Too Soon Old und Too Late Shmart

In this Wisdom UPGRADE, Dawn Wilson encourages the pursuit of wisdom—as early as possible!

Today is my birthday, and I've been thinking a lot about aging and what it means. As I meditated on God's purposes in my life going forward, a favorite proverb came to mind:

"We grow too soon old und too late shmart."

It is sometimes attributed to Chinese, Japanese, Swedish, Danish, and Jewish sources, but usually, it's considered a "Pennsylvania Dutch" proverb—often seen on their pottery and souvenirs. My German-Dutch grandparents on my dad's side used to talk about being "shmart."

I went to college in Pennsylvania, about two hours north of Lancaster County—sometimes known as "Amish Country." As I understand it, the Pennsylvania Dutch aren't necessarily Amish, but the Amish are Pennsylvania Dutch—but they're not really Dutch. They're German!

The Pennsylvania "Deutsch" (or Pennsylvania Germans) are the descendants of German-speaking immigrants.

I toured Amish Country and had fun learning Pennsylvania Dutch expressions during my two years at college. I remember these two:

"Eat yourself full."

"Outen the lights."

I used to say those two phrases all the time.

But it was their proverbs that captured my thoughts.

• Good marriage counsel for women: "Kissin' wears out—cookin' don't."
• Good marriage counsel for men: "A plump wife and a big barn never did any man any harm."

As I noted, my favorite proverb was "We grow too soon old und too late shmart," because I was at college and focusing on getting smart!

I should have focused on getting wise.  

Smart and wise are not the same thing.

My years of schooling taught me many things. I love to read non-fiction, and I remember that as a young girl, I devoured my Grandma Parks' "Lincoln Library" in her attic. This early encyclopedia-type resource encouraged my intellectual curiosity. I felt I couldn't learn enough! And I learned a lot of "facts."

But now, I wish I'd pursued wisdom at that young age.

Not that being smart is bad. In fact, smartness isn't just the facts we learn in school. "Street smarts" is a thing. And people are gifted with all kinds of intelligences.

One source says there are nine types of intelligence.

Wisdom, however, goes beyond intelligence, and the Bible rates it more valuable than "smartness."

• A person can have an extremely high IQ and still be counted a fool.
• A person can be a genius and have no sense.
• Some intellectually-superior people have even been considered evil. (Hitler was thought to be a genius in certain respects.)
• On the other hand, those who might be considered unlearned or slow can be truly wise.

The words "wise" and "wisdom" appear in scripture more than 450 times, so it's something the Lord wants us to consider.

The writer of Proverbs described four animals as "wise" (Proverbs 30:24-28) to illustrate the practical application of wisdom for us.

Biblical wisdom is about understanding how to behave and choose correctly in different circumstances. It's also about knowing how to complete God-given tasks well.

I think my version of that old German proverb might be: "Too soon old and too late WISE!"

There are people who face eternity with very little wisdom, because they failed to avail themselves of the wisdom that comes from God.

But as long as we're alive, we don't have to get stuck there. Our IQ might stay the same until we die, but we can always increase in wisdom—to mature and go beyond the "milk" of the Word to "meat" (Job 32:7; Hebrews 5:12).

Wisdom is so needed today.

• Wisdom is something we need to teach our children.
• Wisdom is so needed in our churches—what we need to hear proclaimed from our pulpits.
• Wisdom is what we need to manifest in our communities to the glory of God.

Here are some biblical facts about Wisdom.

1. Wisdom for living begins with knowing God and having reverence and healthy "fear" of Him (Proverbs 9:10). His Word makes even simple people wise (Psalm 19:7b). We need to choose wisdom and learn from it.
2. When we choose wisdom, we'll soon discover so many blessings from its presence in our lives (Proverbs 8:12-21; 32-36; 24:14). Wisdom is better than fine gold! (Proverbs 16:16)
   
3. There has been much talk in this year during the Covid-19 pandemic of what is "essential." The Bible says wisdom is essential, because if we fail to find and apply it, we "love death" (Proverbs 8:36).
4. One of the qualities of God is wisdom (Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 3:19; Job 12:13; Daniel 2:20; Romans 16:27); and Paul said "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are found in Christ (Colossians 2:2-3).
5. We can ask for His wisdom—wisdom from above (James 1:5). He is the giver of wisdom (Proverbs 2:6; Ephesians 1:17).

