It’s my prayer to share my heart with you in a real authentic way. Even though we are not having this heart conversation face-to-face.
Today I wanted to share a couple of things that have been on my heart this past week, wisdom, and learning. For many years in my prayer time, I have asked for wisdom. Most recently I have put in the time to learn what wisdom looks like in God’s word. At the start of 2020, I started a new rhythm that has lasted these 8 months (well 7 months and now one day...haha). I get into the book of proverbs daily, and if I miss a day I don’t stress because I know I will go over it again next month. So I am typing this blog out on the first of August trying to collect my thoughts, and asking God what he wants me to share. Then BAM, it hit me! Comparison with learning.
“Wisdom‘s praises are sung in the streets and celebrated far and wide. Yet wisdom’s song is not always heard in the halls of higher learning. But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s lyrics can always be heard above the din of the crowd. You will hear wisdom‘s warning as she preaches courageously to those who stop to listen.
Proverbs 1:20-21 TPT
There is wisdom in learning. The learning I accomplish is in the everyday tasks that I need to get done. Mothering, gardening, homeschooling, etc. Knowing that everyone learns differently, how does it make sense to compare the way we learn to others? I am a note-taker, if I want to retain what I have learned I need to write it down on a paper with a pen. I am old school. That is one of the reasons why I love journaling! This year alone I have finished 6 journals, to me that is an accomplishment! As I was having the closest thing to quiet time with three littles running around, all playing pretend with different imagination stories, I was in Proverbs chapter one and verse 3&4 jumped off the page. Golly, I love it when things jump off the page!“Those who cling to these words will receive discipline to demonstrate wisdom in every relationship and to choose what is right and just and fair. These Proverbs will give you great skill to teach the immature and make them wise, to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny." Proverbs 1:3-4 TPT
To cling to the words of wisdom we need to READ the words. There is no way we can demonstrate wisdom in every relationship if we have no clue what God says about friendship!
These verses are packed full of good stuff! I mean, who wouldn’t want…
To receive discipline to demonstrate wisdom in EVERY relationship
To choose what is right and fair
Great skills
To pass on what we learn to the next generation, to make them WISE
To help the next generation to understand and walk in their design and destiny
Just thinking about that verse gets me so excited and pumped! What does teaching the next generation look like for you?
For me, it looks like homeschooling my oldest, he is going into Kindergarten, and we are teaching him that going to school is his responsibility. We are teaching him the value of responsibility, and the importance of doing your best work even when it’s difficult. We use this analogy. Daddy has the responsibility to go to work to provide for his family, it’s mommy‘s responsibility to take care of things on the home front, and it’s your job to be responsible and to go to school learning as much as you can and doing the hard work! It’s not every day that we want to do our responsibilities but it’s our job. “You can do hard things”, is said too many times to count in our home.
Many times in life we ask children what they want to be when they grow up? If I was asked that question now I think I would say,” I never want to stop growing because the more we learn and the more we grow the more wisdom we have!” I’d love to learn how to do the same thing in different ways. Your way might be better than my way, and my way might be easier than your way. I love to see how people do things, how they learn, how they grow, and how they conquer something that is challenging or not.
There was something that I saw in Peyton’s eye this morning when he was learning about Mississippi. The wheels started turning and he was excited to learn about the state bird...the Northern Mockingbird. He was so eager to learn the next thing. He said with a spunky voice, “What’s the next State we’re going to learn about?” It got me thinking, when did we lose that eagerness to learn mindset? Do you find many adults that you know who have a “want to” attitude to learn or try something new?
Step out of our comfort zone. Sometimes we criticize those people but in reality, we are just comparing ourselves to them. I went through a season where I didn’t want to learn. I had just graduated from college and I didn’t see the need to learn anything new. I was terrified of people who wanted to continually learn and grow, and I was stuck in a non-growing season. I wasn’t growing in friendships, wisdom, life skills, or my relationship with God. It wasn’t until I actively started seeking wisdom that I found abundant growth! Let me tell you this, abundant growth is both hard and wonderful. There are growing pains but it’s important to remember to push past the pain because it’s only for a season!
Take a moment right now and think about some of the areas in your life that you find yourself comparing yourself or your family or your kids or your lifestyle to someone else’s.
What does your list look like?
Don’t mind me, just gonna dig deep, here are some of the ways that I “catch” myself comparing.
How I learn
How I communicate in relationships (husband, children, and family)
How my children learn differently
How I prioritize my life
How we parent our children
How we set our values and goals
The list can go on and on…
I encourage you to take a moment and make a list of your own! Look over it and remind yourself that we all are in different seasons of life with different gifts. Joy over comparison mean today I will find the joy in my season-Season of learning!
Father,
I am so thankful that you give wisdom to those who ask. I ask today that you would pour out wisdom for whatever season they are in. May you give them the courage to take a step out of their comfort zone at some point this week. Fill them with the desire to learn more about you and about the wisdom you give freely. Give them "God ideas" of how they can help teach the next generation!
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