“Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your intimate friend.” (Proverbs 7:1-5, NASB)

There are many things that make me who I am, and part of my life. For example, factors like my parents, my heritage, and my experiences will always make me identify as Korean-American. Other factors, such as where I grew up, my education, my friends, and my upbringing, also shape who I am. Also, the food I like, the way I dress, and the way I speak make me who I am. Most importantly, my relationship with God through Christ Jesus makes me who I am. In summary, both innate qualities and experiences we acquire over time contribute to shaping our identities. In today’s reading, Solomon acknowledges this truth and encourages us to make God’s wisdom part of our lives. It says,

“My son, keep my words, and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your intimate friend; that they may keep you from an adulteress, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.”

What is common to these phrases: “within you,” “apple of your eye,” “fingers,” “tablet of your heart,” “my sister,” “intimate friend?” These things make up who you are on the inside and out, personal and relational, and how you see yourself and how others see you. For me, making God’s wisdom part of my life in these areas means I apply biblical teachings everywhere I go. I wake up with God’s words on my mind, and I go to sleep meditating on His love for me. I recite to myself my favorite verses that encourage me and strengthen me. I train my mind to think about God throughout the day, so that everything I see and experience, I talk to Him about it. I make it a point to include my family and friends and surround myself with people who give me godly advice. In other words, we are to integrate God’s wisdom in every part of our lives. In doing so, it will enlighten, guide, and bless us so that we can live a happy life. It will also guard us against falling into the wrong people who will steer us away from God’s intended life. In verse 5, Solomon specifically mentions “adulteress” and “foreigner who flatters with her words.” It could literally mean a promiscuous woman, or it could be a symbol of a sinful temptation that comes to seduce us. Either way, God’s wisdom guards us against such temptations by giving us discernment, level-headedness, and a strong commitment to being a good person.

Ask yourself what kind of wisdom is part of your life and is guiding you. There is much wisdom in the world, and not all of it is godly, let alone good. One of the many forms of wisdom that compete with God’s wisdom comes from the media and Hollywood. Through TV shows, movies, and music, they seek to instill the world’s wisdom in us. Some inspire us to be heroes, good guys, and street-smart protagonists. However, many of their methods include being rough, tough, foul-mouthed, selfish, greedy, and not following the rules. Others persuade us to cheer for the antiheros, bad guys, and even criminals. Still others convince us to see sexual immorality as the right thing to do by making it seem like it’s love, a cool thing to do, or justified behavior. Although they don’t spell out the wisdom for us, we learn to embrace their way of life within us. We end up writing them in our hearts, guarding them as the apple of our eyes, and surrounding ourselves with like-minded people. Over time, we make the world’s wisdom part of our lives and reject God’s wisdom because they often contradict each other. Solomon encourages his “son”—meaning anyone who desires to live in a way that pleases God—to intentionally embrace God’s wisdom in every area of life: within one’s heart, vision, actions, relationships, and community. By doing so, there will be no space left for worldly wisdom.

• What do you think it means to make God’s wisdom part of your life?
• How can you know if worldly wisdom has influenced your life?