Today, my birthday, I am recommiting to a scripture the Lord reminded me about last year when I faced a diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma.

In those early days, I didn't know how long I'd live. It was a hard concept to think about. Then I read Psalm 90:12.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

A heart of wisdom. That's what I wanted more than anything. It became a precious thought, replacing my concerns about the length of my life.

Later, the Lord gave me another verse:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16).

If ever we needed wisdom, it is in these chaotic days. We need more than human intelligence, because God's thoughts and ways are not our thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). We desperately need His perfect wisdom and perspective.

Wisdom sets people apart from people who are merely "smart."

Two of Jesus' disciples, Peter and John, were courageous in sharing the Gospel. People around them wondered at them, noting they were "unschooled and ordinary men," but what a difference being with Jesus made in their lives (Acts 4:13).

Spending time with the Lord and His Word will give us courage, but also wisdom. He IS our wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:30).

So I'm older today and maybe a little smarter; but my joy is to know wisdom can increase as I allow God's Word to transform my thinking (Romans 12:2) and help me please the Lord.

Can you pray this with me?

Lord, I want a heart of wisdom!

Are you wise? How can your wisdom increase?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic of cross-stitched piece from Unique Treasures PA, on Etsy.

Plant What You Want to Grow

In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, Dawn encourages us to be more intentional about what we "plant" into others' lives.

I have heard the scripture, Galatians 6:7-8 for years. I know it refers to being careful not to "sow" to our sinful flesh (which is destructive), but to instead plant to please the Holy Spirit, because from the Spirit we will reap eternal life and spiritual growth.

But the Lord spoke to me about another application.

What we plant in the lives of others—whether in person, on the phone, in writing or even on social media—can make a difference in their lives.

• If we plant joy, we will likely see a joyful response. If we constantly sow misery—bad news, bad reports, a negative perspective—how can we expect a harvest of joy?
• What would happen if we planted seeds of faith, instead of constantly dwelling on the negative or propagating fears?
• Do we cultivate peace, or do we let the weeds of worry take over?
• When we plant gratitude, this honors God. But grumbling? The story of the Israelites should inform us about that! (Exodus 15:24; 16:2; Psalm 106:7, 13, 25)

We are planting something in every interaction. We need to me more conscientious and intentional about what we sow.

We plant into lives through our words, attitudes and actions.

Think about just today. What have you "planted" in people's thoughts and hearts since you woke up this morning?

• Could you have planted a little differently—with more wisdom and compassion?
• How did they respond? Does that give you an indication about what you've sown?
• Have any regrets?
• Do you need to contact someone, do some "weeding" and purposefully plant something better?

But that's not all. What we plant will make a difference in our lives too.

Think about what you are sowing in your own thoughts. What does your self-talk sound like?

• Do you tell yourself or believe lies?
• Do you downgrade the gifts God has given you?
• Do you constantly judge yourself when God has already forgiven you?
• How is what you are saying to yourself affecting your behavior?
• Are the thoughts you plant encouraging growth ... or defeating you?

A good scripture for sowing healthy, helpful thoughts is Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about these things (Philippians 4:8).

Two truths to remember:

1. The Lord cares about relationships.

He cares how we interact with others—what we plant and cultivate.

2. The Lord cares about our self-care.

He cares about our self-talk—what we sow in our thoughts.

And the best news of all...

The Lord can help us learn to plant what we want to grow.

I wasn't kidding:

Think about today. What have you planted already? Need to do any relational weeding? What do you need to sow going forward?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Who Can Straighten What God Has Made Crooked?

Debbie W. Wilson doesn't flinch from encouraging women to see their life circumstances from God's perspective, and indeed, as a Bible teacher and counselor, she points them to scriptures that reveal who God is and what He does. In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she shares the life of Joseph as an example of God's always wise but sometimes painful plan.

"Have you ever wondered why God allowed the COVID-19 virus to stop the world?" Debbie says, "Or why He allowed your particular setback?

