A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Proverbs 1:5
In our culture, the ‘rugged individualist’ is held in high esteem. We love stories of men and women who refused to heed to the advice of others, who didn’t listen to the admonition of others, yet proceeded to succeed. These heroes charted their own paths. They ‘went it alone’. They were not followers. They were leaders. We have been subtly indoctrinated into thinking that we should all be leaders; that to be a follower is a weak, low thing to be. Therefore, listening to, and learning from others is something that only a weak person needs to do. Is this where God stands?
No. God says that a wise man, a man of understanding, will seek to learn from others. He will humbly admit to himself and to others that he does not know it all. A wise man will increase learning. He is not finished learning when he completes his schooling. He is constantly learning. As a wise man, he knows how little he knows! How does he learn? He listens to others. He hears them speak. He reads books. He asks questions. He attains wise counsel. He increases his learning.
A man of understanding will seek to find, not just any counsel, but wise counsel. He will learn from those that have exhibited wisdom in their lives. “Whereby by their fruits ye shall know them.†(Mt 7:20) If we want to be wise, we should be looking for wise men and women from whom we can learn. As Christians, we need not buy into the worldly, ‘rugged individualist’ line of thinking. According to our Lord, it is a wise to hear others and attain unto wise counsels.
Pastor Lee Smith
