God's Wisdom for Navigating Life

by Timothy Keller

  Proverbs does not mandate strict social stratification, because 17:2 says that a wise and hardworking servant should become prominent. And God loves to raise the needy up (Luke 1:46–55). Rather this saying reminds us that we are not all fitted, by character or capacity, for any role in life we may want. Many roles require talent, gifts, and in some case physical abilities that not everyone has. Modern culture tells children, “You can be whatever you aspire to be,” but some of our aspirations are for wrong things and others simply don’t fit the reality of what we were designed for. In Christ we will eventually inherit the earth and will rule and reign with him (Matthew 5:5; Revelation 1:6). But until then, we can’t be whatever we want to be.

  Have you seen, in your life or someone else’s, an aspiration that was out of touch with reality and led to a sad result?

  Prayer: Lord, “You lift the needy up,” but, in this world, not everyone can be a ruler. Give me enough trust in your goodness and wisdom to serve you joyfully in “whatever situation the Lord has assigned . . . just as God has called” (1 Corinthians 7:17). Amen.

  August 21

  When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive. (23:1–3)

  MANNERS. You are to conduct yourself properly at the table if you are invited to sit to dine with a ruler. Why care about something as seemingly trivial as manners? “Society cannot exist without etiquette. . . . People must agree to restrain their impulses and follow a common language of behavior in order to avoid making communal life abrasive, unpleasant, and explosive. This has its personal drawbacks, of course, but it is considered worth the advantage of living among people who aren’t perpetually furious.”176

  Van Leeuwen writes: “Even table manners and food are part of the overall order of things, connecting us to the physical world that sustains us, connecting various people to one another, and giving expression to their varied relationships. . . . In the end, nothing, even table manners, is indifferent to the service of God, even though God gives us servants immense freedom to shape cuisine and culture in various ways.”177 Nothing is trivial. When you comb your hair, you bring order out of chaos, as God did at the beginning (Genesis 1:1–3). Do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

  Have you overlooked manners and courtesy as a way to be wise and glorify God? If not, how do you do it?

  Prayer: Lord, manners and etiquette are considered a discredited marker of class privilege—yet they are more than that. They are love, thoughtfulness, and respect in the smallest and most common things in life. Help me to be kind enough to be courteous. Amen.

  August 22

  Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. (26:4–5)

  TEMPERAMENT. While seeming to contradict each other, these two sayings, juxtaposed, are meant to make a point. Sometimes it is best to not engage a fool in an argument, and other times it is. How do you know when to do which?

  The markers to help with this discernment are listed. If there is no chance of correction and you will end up giving the foolish person only a greater opportunity to express his folly, then just avoid the engagement. But if there is a chance he may see where he is wrong, then plunge in, using all the insights for speaking and listening we have been discussing. But there is an even larger point to be made. Most of us temperamentally will default to always avoiding engagement, and others will be attracted to debating. Sometimes our instincts will be right, but often they are not. So be wise enough to think things out and sometimes go against your instincts.

  To which of these two approaches are you more temperamentally disposed? When was the last time you went against your temperament and it turned out to be a wise thing to do?

  Prayer: Lord, I thank you that, because you have led me to accept the authority of your Word, I have had many occasions to act against my temperament, and it has not only made me wise, but saved my life. Amen.

  August 23

  Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger. (29:8)

  INTERNET CULTURE. We have learned a great deal about mockers, those who scoff at all truth claims and virtue. Here we see that their work not only harms personal relationships but can stir up a city—that is, undermine an entire social order. Literally, this verse says that mockers “set a city on fire,” agitating people, stirring up skepticism, doubt, division, and cynicism. This leads to a breakdown in society, because people who listen to mockers can’t really believe or trust in any ideals, noble causes, or moral absolutes.

  It could be argued that technology has, in an enhanced way, given mockers a platform to set our society on fire with polarizing, incendiary speech. Internet culture privileges mockers, whose insults and broadsides are click bait. It disadvantages the kind of civil, respectful, patient, and careful back-and-forth that brings a diverse society together. The question is—how do we turn away the anger it causes? That is the challenge for the wise today. Start by not being sucked into its passions yourself.

  Have you found yourself upset by what you read on social media? Did you get drawn into it? How can you avoid that?

  Prayer: Lord, many try to stir up my anger—to get my support, money, vote, and to buy things. With your help, I resolve resistance. Remind me that you are the judge, and I am the judged, yet absolved in Christ. Let these wondrous truths consume my self-righteous indignation. Amen.