"Have you ever wondered what good can come from these?"

Yes, I (Dawn) have wondered about that! But the Lord revealed many unexpected gifts in the middle of the pandemic. He has a plan for us even in tough circumstances!

Debbie continues . . .

As one who values efficiency, I like McDonald’s jingle, “You deserve a break today.” But biblical and secular history show life doesn’t flow in a straight line.

Like a good novel, real life packs its share of twists and turns.

A better question might be, how should we respond when life interrupts our plans?

Ecclesiastes answers:

“Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13 NLT)

If God is behind something, that’s one thing.

But does this include the pain of sin and sickness?

1. Curves in the Road of Life

By divine design, we learn through living. Instead of bemoaning life’s learning curves, we do better to glean all we can from the delays. This includes our stumbles.

God uses even our worst flops for His glory when we surrender to Him (Romans 8:28; Luke 22:32; 1 John 1:9).

What about other people’s sins? Are those under God’s control?

Old Testament Joseph addresses that question.

After two dreams forecasting an amazing future, I imagine Joseph expected a wonderful life. From pampered son to reigning leader, who wouldn’t like that plan.

But God’s path to glory included some painful twists.

2. Joseph’s Tortuous Road to Greatness

• Joseph’s brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery.
• He rebounded to become head slave.
• His mistress relentlessly tried to seduce him.
• When he refused, she falsely accused him of attacking her.
• Instead of being crowned for his integrity, Joseph goes straight to prison in an iron collar.

While languishing in chains, Joseph probably experienced times when it felt like God had forgotten him.

As his bright future seemed to have been snatched in one jealous act, it was fulfilled in another action. Pharaoh raised Joseph out of prison and put him second in command over Egypt. Joseph eventually reunites with his family.

What I described in sentences took DECADES to achieve.

God’s plan was greater than Joseph imagined. But it hurt more than he could have fathomed.

3. Who Is in Charge?

Was this crooked path God’s way?

Genesis tells Joseph’s account from the human viewpoint. Psalms tells it from God’s perspective.

“He [God] brought famine to the land.
He took away their food supply.
He sent a man ahead of them.
He sent Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
They hurt his feet with shackles, and cut into his neck with an iron collar.
The Lord’s promise tested him through fiery trials until his prediction came true. The king … made Joseph the master of his palace and the ruler of all his possessions” (Psalm 105:16-22 GW).

God’s route for Joseph included betrayal, separation, famine, chains and prison.

No one could have straightened his path.

Not Joseph, not his father Jacob.

God used Joseph’s years as a slave and prisoner to build a strong leader.

If Joseph—and Jesus—learned obedience from what they suffered (Hebrews 5:8), why do I think I should get a shortcut?

4. Accept the Way

If Joseph wondered what he could have done to skip these hardships, he learned he couldn’t have smoothed God’s path. Every bend fell under his heavenly Father’s watchful eye.

Suffering is necessary for greatness (Romans 8:17).

Has some setback caused you to question your calling or God’s love? Have you tried to smooth the sharp turns out of life?

Take heart from Joseph and accept God’s way.

His plan for you is better than you can imagine. And He’s at work in the crooked part of your journey too.

What good might God be developing from your “crooked” circumstances today?

Debbie W. Wilson—drawing from her walk with Christ and decades as a Christian counselor, life coach, and Bible teacher—helps women give themselves a break so they can enjoy grace-filled lives. Her most recent book, Little Faith, Big God, explores the lessons and lives of those found in Hebrews 11. She is also the author of Give Yourself a Break and Little Women, Big God. She and her husband Larry founded Lighthouse Ministries, a nonprofit biblical counseling, coaching, and Bible study ministry. Debbie enjoys dark chocolate, a good mystery and the antics of her two standard poodles. Find free resources to refresh your faith and connect with Debbie at debbieWwilson.com.

Graphic adapted, "Joseph," from https://bible.wikia.org/wiki/Joseph_(Old_Testament).

As if Chained with Them

Kathi Macias' novels about issues like human traficking, survival in non-Christian surroundings and persecution of Christ-followers have challenged me greatly and encouraged my desire to pray for the persecuted Church. In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she encourages us to consider the persecuted in a more impassioned and involved way.

