Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

“Wisdom is shouting in the streets!” This declaration is from the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 2. Wisdom is shouting, but is anybody listening?

Emotions and feelings are running high, and when emotions lead the way, the path leads to futility and destruction. It might be time to pause, take a deep breath, and listen to wisdom.

Proverbs, chapter 14, verse 1, tells us, “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish plucks it down with her hands.” This verse refers to a woman, but it can be universally applied to both men and women.

We all know about work. We may not like it. It can be dull and methodical, but we know if we keep at it with perseverance and allow work and its rewards to incrementally increase, we end up with something of value.

Foolishness, as a concept or way of living, has been trivialized, but foolishness is serious. It leads to destruction every time. The foolish sleep when it is time to work. The foolish run when it is time to stand. Foolishness negates values and seeks the course of least resistance.

We do what we want to do. It is amazing what we can accomplish if we set our minds. What we want or what we do reflects our values. A problem is that values can be intrinsic; that is, we may not realize why we do what we do, but if we stop and think about the “why,” the “what,” makes more sense.

Let values lead the way. Emotions are good followers, but poor leaders. Determine what you value and let it be your standard. Emotions will tag along if values are kept in front.