  August 24

  Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. . . . The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old. (16:31, 20:29)

  BEING OLD. We live in a culture that idolizes the beauty, energy, and creativity of youth. Proverbs, however, takes a remarkably balanced view of the unique splendor and glory of every age and stage of human life. The young have a strength and an unwearied ambition that older people cannot muster. The old have a perspective, wisdom, and dignity that younger people have yet to acquire. These are all distinct goods that should be enjoyed in their time.

  This side of a final redemption, however, these glories all can’t be combined at once. Only when Jesus glorifies us on the last day (Romans 8:18–21) will they all be united. J. R. R. Tolkien points to this great hope when he describes the death of Aragorn: “Then a great beauty was revealed in him, so that all who after came there looked on him with wonder; for they saw the grace of his youth, and the valor of his manhood, and the wisdom and majesty of his age were all blended together. And long there he lay, an image of the splendor of the Kings of Men in glory undimmed before the breaking of the world.”178

  How can you better enjoy the age stage of life you are in rather than fear it or wish for a different one?

  Prayer: Lord, I praise you for the promise of the resurrection, that the long experience and wisdom of our older years will be combined with the creativity, grace, and stamina of our younger ones, together with a glory and beauty we have never known. Until then, help us wait in patient, joyful hope. Amen.

  August 25

  A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. . . . A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (14:30, 17:22)

  REAL MEDICINE. The sages understood the intricate relationship between mental and physical health. Depression (a crushed spirit) literally rots or dries up the bones, keeping in mind that the term “bone” can signify the whole person, body and soul (17:22).179 Envy and the resentment it creates do the same thing, particularly affecting the cardiovascular system (14:30).

  Wise health care, therefore, must treat human beings as integrated wholes—not merely as physical objects. A young Christian physician was visiting with a prominent doctor and saw that over half his diagnostic notes included comments such as “working too hard,” “unhappy in marriage,”
and other nonphysical conditions. In other words, the physical problems were being aggravated or even caused by problems that were emotional and spiritual. Nevertheless, the older doctor insisted that a physician should ignore the nonphysical issues and just do “real medicine” and not try to counsel people. But the younger doctor argued, rightly, that there was no way to effectively treat sick people without addressing the whole of their lives.180 Modern medicine, informed by biblical wisdom, should embrace this crucial insight.

  Have you seen in your own life or someone else’s how a physical illness was complicated by personal spiritual and emotional problems? How did help come?

  Prayer: Lord, raise up doctors and medical workers who don’t think of us just as flesh but as a complex whole of soul and body. And teach me wise stewardship of my body, your gift. Don’t let me abuse it inadvertently by ignoring my emotional and spiritual well-being. Amen.

  August 26

  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (3:7–8)

  HEALTHY LIVING. We saw yesterday that our souls and bodies—our mental and physical health—are interwoven and must be treated together. How do we do that? The text tells us that if we fear the Lord (know God and enjoy fellowship with him) and shun evil (change your life to align with his will) it will lead to physical health. This cannot be seen as a guarantee that if we have faith, all will go well with us. The entire book of Job opposes “health and wealth” theology, namely, that if you live right, God will keep you healthy and prosperous.

  It does, however, mean that “well-being and . . . happiness, when God grants them, are natural by-products of a quest for more ultimate goods.”181 That is, when we seek to know and serve God more than we seek physical and mental health, we are far more likely to receive them than if we seek well-being more than God. And the health and nourishment that come with a right relationship to God are “a state of complete physical and mental well-being, not simply to the absence of illness and disease.”182

  How could spiritual growth and godly, wise priorities contribute to your physical health?

  Prayer: Father, first, I ask that I would grow stronger spiritually when I’m weak physically. Let my illness and discomfort be like smelling salts that show me my dependence and need for you more clearly. Second, I respectfully beg you for good health, that I can serve you with all my attention. Amen.

  August 27

  Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. (26:25–26)

  WORK ON YOUR INSIDE. People increasingly market themselves. They craft an image through the clothes they wear, goods they consume, and pictures they post. It is the default mode of the human heart to hide what is ugly (Genesis 3:7–8). A person’s speech may be charming—a word that means eloquent, compassionate, attractive—yet seven abominations fill their hearts, such as pride, envy, hate, lust, and greed.