"The Bible tells us to remember the prisoners—those who suffer for their faith—'as if chained with them,'" Kathi says. "This is more than a call to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer; and it is also a call to do whatever we can to ease their suffering and strengthen their witness."

Many years ago in college, I (Dawn) was first moved to pray for the Persecuted Church in Russia. I felt their struggle and cried out to God in their behalf. It's a burden that's never left me, and I'm glad to see Kathi opening her heart about it today.

Kathi continues . . .

As a new believer in 1974, I came to view the Church through an "American lens," as if every Christian around the world lived and worshipped in much the same setting and circumstances as I did.

However, after hearing a few guest missionaries speak at our church's evening services, my understanding of the plight of many believers in other countries changed drastically.

In addition, my Bible reading regarding the early Church took on new meaning. I realized it wasn't just first-century Christians who suffered persecution; it was also believers around the world today who suffer unimaginable hardships for no reason other than their faith in Christ.

It was during that time that I read the third chapter of Hebrews—not for the first time since becoming a believer, but for the first time since my eyes were opened to the plight of fellow believers. Verse 13 nearly jumped off the page as I read it over several times:

“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also” (NKJV).

Now I have since heard that scripture used in prison ministry, and I don’t discount that, as I too have served in jail and prison ministries through the years and have quoted that verse more than once in that setting.

However, it is obvious from a clear reading of this verse that the author is referring to believers, those who, like us, “are in the body also.” It is also clear that we are to “remember” these prisoners as if we, too, were “chained with them.” What does that mean?

How do we remember others as if we suffered with them?

1. Of course, we must “remember” to pray for them as if we were praying for ourselves (or a loved one) in such dire straits.

I know that if I were the one in chains, I would be in constant prayer and communion with God about every aspect of my situation. And if one of my grown children or grandchildren were being held in such circumstances, that remembrance would no doubt be my last anguished thought as I drifted off to sleep at night, and the first thought when I awoke the next morning.

I would need no reminding or prodding to pray for them; it would flow naturally and regularly from my broken heart.

And that is the type of ongoing, heartfelt prayer God calls us to in Hebrews.

But is prayer enough—even regular, anguished prayer? It is, of course, the first and most important thing we can do for our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ, but can we take it to the next step?

Is there something we can do beyond lifting those “in chains” to God, the only One who can help them?

I believe there is—and I believe we must.

2. Do what you can to ease their suffering.

If, as the verse declares, we are to “remember” our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ “as if chained with them,” then we need to do for them what we would want others to do for us if we or our family members were the ones in chains. We would want them to pray and also to do what they could to help ease our suffering.

As a result of coming to understand that, I have personally become involved with several worldwide ministries, including Voice of the Martyrs who work tirelessly to assist persecuted believers around the world.

Not only do I receive email updates from them with information on how to pray for certain people, but I also receive their monthly magazine, containing inspirational stories of believers who have stood strong under persecution and seen God’s faithfulness in the middle of it.

Gratitude for prayer is a hallmark of their victorious testimonies.

They also express their appreciation for help received, such as food or clothing or other material assistance.

One of my greatest joys is to know that I help monthly by financially supporting someone who trusts God and goes out to minister in some of the most dangerous places imaginable.

In addition to Voice of the Martyrs, other ministries (i.e., Open Doors, Compassion International) offer opportunities to “remember” those who suffer “as if chained with them.” Working with such ministries is a way for all believers to participate in answering that call.

Not only does such ministry involvement bless and encourage others around the world, it deepens our relationship with the One who calls us to do so.

Are you praying for the Persecuted Church? If not, ask God to move your heart to do so. What ministry to those "in chains" of persecution might you consider today to help you cultivate a heart of compassion for brothers and sisters in dangerous places?

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 60 books and ghostwritten several others. Kathi won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Her novel Red Ink won the 2011 Golden Scrolls Novel of the Year Award and was also a finalist for a Carol Award from American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al. You can learn more about her and her books/ministry at www.kathimacias.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Engin Akyurt at Unsplash.

