Lay aside immaturity and live, and walk in the way of insight. Proverbs 9:6 NRSV

I have been thinking lately about how immature some folks that I know are at this stage in their young lives.

Sometimes I just want to sit them down and give them a good piece of my mind. Share my own wisdom, as it were.

They wouldn't be able to hear it, though. I don't think any of them have been taught wisdom by their parents. Perhaps they have not been allowed to be wise while they were younger. Instead, decisions were made for them and there were no consequences for their immature behavior. Adults closest to them just expected such behavior as something to assume at their age.

I can really see how the speaker (possibly Solomon) at the beginning of Proverbs wants their own child to claim wisdom for themselves, even at a young age. What a speech for a parent to give to their child! See wisdom, avoid evil, do what is right and you will have blessings upon blessings give to you by God. Wisdom is more important that gold or silver! Seek what is truly important: a wise heart.

Perhaps the real blow to our wish for young people to have wisdom is that we older folks have not exactly embraced wisdom for ourselves. We have gone after the gold and silver, power and prestige, stuff over understanding. Has God really been a priority in our lives? Do we seek to understand or get our way?

We need to first examine our own hearts for wisdom before we get on our soapbox about being wise.

God, you ask us to lay aside our immaturity and live. Help us, Lord! In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims