THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM IN INDIA
Last month, a bishop in India announced his plan to leave his church duties and live like the hermits of the ancient church. Jacob Muricken desires to lead an ascetic life devoted to God through prayer, meditation, Bible study, and writing. He will live at the top of a nearby hill at an existing monastery called Mar Thoma Sleeha in the Idukki district near the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. Muricken hopes his choice will not be seen as hating the world but as valuing the Lord, “teaching men to look at the world in the right way, fixing our eyes only on God.”
THE PURSUT OF WISDOM WHERE YOU ARE
Today’s passage reminds us, in our Western society and hectic lives, that we too can choose to value the wisdom of God over the desires of the world. Wisdom’s gifts—riches, honor, knowledge, prudence, discretion, and more—are far superior to silver, gold, or anything the world has to offer. We don’t have to step away from our lives to receive these gifts. But we do need to commit to trusting in the wisdom of God over all other competing voices.
Questions
- What’s an example of a time when you’ve had to choose between the wisdom of God and the world’s desires?
- How can God’s ancient wisdom be relevant in today’s troubled and complicated world?
- Which verses in Proverbs have proved to be helpful in your life?