These days many people are making what they consider a wise investment, but is it really wise? Lately, there seems to be so much fraud and stolen money that a lot of people are losing their hard-earned money which they have invested. On hearing about all of this loss of money, I remembered the parable that Jesus told about the man who built a bigger barn to store his fruits and goods, but God took his life and he left all his earthly treasure behind. We can’t take all this material stuff when we die and while we live our treasure may be taken from us, so it is best to invest in God’s Kingdom and recognize that everything we have is what God has given us to steward and we should seek Him to know what to do with what we have. It might be to save, but He will show us how to do it.
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”. 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
We may believe ourselves to be wise, but we may not understand we have to be a fool to the world to be considered wise by God. If we are constantly wanting approval of men and wanting them to commend us on our wisdom, then that will be to our downfall because we are more than likely exhibiting the wisdom of the world. I often think about some of the decisions I have made in Christ that many people have considered crazy, even people in the Church. But I had to persevere in what God was showing me even though it may have led to difficult situations. It may take a while to understand how God is working. And I may never know, but I still have to trust God and do the thing that He says that may not seem normal or wise to the world.
I was recently speaking to one of the missionaries and he told me he was invited to go to a country where there are only underground churches and where he could get arrested for preaching the Gospel. He asked me to pray for him as he wanted to be clear on what God wanted him to do. I am very proud of him because many Christians would not even consider this as they would want to preserve their lives, but they would not have lived out the Bible verse which he quoted to me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:25
This Bible verse may make no sense to the world, but to true followers of Christ, these are words to live by. The wisdom of the world opposes the wisdom from above and we should never forget this. Some of what we think is wise in Church, may be the wisdom of the world and we have to pray for the Holy Spirit to help us discern the difference. I had to ask God to forgive me not long ago because many things told to me by people who I respected and who I thought were strong wise Christians may not have been wisdom from God and I was listening to them instead of Him.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:13-17
I see so many people doing what they think is wise to fulfill their own ambitions and to get what other people have. But this is not of God. They manipulate to get their own way and then say that God has blessed them. They have lied against the truth. If we should do this for self-gain, then we would have lost Heaven. We should never forget that Christ is coming back for a pure bride who is spotless, so we should not be stained by the sins of this world.
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2-3
God’s wisdom will prepare us for when Jesus, our Master, returns and we will not be unaware. We should keep away from anything that would corrupt our minds and hold on to the simplicity that is in Christ. We need to keep our lamps burning and we must be dressed for when Jesus returns so there will be no hesitation when He knocks on our door. Godly wisdom tells us we should watch and wait for His return instead of being caught up in the cares of the world, because this would not be wise.
"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. Luke 12:35-37
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