January 1

Jan 1 - Today from Proverbs 1 we look at verses 1-4
"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young."

The wisest man who ever lived knew that his wisdom was a gift from the Creator, and that he had a responsibility to use this gift to help others. Being inspired by the Spirit, Solomon purposefully took the time to compile what he felt to be some of the most comprehensive of the three thousand proverbs he spoke (1 Kings 4:32). He begins the book by spelling out these purposes.
To begin, we see that wisdom and discipline are paired together (also in verse 7). They both require effort. Anything worthwhile achieving in this world takes effort. One of the antitheses of wisdom is simplicity. When the proverbs speak of a simple person (i.e. verse 4), it is reference to a person without moral direction; that is, a person who drifts in the flow of the world system. The Bible teaches that man is born with a sinful nature and if left to follow his own natural inclinations, he will gravitate toward evil behavior. It takes effort to resist that natural flow toward evil. For the believer, the Bible is our source of moral principle. Keeping of the moral law does not in any way get a person into heaven. That was never the purpose of moral law. What the learning and observance of moral law does do is keeps a person, and/or an institution, and/or a society, orderly and functional in the way God intended life to be. The essence of sin causes pain and misery. The essence of moral living causes peaceable and productive living. A moral lifestyle is not natural, it takes effort.
Wisdom has much to do with morality. Wisdom is learning and applying the principles of life from God's perspective. This indeed takes discipline. Romans 12:2 teaches that the natural mind is conformed to the patterns of this world. It takes little or no effort to conform to what is natural. We are called to transform our behavior by renewing our minds to see life from God's perspective. The terms 'transform' and 'renew' clearly speak of discipline and effort.
King Solomon also tells us that the rewards are worth the effort. Even nature tells us that if one puts quality effort in at the front end for the right reasons, the results are quality satisfaction. Take any worthwhile achievement in life, and the formula works. For years I was a wood worker and cabinet builder. If I wanted to create a quality piece, I had to put quality effort and thought in at the front end of the project. I had to choose the best wood, glue and fasteners for the particular uniqueness of the project I was working on. I had to take time to draw up a workable plan, and to think through the steps and procedures several times before I ever picked up a tool. I had to try to anticipate any and every challenge the project might create, and how I would meet or solve the particular challenge. I learned tricks of the trade from other woodworkers. I read books on woodworking. I gained practical experience over the years that would help me to be better prepared and more efficient as I took on new projects. I did all of this so that when the project was complete, it would be beautiful, functional and enduring. There was always great pleasure in a job well done. The rewards were worth the effort.
Living a moral life is no different. I looked up 'moral' in the dictionary and found one of the definitions to say, "based on likelihood rather than evidence." When I undertook to build a custom cabinet, there was no evidence to work from. Everything depended upon likelihood. All of my choices of materials, my planning of procedures, my experience and disciplines were no evidence that I would turn out a fine piece. But the likelihood was that I would end up with a beautiful, functional and enduring piece because of the clear and disciplined boundaries in which I worked. Accomplished people put great effort into building a cabinet, playing a round of golf, baking a pie, playing a piece on the piano, repairing a damaged heart, painting a picture, learning a new move on a skateboard, writing a policy . . . or whatever their area of skill might be. Shouldn’t we then put forth effort and discipline in building moral character so that we can see quality and satisfying results in the lives of our children, of our grandchildren, of our community in years to come?
Moral living won't get us to heaven. Only the blood of Jesus can accomplish that. But moral living will bring some of heaven to the world in which we live. I think that's worth the effort.