Be Wise

“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.”

—ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it.

—Proverbs 8:33

The Bible says wisdom is pleasure and relaxation to a man of understanding (see Proverbs 10:23). Wisdom is choosing to do now what you will be happy with later on. For example, wisdom does not spend all of its money now, but it saves some for the future, knowing it is wise to do so. Wisdom doesn’t put off today’s work until tomorrow because it knows it will then have two days of work to do in one. Wisdom is not a procrastinator; it takes action.

If you want to simplify your life, you must think about the future and realize the choices you make today will affect tomorrow. Some people are never able to relax and enjoy life because every day they deal with messes resulting from not walking in wisdom. I frequently hear people say, “I know I shouldn’t do this, but…!” It is foolish to do things we know we should not do when we do them. How can anyone expect to get a right result if they already know they are making a wrong decision? They are gambling on things turning out right anyway, but wisdom does not gamble, it invests. Doing the right things now may not bring pleasure right away, but it does later on. Some people pay a high price for a cheap thrill, but you can make a decision right now to not be one of them.

We possibly make a million decisions in our lifetime, and the wiser they are, the better our lives will be. Simplifying your life requires that you really think about your decisions before you make them. As you contemplate a decision you’re making today, ask yourself if you truly believe you will be happy with the results of that decision later in life. If you can’t say yes, then maybe it’s time to rethink that decision.