  We are shocked when upstanding citizens harbor racial hatred that breaks out in violence, or when respected Christians are found guilty of immorality and corruption. It is because they cultivated their image more than their inner being. One minister caught in adultery said that for years he had preached without praying. “A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more.”183 That is true of every person as well. Don’t work on your image; work on your heart before God, or your true self will be exposed in the assembly.

  What bad attitudes or habits that are largely hidden should you be giving to God and working on with his help?

  Prayer: Father, give me the insight to see my besetting sins, the inordinate particular attitudes of my heart that lead to wrongdoing. Show me the things I love too little that I should adore, and the things that I adore too much that I should just receive with thanks. Amen.

  August 28

  My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. . . . The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. (3:11–12, 10:16)

  THE TWO GREAT TESTS. 3:11–12 tells us that suffering can be the Lord’s discipline to us, or it can be despised and nothing learned at all. 10:16 also tells us that prosperity (earnings) can lead to sin and death (August 29). Why? C. S. Lewis wrote: “If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.”184

  We are blind to our weaknesses. Call them “rats.” And there are two basic situations that flush them out, making them visible: prosperity and adversity. Both success and suffering will test you, bring out the worst in you, revealing the rats. They are equal spiritual crises. Will you accept what they show you and change, or deny and repress that knowledge? They will make you better or worse, but you will not stay the same.

  How have you seen, in either your life or someone else’s, that prosperity and things going well actually bring out the worst in us?

  Prayer: Lord, both success and difficulty bring out things in my heart that are appalling. You saw them in there all along, yet you loved me. You saw me to the bottom but loved me into heaven. How great is your love! Amen.

  August 29

  My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. . . . The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. . . . If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! (3:11–12, 10:16, 24:10)

  PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY. Both success and suffering test us (August 28). The same financial success that leads to life for the wise leads to death for the wicked (10:16). One of the worst things God can do to people is to let them have what they want, to “give them up” to their desires (Romans 1:24,26). If proud people get success, if greedy people get wealthy, and if lustful people achieve physical beauty, it only confirms them in their illusions about their ability to achieve their own happiness, and that will lead to greater despair in the end when all these supposed paradises become dead ends. Only Jesus’ living water will satisfy (John 4:13–14).

  On the other hand, how easy it is to falter in a time of trouble. How can we pass both tests? By believing the gospel of Jesus. The gospel’s message about our utter sinfulness keeps us from letting success go to our heads, but its message of God’s unconditional love helps us get through any dark valley.

  Looking back on your life, would you say that prosperity or adversity has been the greater spiritual trial and test for you?

  Prayer: Lord, as I look at my own heart and the people I know, despite our fears of suffering, “adversity hath slain her thousands, but prosperity her ten thousands.”185 Good times are far more likely to make you unreal to us. Save us, spiritually, from prosperity. Amen.

  August 30

  Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way! (19:2)

  YOUR MIND MATTERS. Desire without knowledge is not good. Zeal without careful analysis and knowledge misses the way, chooses the wrong path. Modern culture puts the greatest emphasis on passion and feeling. A great deal of modern Christianity is also anti-intellectual. We want feeling and we want results, but this produces a “simplistic activism that shows zeal without . . . insight into the complexities of life. We want answers and action before we have understood the questions.”186

  This is one reason that Christian churches are constantly being taken by surprise by cultural shifts—we don’t understand how complex culture is. It is
also a reason Christians often thoughtlessly just imitate the culture. We don’t know how to analyze the world around us using biblical theology and doctrine. So anti-intellectualism results in the church being more conformed to the world and the spirit of the age. The wisdom literature of the Bible “insists that God’s human servants develop their intellects and use them in every aspect of life so that . . . we may ‘destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God and . . . take every thought captive to obey Christ’” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5 RSV).187

  In what specific ways do you see anti-intellectualism harming the church? Do you hold the attitude yourself?

  Prayer: Lord, my mind is as much part of me as the rest, and my whole self is yours. Give me both zeal and knowledge—not just one or the other. Amen.

  August 31

  The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place. (15:25)

  BOUNDARIES. Widows were without social power. So it was possible to move their boundary stones and take part of their land. To steal a family’s God-allotted land was to trample on their humanity. Today we don’t live in an agrarian society, so for us “Proverbs 15:25 must be applied to the boundaries that concern bodies, emotions, jobs, reputations.”188 When we try to have sex with someone without giving them our whole lives in marriage, we violate a bodily boundary and use them rather than serve them. If you are manipulative or verbally abusive, you are not honoring emotional boundaries. When companies get rich selling products that are not good for people—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—they are exploiting people.