Listen:
The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame. Proverbs 3:35
Reflect:
Abba Anthony said, “The time is coming when people will be insane, and when they see someone who is not insane, they will attack that person, saying, ‘You are insane because you are not like us.'” — Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Listening to my complaints, my counselor suggested that I stay with the “without words.” With my husband and daughters away at camp for a few days, I had the perfect opportunity to give it a try. I took some time off to spend in solitude and silence.
On the evening of the second day, my husband stopped home briefly and found me sitting in my thinking chair. Again. His concerned look and his question, “Have you done some accounting today?” reflected my own struggle to let go of my to-do lists and the things that make me feel worthwhile.
The truth is that becoming sane can feel—and even look—rather erratic. Of course, when we read today’s proverb, we might assume that the wise naturally inherit honor while fools receive only shame. But how do we become wise in the first place?
Catherine Doherty, author of Poustinia, wrote, “For a soul that realizes the tremendous need of all three—desert, silence, and solitude—opportunities present themselves in the midst of the congested trappings of all the world’s immense cities.”
Silence and solitude carve out a sacred space in our busy lives where we encounter God and come face to face with ourselves. In that quiet place, God shapes our hearts, revealing what is true and stripping away what is false. There we receive the guidance, courage, and humility that are the marks of true wisdom.
Perhaps the path to inheriting honor begins not with striving harder, but with becoming still enough to hear the voice of the One who makes us wise. In a world that often mistakes busyness for purpose and noise for life, choosing silence may appear foolish. Yet it is there, in the hidden work of God’s presence, that true wisdom is formed.
Prayer of Response:
Loving God, quiet my restless heart and help me to be still in Your presence. Strip away what is false, fill me with Your wisdom, and teach me to trust that my worth is found in You alone. Amen.
Questions to Ponder:
- Think of two people you consider wise. What life choices have they made that might run counter to society’s conventions?
- How might the practice of solitude and silence help us resolve some of our feelings of shame? Why not take an hour or more this week to spend alone with God and find out?
Breath Prayers:
Join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale (Breathe in): The fear of the Lord
Exhale (Breathe out): Is the beginning of wisdom.
(Repeat)
—Submitted by: Gudrun Reeves
Gudrun Reeves is Austrian and lives and works with her Texan husband in Champfleuri, a Christian Retreat center in the French Alpes. She has been part of Lifesprings since its beginnings in France and she cannot (or doesn’t want to) imagine what life would be like without this lovely community of God-fearing women.