21My son, don’t let them slip from your eyes; protect resourcefulness and discretion.
Resourcefulness (Prov. 2:7) and discretion (Prov. 1:4) are gifts God increasingly gives to those who revere Him and seek His wisdom. Resourcefulness is the ability to get one’s self (and those who follow) out of a jam through wisdom. Discretion is thinking through all the options of a situation and choosing the best way.
22Let them be life for your soul and an ornament for your throat.
The leader who wants to reach his full potential in and for Christ will treasure these gifts from the Lord and learn to practice them. We find ourselves leading people who are desperate for leadership. Yet, we are not competent in leading ourselves, much less those under our care. We come to a leadership crisis that has several solutions, each with their own future consequences. Which one do we choose?
We must learn how to practice the gifts of resourcefulness and discretion… As leaders, we must have clear commitments to seek and learn God’s wisdom (Prov. 1-2.) Often, this means going through challenging circumstances that God engineers to mold us further into His image (Rom. 5:3-5; 8:29). However, if we have not spent adequate time meditating on the Word and listening to the Spirit’s application, we will not be prepared to understand all God wants to teach us when the lessons come. As we learn, we have the privilege to reflect and share these experiences with the Spirit and trusted comrades in ministry… obtaining even more wisdom.
If we receive and develop God’s gifts – “Resourcefulness and discretion” – they will become “life” for us and will “ornate” our lives and leadership.
Happy New Year!
The translation and some of the interpretation for the preceding post is from…
Longman III, Tremper (2006-06-01). Proverbs (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms) (p. 140). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
ZacharyCEdwards.com 