Choose a House

If you had to choose another house in which to live, how would you describe it? Lots of houses these days are for sale, and the various lawn signs and even billboard invite us to buy this one or that one. There is an active process for sellers inviting us to come and live in the house that they have available.

The first nine chapters of Proverbs culminate in that sort of choice: The house built by Wisdom, or Folly’s house.

Wisdom tells un in verse 6 to forsake folly, and live. Wisdom seeks those who are trying to properly apply understanding, and Folly entices those who are making straight paths, in hope of turning them aside. It is an ongoing battle, warfare, actually, between what we want to do and what we know we should do. The sign of maturity then is to combine those, making that which we know we should do actually be what we also want to do.

Allow me to look back and make some conclusions.

In Proverbs 8:13 we read that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Then, in 9:10 we read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So, in the clearest sense, the beginning of wisdom, that is, to begin living wisely is to hate evil. So, am I living wisely, do I really hate that which is evil?

Step back to Proverbs 7:4, where wisdom is called a sister, and understanding is referred to as an intimate friend. They are called that, in order to persuade the reader to keep clear from the adulteress, clearly portrayed as an evil. Recognizing temptation is not the evil, but allowing oneself to convert it to sin certainly is.

There are too many applications for this small writing space. Simply put, am I, as a Christian, allowing temptation to entice me, thinking I can, by my own strength, resist? Or am I relying fully on the strength granted by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to provide that resistance. When I rely on the Spirit, I am exercising wisdom, which is my intimate friend who tries to keep me out of trouble. That same wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and when I allow Him to help me make good decisions, I most certainly demonstrate the reverence and awe I should have for my Savior.

Christians, the war is being waged right here and right now.

“Forsake your folly and live.”

The doors of two houses are wide open, inviting us in. Let’s prayerfully choose wisely.