Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Jesus and the Good Life | The Writings | Proverbs 4

Episode Date: September 23, 2024

What's the secret to the good life? What's the first step to gaining wisdom? Do you trust in God's wisdom more than your own? In today's episode, Keith shares how Proverbs 4 shows us that the good life might be hiding right behind your own pride and foolishness. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Proverbs 4

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Keith Simon. In the spring of 2018, Yale professor Lori Santos decided to offer a new course called Psychology and the Good Life. When registration for the course opened, about 300 students signed up for the class, which is a decent-sized class at Yale. Except a few days later, that number had doubled, and now 600 were signed up. A few more days passed, and that number doubled. So eventually 1,200 students were, and signed up. The class got so big that the school had to convert a chapel into a lecture hall and live streamed the class to several auditoriums throughout campus. Eventually they converted an

event center often used for symphonies into a lecture hall just to fit everyone under one roof. This class, Psychology and the Good Life, soon became the most popular course in Yale's history. So why was this course so popular? Why did so many Ivy League students sign up for this class? Well, I think the answer is simple. Everyone wants the good life. Everyone wants to live a happier, more satisfying life. Whether you're an Ivy League student, a stay-at-home mom, a nurse, a janitor, everyone has a deep longing for contentment. And yet we also know that happiness is elusive.

Despite our best efforts, happiness is hard to come by. And oftentimes, the things that we think will make us happy end up letting us down. I mean, think about it. By your typical American definition of happiness, an Ivy League student should be one of the happiest people you know. They probably have a good family background. They've been successful in school. They're getting good grades. They have a bright future with lots of money ahead of them. It seems like they have everything going for them. And yet, 25% of Yale's undergraduates were desperate to learn about how to be happier. Check out what Professor Santos said about the class, because I think it's pretty insightful. When she was asked why she thought so many students wanted to take her class, Professor Santos said it was because our intuitions about what will make us happy are totally wrong. See, human beings have always wanted the good life. We've always wanted happiness and satisfaction, and yet, like Dr. Santos said, what we think will lead

to happiness is completely wrong. We all want happiness, but we aren't sure how to get there. In 2024, in the richest, most well-off society in history, our culture has still not come up with a satisfying answer to the question, what will make us happy. But that doesn't mean our culture hasn't tried. Our culture is constantly telling us that the good life is closer than we think. Consumer culture tells us the good life is one purchase away. Mental health culture tells us the good life is a meditation app away. Positivity culture says the good life is a smile away. Self-help culture tells us the good life is one new habit away.

Fitness culture tells us the good life is one workout away. Health culture tells us the good life is one diet away. Meanwhile, social media tells us that everyone else is already living a good life. See, we live in a culture that has a lot of ideas about how. how to be happy, but hardly anyone who really is happy. Our intuitions about what will make us happy are totally wrong. So if our culture is wrong about happiness, what's the right answer? Is there really a way to find happiness in this life? Fortunately for us, Proverbs 4 shows us a different path to happiness. In Proverbs 4, we come across the father's advice to his son on how to live a fulfilling life. We pick up in

verse four. Take hold of my words with all your heart. Keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom and she will protect you. Love her and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this. Get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding. Cherish her and she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown. So according to Proverbs 4, the good life is for those who love and cherish wisdom. But what does the Bible mean when it talks about wisdom? And more importantly, how do I become wise? I think the answer to both of those questions is back in verse 7. It says,

The beginning of wisdom is this, get wisdom, though it costs all you have, get understanding. Now this verse seems to be a bit redundant, doesn't it? I mean, if you replaced wisdom with anything else, you'd probably sound like a crazy person. What's the first step in getting water? get water. What's the first step in getting in shape? Well, get in shape. What's the first step in getting a raise? Get a raise. Oh, and what's the beginning of wisdom? Well, get wisdom. I think it's fitting that this is a father's son conversation because it's starting to sound like one big dad joke. But in all seriousness, I think the author of Proverbs 4 is trying to draw us into a far deeper truth. What verse 7 is telling us is that the path to wisdom begins with admitting that you need wisdom.

The very act of seeking wisdom reveals an understanding that you don't currently have it. You're not currently wise. You can think of this as the paradox of wisdom. The wiser you become, the more you realize how foolish you are. See, in a sinful world like ours, the main difference between a wise person and a foolish person is that a wise person knows they have a lot to learn and grow in. We often equate wisdom with head knowledge. We assume the more someone knows and the more experienced they are, the wiser they get. But that's not how the Bible talks about wisdom. Now, when the Bible talks about wisdom,

it has less to do with the head and more to do with the heart. In fact, in Proverbs 2, the teacher tells us that wisdom will enter your heart. So when the Bible talks about wisdom, it's not talking about head knowledge. It's talking about a heart posture. The wise are those who are dependent, the ones who know they need something more than themselves.

Biblical wisdom is relying on God's wisdom instead of your own. But it takes humility to admit that you cannot find wisdom alone. It takes humility to admit that you need something more than yourself. But this is exactly where the path to wisdom begins. So are you living wisely? Do you recognize your own weaknesses and see your need for God? Are you actively relying on God's wisdom instead of your own? Humility is hard to gauge when you're assessing yourself.

So here's a few questions that might be helpful. Do you struggle to hear criticism from other people? If so, you might need humility. Do other people's sins bother you more than your own sins do? If so, you might need to grow in humility. Have you found yourself acting impatiently recently? If so, you might need to grow in humility. Is it hard for you to admit that you're wrong, even in silly, stupid arguments?

You might need humility. Foolish people are driven by their own pride, and unfortunately, the pride of the foolish usually leads to a life of disappointment and misery. Think about it. Do you know many stubborn, self-righteous, impatient know-it-alls that exude joy and gratitude? Yeah, me neither. And the Bible understands that, which is why the author of Proverbs is encouraging us to take the path of humility, because that is what leads to the good life. Check out what verses 11 to 13 say about the experience of the wise. It says, I will instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction. Do not let it go.

Guard it well, for it is your life. Do you trust that God's commands are for your good? Do you believe that God's wisdom is better for you than your own? Our culture tells us that the good life is attainable if we work more, train more, be more. It puts the power in our hands. It tells you that you control your own destiny. The wisdom of our culture tells us that the good life is one change away. But the wisdom of the Bible tells us that the good life is one new you away. Joy and peace and happiness are for followers of Jesus who depends on God's wisdom instead of their own. The wise walk firmly with their steps unhampered. Why? Because they have their eyes set on God and their neighbor. Do you have the humility to admit your need for God? And Jesus was the happiest person to have ever

lived. He didn't just teach the good life. He lived it. Hebrews 1-9 says that Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy. Jesus lived the good life. Why? Well, because he lived a life of humility. Jesus' life was not for his sake, but for ours. He put aside his throne in heaven to stoop down to save sinners like us. He gave his time and resources in healing and restoring the broken. Ultimately, he died on the cross for our behalf so that we might have new life. Jesus lived the good life, a life full of humility, because he trusted in the wisdom of his father. His joy was not dependent on his circumstances. It was dependent upon the love he received from God.

And through His Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to share this good life with us today. When we read the Bible, we remember that it's His wisdom that guides us, not our own. When we pray, we admit that we're not in control and depend on God's sovereign plan. When we join in community with our small group, we confess our shortcomings and find forgiveness from those we've wrong. Through Jesus, we can live humble, wise, and happy lives in Christ. Christ. Jesus wants you to live the good life. Will you let him teach you?