Rest and Reflection Saturday

In this Easter UPGRADE, Dawn Wilson encourages us to prepare our hearts by thinking about the day before Easter—something she calls "Rest and Reflection Saturday."

I never really thought much about the Saturday before Easter.

Other than to sing the words, “Low in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Savior,” Saturday wasn’t in my religious tradition.

Now I understand an important truth. After Jesus declared His work for sinners "finished" (John 19:30)—on what we call “Good Friday”—He honored the Sabbath, just as He did at the beginning of creation.

In other words, on Saturday in the tomb, our Lord RESTED. Friday was a grueling, torturous day for our Savior. But …

On Saturday, the Lord rested from His work of providing salvation for us.

There was no additional price Jesus had to pay. “Jesus paid it all,” as the hymn says. Our sin was fully atoned for, "once for all."

G. K. Chesterton wrote in "The Everlasting Man" that this particular Sabbath Jesus spent in the tomb was the last Sabbath of the old creation.

The disciples, on Resurrection Sunday morning, celebrated "the first day of a new creation,” Chesterton said—as do WE!

I saw a fine art print of “Jesus in the Tomb,” part of James Jacques Joseph Tissot’s “The Life of Christ” series (1884-96)—for sale at this site.

The print made me think of the deep grief the Lord’s followers must have felt that Saturday as they laid him in the tomb.

We think the disciples had no way of knowing what the next day would bring,

but Jesus had told them what to expect in Mark 9:31.

I like to call the Saturday before Easter “Rest and Reflection Saturday.”

It’s a quiet, meditative bridge between two days—a time of pausing and thinking about:

• what Jesus finished on Friday,
• and what He would start on Sunday.

I’ve been thinking about the tomb of Christ. The body of Jesus remained in the borrowed tomb all of Saturday.

The tomb was a dark place. Tombs are place of darkness, death and sorrow.

On Rest and Reflection Saturday, I think about how dark my soul would be without hope in Jesus.

But the tomb is only part of the story. Sunday would come, and Jesus would rise from the dead.

God’s requirement for our salvation would be satisfied—Jesus is the "propitiation" for our sins—but also, our hope in Jesus would be satisfied.

Salvation and Eternal life with God would be our new reality if we placed our faith in what Jesus accomplished for us in the cross and resurrection—a reason for rejoicing!

Without the resurrection, we would still be in a very dark place.

Condemned in our sins, darkness would pervade every corner of our lives. (John 3:19-20;

But Jesus came to give us His light!

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light (Ephesians 5:8-9).

Many say they have faith in God, but without embracing the Gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1-4), our faith is “futile.” We would still be in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17). But Christ was raised from the dead and we are alive in Him, victorious over sin and death.

The Christ-followers on that sad Saturday weren’t only grieving; they were fearful and in hiding (Mark 14:50; John 20:19). They were afraid of being arrested and killed. They desperately needed peace.

What likely went through the disciples’ minds and tormented their emotions?

• Surely the disciples reflected on their Lord’s crucifixion and the dashing of their hopes for a Messiah to conquer their enemies.
• Maybe they reflected on the betrayal of Judas.
• Perhaps Peter was still weeping over his own betrayal.
• Was John, the “disciple Jesus loved,” especially heartbroken?

How should WE reflect on these days?

• Do we understand our hopes would be dashed to ever deal with sin, our flesh and the devil without the death and resurrection of Jesus?
• How many ways have we betrayed the Lord who loved us enough to die for us?
• Are we heartbroken over our sin?
• Do we understand what Jesus did to transform our lives?
• Are we grateful for our salvation, or do we take it for granted?

While the disciples grieved, the enemies of Christ were busy on that Saturday. They remembered what Jesus had said about rising in three days (Matthew 27:62-66; John 2:19-21). They tried to prevent that by stationing a Roman guard at the tomb.

But miraculously, the next morning the tomb would be empty.

Nothing could stop the plan of God!

The Savior would accomplish the Father’s will (John 6:32-44)—God’s plans cannot not be thwarted. 

So today, Saturday:

Take time to rest. Take time to reflect.

And on Sunday morning, let the Holy Spirit remind you:

“Your Redeemer is Risen … He is risen indeed.”

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Pexels at Pixabay.