Please Set Me Straight

Today's reading: 

• Proverbs 25:12 -- Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.

Thoughts:

I like gold. I'm just throwing that out there. 

Not that I wear a whole lot of gold myself. But gold definitely catches the eye. If you gave me gold, I'd be ok with that. When I give jewelry to Amanda (which she would probably like to see happening more often, to tell the truth), she likes gold, too. Sometimes she prefers white gold. But gold earrings? I haven't seen her turn anything like that down yet. 

Gold is attractive. We like to be attractive and noticed. So we like gold. 

Wisdom is also attractive. We like to be attractive and respected. And yet we sometimes reject wisdom. 

Can someone please explain to me why this happens? Not just why OTHER people reject wisdom, but why do ALL people reject wisdom? Why do I reject wisdom? 

This proverb gives us a bit of insight into why we reject wisdom when others are giving it to us. Are you ready? Here's why: It's because we don't want it. 

We don't want wisdom because we would prefer to believe we are already wise. We don't want others to give us their wisdom because we didn't ask them for it and weren't ready for it. We don't want wisdom because it often comes in the form of a rebuke. We don't want wisdom because when we hear it, it makes us feel exposed as people who don't yet have wisdom. 

We are wisdom poor, and we don't want others to know it. So when someone offers us wisdom, we reject it. Which is ridiculous, because it doesn't matter how financially poor we are when someone offers us gold. If you give us gold, we take it!

Gold can make us attractive only on the outside; it doesn't change our actual value. But wisdom makes us more valuable to everyone around us. It's like having our very blood infused with gold!

So let's embrace and cherish wisdom, even when it comes in the form of a rebuke. Let's get over the pain of having our wisdom poverty exposed so that we can humbly and gratefully recognize wise people's rebukes for what they are -- gifts of unimaginable value.

I need this, too. So to the wise, consider this your invitation. Please, set me straight.