Wisdom and Innocence

Tonight, Friday, November 13, 2105, there is terror in Paris. At home we are at heightened alert lest the same terror seize us unawares. At our colleges and universities mobs have been gathering demanding conformity to their will and their ways. We have watched as we burned our own cities. These are just a few of the more eye catching woes that beset us. What is a Christian to do in the midst of this kind of chaos?

Matthew 10:16

¹⁶ “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Wisdom, shrewdness or prudence, and innocence, an openness to what happens in life, both require constant vigilance to cultivate and protect in the right balance. Both are required to see clearly to the heart of the challenges that we face. Lean too much on one or the other and you leave yourself open to being easily deceived.

Philippians 4:4-8

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

There’s a lot of foolishness being served up as truth coming from all quarters. We need to be careful about what we take in and what we leave on the table. Giving thanks, dwelling on those things truly worthy of praise, clears the mind of the garbage that can cloud our vision, befuddle us, and rob us of wisdom and innocence

Luke 10:2

² And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

There are so many lost and hurting souls practically in our laps! Some of those hurting souls are our own brothers and sisters in Christ. Reach out to them and pour out the love of God into their lives. This isn’t easy work and it won’t always be appreciated or wanted but it needs doing.

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

With unrelenting focus live lives rich with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The law of the land will be whatever it may be. Politicians will come and go. Laws will change for better or for worse. But this, this is about how to be not merely what to do or not to do.