Proverbs 9:7-9: Hankerin'

“He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. Proverbs 9:7-9

Wise: to be wise in mind, word or act

Will be still: expressing continuance, persistence

Teach: in spiritual sense, through chastisement

Increase: absolute is increased; added too

Learning: instruction as personal acquirement

Desire. Crave. Hankerin' (hankering). 

There are times when I get a strong hankerin' for a brownie... with nuts! Oh my! I don't eat a lot of sweets or deserts, but every now and then, I can't resist a good brownie. And when that hankerin' gets strong enough, I'll go out hunting for one. 

I should put forth that same hankerin' when it comes to wisdom. The thing about wisdom, is that as much as I like to think I "know it all". I do not. I have much to learn. And if I am applying wisdom, then I'll have a hankerin' to learn more. And when wisdom corrects me, I won't become defensive, rather I'll listen and learn and apply the new knowledge. 

This week I had an opportunity to learn more. The Chariot broke down. Since I've only had The Chariot for about 2 weeks, I don't know all the warning signals or all the details about it. But thankfully, The Chariot told me that something was about to go wrong and I needed to pull over quickly. I heeded the warning and was able to get to a safe area to park. 

I then had to stop and think. What do I do now? First, I asked God for wisdom and guidance. Then I sat quietly for a moment. Call the Dealership. Ok, where's the number. Think. It's on my phone, because they had just call me! Awesome! I was able to get the help needed and The Chariot is now getting fixed. The problem was related to a recall that was to be fixed 2 weeks ago. 

Wisdom. Looking back at this situation, I found I did two things. 1) I relied on past knowledge I had gained when my old car had broken down on me numerous times. 2) I was willing to seek knowledge from those that "knew". 

The hankerin' to accept help, saved me a towing charge and a repair bill. For I was considering having The Chariot towed to a nearby Garage. But since I was willing to listen to the Dealership and wait until they found the answers, I was towed free, and they learned that the problem was related to the recall.

Wisdom isn't trying to interfere with my life, rather wisdom wants to enhance it and provide great opportunities. Gaining wisdom isn't a one time achievement. It's an ongoing process. To have a hankerin' for wisdom, my heart must be permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God (Acts 9:31 MSG). 

Do you have a hankerin' for Wisdom?