I started reading Proverbs again about a week ago. It’s starting to become a habit when I find myself in a difficult situation, and I need wisdom. There isn’t a single proverb that addresses youth ministry, and my husband’s name doesn’t appear once, but there is wisdom in there if you dig. It’s become Step 1 for my “WT…” moments.

This time around I’m not so sure if it’s generating as much wisdom for the situation, or if the situation has been a catalyst to get me into Proverbs. There are pieces of both, but it seems like the big lesson has nothing to do with the gut-wrenching that got me moving.

1:7//The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

9:8-9//Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

10:17//He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.

12:1//Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

12:15//The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

13:18//Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored.

I’m only on Chapter 14, and there are still more examples just in those chapters. 1:5, 3:7, 6:23, 8:17, 8:33, 11:14, 13:1.

Proverbs is the book of wisdom, and we know that wisdom is invaluable. So it’s interesting that at least once in almost every chapter (so far, anyway) God makes it pretty clear that wisdom is connected to my response to correction/instruction/authority.

And that’s an obvious lesson that you wouldn’t really be surprised to learn from reading through Proverbs – because it is so prevalent. I’ve had the added element of some real-life examples in the past week or so, though, that have really been driving the point home.

Just this week I’ve had the privilege, and not-privilege, to watch people respond both ways to instruction/correction, and Holy Spirit has been good enough to point it out. It’s been interesting, to say the very least, and it’s also forcing me to ask,

Which one am I?