The Words of the Wise
The truth can be painful. It can cut us to the heart. It can really hurt us to learn that we have been wrong. When we are confronted by our errors, we have to choose to admit our mistakes and change our actions and beliefs. Many times we just try to cover up everything because we think of what other people will say if they find out. However, if we don't let the pain teach us, we are the losers. We will continue to mess up things that are important in life. Solomon realized this reality as he shared the great wisdom God had given him. He was trying to help people, but they did not want to deal with many of the things that God had taught him. This was his conclusion after all that he experienced. (Ecclesiastes 12:11) "The words of the wise are like cattle prods - painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep." That is an excellent way to describe the words of the wise. Most of us don't really reach the...