What you get

The holidays were exciting and busy, with lots of laughter and traveling. The mountains were cold and rainy, but we didn't seem to mind. Snow would have been the icing on the cake (white icing, I guess). We squeezed in as much time with our family as we could and came home exhausted and satisfied.

"The end of a thing is better than the beginning." I have started to write about gaining understanding and feel compelled to finish the thoughts. It's not good for the heart to leave things undone, so here is the end of the matter (this particular matter, that is).

The wisest man who ever lived laid out a four step process to gain understanding. Amazing when you think about it, that the secrets to everything should not be secrets at all, they are stated in black and white by God. Why does it take so long to understand?

In Proverbs 9:5,6, Widsom calls out and shows the steps: Come, Eat & Drink, Forsake (& Live), and then Go.

1. COME- The invitation is there, the door is open. We must choose, we must decide. The first and most important step to gain understanding is to decide to do so. Elsewhere, Proverbs says we must earnestly seek for wisdom, like a treasure. This requires humility; we must humble ourselves to admit we don't know, that we need help. The first step to gain understanding is COME- to go to the people/places where understanding is. Ultimately God, but He often uses those who have already learned. You won't gain understanding about accounting in a dance school, you have to go somewhere with a good business college. Seems too obvious? What is it you don't understand? Who does understand it? Are you reading their books? This step is the most important, because without it nothing will change. God rewards the humble.

2. EAT & DRINK- After we come to the place or person who understands, we must eat of the bread of wisdom. Not just any bread, but her bread. Not just any wine, her wine. We must take into ourselves the right thoughts, the proper thinking. We must consume the materials that give life and wisdom. and understanding. We must take into ourselves the thoughts of those who understand. Reading, listening, thinking, musing, questioning. We must digest these thoughts, we must allow them to feed our thinking. The ultimate and most important application of this is with the Word of God and our salvation. It applies to other specific areas of learning as well. You won't gain understanding of accounting without doing the math. Seems too obvious? Then what area of your life are you growing in? What free time are you devoting to moving forward? This step is the most work. God rewards the diligent.

3. FORSAKE- As I sought to understand how to gain understanding, I was not expecting this step as part of the process. I would have agreed that it was important, but a key step in gaining understanding? I was surprised, but no more, I have taken it into myself. Let it become a part of who I am and how I think and live. "Forsake foolishness and live." It is not enough to take in new thoughts, we must actively expel the old thinking. Just because we have new thoughts doesn't mean the old is automatically gone. We must reject worldly and unsuccessful thoughts, habits, patterns, reasonings, emotionalism, religion, tradition, wrong doctrine, and wishful ways. We must actively push away, reject, get rid of, dump, delete seek & destroy foolish thinking. God told Abraham in Genesis 17, Walk before me and be blameless, so that I may establish my covenant with you and multiply you exceedingly. God wants to multiply us exceedingly, but refusal to follow His ways stops the blessing. Wisdom says "forsake foolishness and live." Another way of saying that is "don't forsake foolishness and don't live." This is the most overlooked step. God rewards the obedient.

4. GO- True understanding and Godly wisdom becomes yours when you act upon it. Up until this point it is mental, internal, the battle is in the mind, it's all in your head. To truly understand, action is required. Not just comsume the thoughts of those who understand but put into practice what we have learned. GO in the way of understanding (we have already forsaken other ways). We must do, put into practice, walk in the way of understanding. Obviously, the more we do, the better we understand, we make some adjustments and do even better. Some people skip immediately to this step without doing the previous steps (i.e., work) required to truly understand. Other people think deep thoughts but never do anything about it. May we be the people who have taken understanding into our lives and live it out before others as a testimony of God's goodness to men. This is the final step. God rewards the faithful.

So these, my friends, are the steps to gain understanding. God has given us a treasure, may we use this powerful tool for His glory and our good.