A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
Proverbs 11:28 MSG
The wisdom in Proverbs offers valuable guidance, particularly for believers. As God’s children, we can abide by these teachings, significantly enhancing our lives and Christian journey. The scripture says wisdom is profitable to direct, and we find direction in God’s Word. Therefore, we must equip ourselves with this wisdom. One aspect of this wisdom in Proverbs is what we will consider in this passage today.
This translation simplifies the fact that we cannot live devoted to material things. Our nature inclines us to love possessions, as our flesh constantly seeks pleasure, and the devil exploits this. However, wisdom from this passage shows that our lives flourish only when devoted to God. In today’s world, many people, including believers, focus on acquiring more for a ‘comfortable’ life. Comforts in material possessions and not in the Lord. This pursuit disturbs our devotion to God.
According to the scriptures, a life devoted to material things is a dead life. God created us to have dominion over His creations, not to be subject to them. His design for our lives is to live for His pleasure and glory. Our purpose is to conform to His image, not to pursue things that we think will enhance us physically. It is crucial to understand that the wisdom of God leads to flourishing lives when they are God-shaped and God-centred.
A life completely devoted and focused on God experiences true flourishing. It is not a life chasing after material things. The Bible says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” After that, other things are ours. Prosperity is the byproduct of our devotion. A life chasing after material things is dead, incapable of producing eternal glory. It might amass wealth, but it is without growth in God’s eyes; it does not have eternal life.
Today’s wisdom is to be completely devoted to God, making us flourish like a tree. Our lives will serve nations because we have given ourselves over to the Lord. In turn, He pours into us, and we then pour into people in the world.
