I have never
been able to make it on my own. I think along too narrow lines. I see trees
without seeing the forest. I understand the primary issue, but I miss the implication
for all the tangent concerns. I need to hear the voices of other people.
Proverbs
14:11 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of
counselors there is safety.” (RSV) I have no doubt that the writer of this bit
of wisdom had me in mind. Many cooks may spoil the soup, but I need a cluster
of counselors to help me see all the factors that need to be considered in a
decision.
I am
confident that I am not the only one in this position. Not only are there many
others who need to heed the voices of counsel that are available when decisions
must be made, but all too often the fork in the road has far more than two
tines. Instead of two options, the path ahead may offer five or six, none of
which look out of the question. The adventurous possibility of choosing the
road less traveled may not be a clear option as they all may look heavily used.
Rarely is
there a time when there are not multiple voices demanding to be heard. For
those of us who need the counsel of others, this does not make life any easier.
Voices come from many sources, and to choose to listen to one over another is
to accept its source of wisdom. The question then becomes what wisdom will
guide our decisions and the path we will take.
The Book of
Proverbs also says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (9:10 RSV) To trust a voice enough to
listen to it and follow its guidance demands a knowledge of who it is to whom
we are listening. Such knowledge is not gained through a passing conversation.
It is experienced through time and events that earn the trust.
A follower
of Christ looks to Jesus for the wisdom and guidance needed to make life
decisions. Other voices ask for, even demand equal or more attention. Some look
good. Some seem better. Some would say they are the best. In each instance we
must ask ourselves how well we know the source of such wisdom. Do we know the
source well enough to trust it?
The disciple
of Jesus Christ spends time learning the mind of Christ, the priorities of
Christ, and the way of Christ. The disciple learns to trust Jesus by watching
his wisdom at work, his spirit of transformation in the lives of others. The
disciple trusts Jesus because he has heard him before and knows he is true.
A disciple
grows in wisdom as he listens more to the one he follows. Jesus said in
speaking of himself, “When (the shepherd) has brought out all his own, he goes
before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” (John 10:4
RSV) The sheep follow because they have spent many days and nights with their
shepherd. They know his voice and they follow him.
If we say we
are followers of Jesus Christ, there is one voice to which we must listen. From
that voice we will learn wisdom from our heavenly Father. We will learn the
mind of Christ. We will learn to discern among the good, the better, and the
best. We will see the difference between the valuable and the trash. We will
know the path to take when we come to the fork in the road.
I know of no
one who does not at some time need to listen to another voice. Admitting we
need to listen to another voice can be hard. Knowing which voice to heed can be
even harder. Being on a first name basis with the Source of perfect wisdom
(James 3:17) is a great place to start.
