PROVERBS 8: WATCHING & WAITING FOR WISDOM

Proverbs 8:34 teaches us to watch and wait at the doorway to wisdom, and we will be blessed. Perhaps one reason we see so little wisdom and so much foolishness in the world today is that most people are in a huge hurry, running from activity to activity without even knowing why they are doing it.

Hurry up is a frequently used phrase. I heard myself recently say to a guest in my home, “I’m going to hurry up and go to the bathroom, and I’ll be right back.” There was no need to rush at all, but I guess I felt I had to hurry so I could quickly return to my guest, who happened to be a good friend and had others to talk to in my absence.

Rushing can become a habit, and like all bad habits, it can be broken with God’s help and determination. To slow down the pace of your life, practice walking slower as you go about each day. Spend longer thinking and praying before making commitments. Take time to breathe and relax between chores. People often say that they are living in the fast lane of life, as though they are proud of it, but in the end, such a rapid pace proves not to be wise.

If you feel hurried most of the time, you might start asking yourself why that is the case. You may discover that there is no real reason to rush so much and it’s simply a habit you have maintained, even though you no longer need to do it. I promise that slowing down will enable you to listen to wisdom more closely.