Proverbs 4:11-12

¹¹I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

Blindfold

Have you ever had participated in a game that required you to be blindfolded?

In banana eating contest, blindfolded participants are paired. One person holds a banana while the other partner eats the banana. The eater is not allowed to use hand. The first pair to finish eating a banana is declared winner of the game.

What’s the point of such game? Eating banana while blindfolded can cause light moments and laughter while audience watch blindfolded participants mess themselves.

Videos of dirty or untidy mess have become popular online. There are videos of children who are still learning to eat independently; chocolates, cakes or spaghetti sauce are all over their faces. When children mess with their food, does it frustrate parents?

Someone wrote an article of what she does so that she won’t get frustrated when her children mess with their food, draw on the wall or have clutters on the floor. She took picture of the mess, added frame on the picture of mess and posted in on her social media. Others have been amused and maybe, she also increased her subscribers.

Young or old, all of us have our share of unpleasant and forgettable mess in life. Human limitation causes us to mess and prevents us to perfectly accomplish our task. Yet, we are required to be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect, right? Christ instructed us in Matthew 5:48, ⁴Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Are you amused by perfectionist person? Few people appreciate a perfectionist. Perfectionists strive to perfect a task, but there are individuals who appreciate, if you welcome or ignore their mess or mistakes. When they cannot appreciate perfectionism, does it mean that they prefer mistakes rather than perfections?

Do you want to work with a person who strives to perfect their task? Or, do you prefer a person who appreciates it when you ignore or welcome their mess or mistakes?

Anyway, did Christ require perfection as our ultimate objective in life? Does he expect us to be perfect in this world? As long as we are living in our mortal body, we can never be perfect; and Christ knows that. If Christians cannot appreciate perfectionism, does it mean that they also do not like Christ’s requirement for believers to be perfect?

This is when wisdom is needed. Wisdom helps us avoid intentional mistakes.

1.  Wisdom

¹¹I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

Straight path suggests approach nearest to goals or destination. Have you ever heard it said that the shortest distance to your destination is a straight street or path?

The term straight path includes any path or way you may traverse without much effort exerted. It also means easy access to destiny without much struggle, disturbance, or hindrance like going up the hill or unnecessary acceleration going down the road.

Rough roads with potholes cause motorists to slow down. Slippery highways with black ice or icy roads are dangerous to navigate. Roads under construction force drivers to detour or change their path. There are many scenarios that may cause or even force anyone to take a longer path and slow down an expedition to a desired destination.

Truly, disturbances, obstructions, struggles including temptations along our path are instrumental for us to check our personal intention to reach our desired destination.

Next village

Somewhere in Asia, people travelled on foot going to the next village. There were friends who agreed to attend a festival in the next village. They traveled on foot. Along the way, they met several villagers. One of them would stop and talked to every person they met. Later, they realized that it was getting late, and they were still half way to their destination. Eventually they arrived in the next village in the evening.

In this life, there are situation where we tag along individuals who have different mindset, attitude, behavior and values. If we allow them to dictate our travel, it can cause frustration, and we may not reach our destination on desired schedule. Wisdom helps us also to choose people that we want to hang around with or travel with. It is not very wise to ask the blind for direction. What do you think? Jesus Christ challenged us in Luke 6:39, ³⁹Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?

Have you ever seen a blind leading other blinds? Is it possible? In Baguio City, Philippines, there are groups of blinds who walk around the city on their own. However, they walk slower that anyone who can see their path. The streets in Baguio City have blind-friendly lanes similar to bike lanes. Of course, someone help them familiarize a path to follow so that the blind can stroll on the street of the city on their own.

We are like blinds slowly travelling our path because we are not familiar of the best easy path we should take to reach our destination. The Lord said in Isaiah 42:16: ¹⁶I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

What destination do you wish to reach? Pray that you may walk with wisdom.

2.  Walk

¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

Wisdom promises unhampered steps, even when we decide to move faster.

Our final and eternal destination is heaven to live with Christ our Lord forever. Lifestyle, attitude, behavior and values should be aligned with our heavenly goal.

As we wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to take us into his heaven, we also have short term goals, personal objectives and dreams. We should never forget but remember that in every activity or situation we may face, we should make it sure that we may earn our eternal treasure. Let’s make sure that everything we do has eternal significance.

We can memorize what Christ declared in John 14:6-7, ⁶“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” ⁸Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Is it not very interesting that Philip and the other apostles had followed Jesus for more than three years? But, Philip still cannot get it when Christ said that he is the way, the truth and the life. It is possible that the other disciples, too. Why? The Holy Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of truth has not been given yet to them at that time.

Similarly, many baptized believers can’t readily get it; they don’t know yet how to maximize their faith in Christ, the Way. Do you assume that when Christ says that he is the Way, he exclusively meant the path to eternal destination and nothing else? Can you decipher, interpret, or discern that if we focus on Christ the Way, anything we may encounter along our path to eternal destination should not bother us anymore?

Driving

Most if not all, first time drivers are focused on learning the very basics of driving. They are not concerned much about reaching a destination, even the speed of vehicles. But after they’ve got their driver’s license and drive their vehicles independently, they become aware of many necessities and different problems encountered while driving.

If you regularly drive or commute every day, you may have already encountered several reckless drivers, obstructions along the road, slippery and rough roads. Despite the not-so-smooth-traveling experiences, you focus on reaching your destination.

Someone said that when we invite Christ as Lord and Savior in our life, we should allow him to be the driver of our life. Why? He knows the best and straight path that we should navigate in this world, and we’ve got pleasant expedition, too, not unpleasant.

The Lord Jesus declared in John 14:26-27, ²⁶The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

In this world, expect reckless people to cause trouble or delay. Expect temporary obstructions: weather, economy, pandemic or politics.  What can we do? Pray for peace from God, so that, we follow Christ the Straight Path to tranquility of life.

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