Every parent, guardian, favourite aunt, and schoolteacher all end up praying the same prayer: “Lord, help this child to have some common sense.”
It is not for nothing that the scripture says,
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
Of course, it should go without saying that an adult is a person who has left his childish ways behind. But given the average man’s capacity for foolishness, it seems that we might still need those prayers for common sense.
As partakers of the divine nature (2Pet.1:4), we move on from the milk of the word to solid food. This is not an intellectual exercise. But instead, by means of constant practice we train our senses to discern good and evil (Heb.5:14).
It is in this training process that we discern that the blind spots that we see in others are just as easily our own. It is then that we voluntarily open ourselves up to the Righteous Judgements of others.
The conviction to seriously consider the comments, opinions, and advice of our brothers and sisters will be jarring at first. It’s not that you are to automatically assume that everyone’s thoughts are correct. But you are to assume that God is helping you to rightfully judge what is going on around you. This is so you can discern the right thing to do on any given occasion.
Be careful in your expectations. It was not through the great and destructive forces of the wind, earthquake, and fire that God spoke to Elijah; it was rather in the “gentle whisper” (1Kings 19:11-13).
When you find yourself in need of a word of wisdom, God will provide that promised wisdom (Jm.1:5) in any way He sees fit.
The age of the personal miraculous discourse between God and man may have ceased, but what does remain is that—
“A word to the wise is enough!”
“I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say” (1 Corinthians 10:15).
John Staiger
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