THE QUIET WORDS OF THE WISE

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THE QUIET WORDS OF THE WISE

The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

    than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 

~Ecclesiastes 9:17

I just have a quick thought for you today.  This verse was in my daily readings for this morning, and I found myself chewing on it for several minutes before I was able to move on.  I think the Holy Spirit has something encouraging for us in these words.

First, I think it possible (if not even likely!) that you assumed I was talking about a particular "ruler."  Nope.  But I did find myself wondering if this passage had more to say in regard to one particular ruler rather than another.  Again, nope.  

The truth is that we live in an age of shouting rulers.  We're surrounded by them.  And they're not all elected "rulers."  If a ruler is one who governs us or who exercises power or authority over us, then we could be talking about virtually anyone from internet influencers to podcast hosts to political figures.  The truth is that we have invested a measure of authority in many of these are people, whether by watching them or listening to them or voting for them.  What's more, social media algorithms steer us not only to those who are shouting things we approve of, they also steer us to those with whom we fiercely disagree. 

Their goal is to keep us constantly vehement, constantly angry, constantly aggrieved, and yes, constantly fearful. Otherwise, "those people" may somehow manage to get the upper hand if, so they say, it's not already too late.

The shouting isn't always political, though.  I've been listening lately to sports radio hosts yelling, even screaming, into their microphones about various players' pitiful performances, their manager's incompetence, the failure to change lineups or make the right draft picks or execute the best trades.

But you don't have to be a sports fan to be on the wrong end of this shouting.  You may be hearing mostly of celebrities, actors, or musicians who get loudly and publicly lifted up for insult and derision.  Or there may be certain causes like climate change, the latest diet or exercise program, economic inequality, harmful drugs and vaccines – you get the point.  Someone is always within earshot telling us we need to get more fired up about A, B, or C – or that if we're not fired up about it we ought to be!  

What we need to understand, though, is that when we are relentlessly bombarded again and again, day after day, these voices shape our heart, minds, thoughts, and desires.  Getting past or around or beyond all this is going to require far more than just not listening to those voices.  We need to do more than just fast from social media.

What's required of us is not just turning off our smartphones or regulating their input.  We need to replace the input; we need to re-direct our attention.

This is why I think this verse from Ecclesiastes is so important for us:

"The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

    than the shouting of a ruler among fools."

When everyone around us is shouting (and even when they do stop shouting or we turn them off, don't we just keep hearing the echoes of those shouts the whole rest of the day, like an irritating song lyric we can't get out of our heads?), how are we even supposed to be able to "heed the quiet words of the wise"?

Who are "the wise" to you?  Whose voice do you give priority to?  Whose voice should you give priority to?  I wonder if we shouldn't step out from beneath the authority of whoever our brazen rulers happen to be to sit at the feet of those who have genuine wisdom to share with us.  Wisdom functions as light and peace, while shouting produces guilt and agitation, unrest and anxiety, fear and anger.

You see, wisdom has no reason to shout.  Wisdom is not defensive.  Wisdom is steadfast and immovable, while at the same time as fragrant and beautiful as a summer garden in bloom.  Wisdom is flavorful and satisfying.  Shouting is junk food packed with empty calories, nervous energy, fake colors and manufactured additives, and in the end it only leaves you tired and grumpy – and addicted.

So again I ask you:  Who are the wise you are surrounding yourselves with?  Whose voice would you rather heed or pay attention to?

I'll close by giving you three sources of wisdom you can trust no matter who you are:

1.  Scripture.  (I don't care which translation you use, but make it a "real" Bible, not a Bible app or online version – those advertisers will keep shouting at you even while you read!)  This is self-evident for most of you, I know, but I want to really encourage you to find some sort of reading plan to get a steady diet of Jesus-wisdom into your souls!  Or read one of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.  Read a psalm or two every day and turn them into prayer.  (For example, if you read Psalm 37, you'll find "Do not fret…"  Pray about what you're fretting over.  If you read "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him…"  Offer God your impatience or whatever it is you're longing for, and ask him, in your stillness, to strengthen you with his presence as you wait for his timing to come to pass.  You get the idea:  Turn all that you read into prayer!)

2.  Good books.  Real books.  Time-tested books.  (Dare I say nothing less than 50 years old?  Just living on the edge here!  I did say "time-tested" a moment ago!)  You can find books of old sermons and reflections by trusted preachers and writers like John Stott, J.I. Packer, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, A.W. Tozer, there are lots!  And don't cheat yourself out of good, classic fiction!  Try The Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, David Copperfield (many of the old books are not explicitly Christian, but they are packed with powerful Christian themes and images).  Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice (especially if you haven't seen any of the movie versions!), The Count of Monte Cristo – ask me for more ideas!

3.  Lastly, reading is not the only way to shape and inspire your soul!  Go somewhere beautiful and take a walk.  If you have a hard time getting around, go somewhere beautiful and just sit in the car where you can see trees or water or flowers, where you can hear birds sing.  Find a beautiful piece of classical music – Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Bach, there are so many!

If you practice suggestions like these, the "quiet words of the wise" (and the beauty and harmony of the wise!) will fill your soul, shape your heart, and tune your spirit to nobler and loftier thoughts and desires than all the shouting that surrounds us at every turn.

And please let me know how this goes for you!  And let me know what other sources of inspiration and beauty you find along the way!  Blessings to you!

Be encouraged, friend, for God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, who spoke all worlds into being, is both with you and for you.