specifically list these? Because people who embrace these wicked traits are the exact opposite of those who pursue wisdom. If we embrace wisdom, we must shun arrogance, evil behavior, and perverted speech. We need to develop a deep hatred for these sins, a hatred so deep that we will not entertain the temptation to commit them. As we observe the world around us, we notice that many people are intelligent, prosperous, and successful from a worldly perspective, but the presence of these sins in their lives proves they are not truly living wisely. 

Study Questions:

· What does it mean to fear the Lord?

· Do you fall into the temptations of pride and evil behavior?

· How does the fear of the Lord help you to hate these sins?

Know that the pursuit of wisdom is not an easy endeavor, and there is grace for you! During the course of the next week, pray daily that the Lord would reveal prideful or evil behavior in you that you may blindly commit.