Wise, Wiser, Wisest

Read Proverbs 9

Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.

Proverbs 9:9

In the world of words, whether it be a newspaper column, a magazine article, a 945-page novel, or anything in between, one thing is certain: Everybody needs an editor. Even the best writers, out of sheer overfamiliarity with their material or good old human imperfection, need someone to point out the inconsistencies, the missing transitions, the faulty logic, the shaky plot lines. In fact, good writers have become good because of what they have learned from critique and instruction. The good get better. Those resistant to editing never improve and grow.

In similar fashion, the wise get wiser. They listen to the words of Wisdom. They “take it personally,” but in the best sense of the phrase. Rather than allowing their feelings to be hurt, they listen and change, much as a writer reads all the red-pencil markings rather than wallow in self-pity and the claim that “no one understands my work.” God has so much to teach us, so much that he has entrusted to Wisdom, who in turn entrusts it to us. We simply must be willing to be edited.

A WORD FOR TODAY

The good get better; the wise get wiser.

Lord, I thank you for the persistent work of Wisdom. Teach me to be wise. Teach me to be righteous.