Teach me, Lord, to listen.

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of bite size nuggets of wisdom.  Within it, lady Wisdom is contrasted with the way of folly.  The way of folly leads to foolishness whereas the way of wisdom leads to life and God.  The challenge of discerning the difference between wisdom and folly is the gift of listening.

In the 7^th chapter, the writer, speaking on behalf of Wisdom, admonishes us to the importance of listening to the wisdom of the ages and the snares of the way of folly.  It reads in part,

And now, my children, listen to me,

and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways;

do not stray into her paths.

For many are those she has laid low,

and numerous are her victims.

Her house is the way to Sheol (grave),

going down to the chambers of death.

The quest of learning to live a life marked by Embodying Christ is the reality that learning the way of wisdom is a perpetual pursuit.  Sometimes we learn wisdom by falling and failing.  Other times, we learn wisdom by listening and adapting to that way.  All of us are a mixture of both and the hope of sitting in the stance of listening is that we can avoid following the way of folly by listening to the way of wisdom…the way of Christ!