Do you take action when you know the right thing to do? (131-5)

The leader who refuses to act on what they know is right, who refuses wise counsel, who ignores good advice will end up with a disaster on their hands. Read Proverbs 1:1-33.

Verses 28-32 do not contain comforting thoughts concerning leaders who refuse to apply wisdom. Wisdom threatens to laugh at a leader’s disaster. Wisdom threatens to ignore rebellious leaders who call on her in their time of distress and trouble. On the face of it this may seem like a troubling passage but a closer look reveals the wording is all past tense.

A critical principle for every leader is that when a leader refuses to act on what they know is right or when they refuse wise counsel and good advice they will end up with trouble. The fact that the leader refused means it was an active conscious decision. Later, when a leader realizes their mistake, when they search for an intelligent way out of the problem, it will appear that wisdom has abandoned them. Next time you catch yourself saying something like “I knew better,” or “Why didn’t I listen?” or “How could I have been so stupid?” you will understand the cost of refusing to apply wisdom in the decision-making process.

An interesting fact about Proverbs 1 is that wisdom is portrayed as a woman crying out in the streets (v. 20). Wisdom does not hide herself, but shouts loudly and publicly. To end the week on a bit of a positive note coming out of a stern difficult proverb, some truths we can learn about wisdom and decision making from Proverbs 1:

• The foundation for every decision is to honor and revere God (v. 7).
• We must build off the positive values from our heritage and conscience (vv. 8, 9).
• We must avoid the counsel of the ungodly (vv. 10-19).
• We must pursue wisdom. Seek godly counsel along with the facts. Evaluate our options through the grid of godly character (vv. 20-23).
• We can have inner peace (v. 33).

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”