I Know My Truth

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 12:15 (NLT)

There is something magical that happens between the years of two and three, and again between 13 and 19. In fact, sometimes the magicalness (yes, I made up that word) continues on all the way into adulthood. Here’s what happens. We get a little older and we pass some serious milestones in life that make us thin that we’ve somehow gained all of the wisdom of the universe, and it resides in our brain. For a two and three-year-old, they can now walk, run, and talk in complete sentences. For a teen, they’ve hit the right of passage called puberty. They are old enough to make babies now, so they must have all of the wisdom necessary to live life to its fullest. Of course, those of us beyond the teen years aren’t exempt from this. We believe that because we have a college degree, or decades of life experience, that we’ve got every aspect of life figured out and don’t need anyone else chiming in on our decisions. I know these are true because I’ve lived them (or am currently living it). I’ve also observed this behavior in billions of people in person, online, on television, in print, or any other place we can see human behavior at its finest.

Here’s the issue. We can never have all of the wisdom in the universe in our own body. Why? Because wisdom is gained through life experiences. We gain it by interacting with others. Through those experiences we learn what works and what doesn’t. We learn through advice given by others who’ve walked the path we are currently on or considering taking a stroll down.

King Solomon, who many consider the wisest man to ever live, had this to say about how to live life: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” Here’s a modern paraphrase, “If you think you’ve got everything figured out and can live life on your own terms, you’re wrong. Listen to those who have been where you are going.” Even the wisest still seek more wisdom.

No matter where you may be in life today, surround yourself with others who can give you good advice. Find people you can trust to impart loving wisdom that will help you, not just feed your ego. And, of course, always seek counsel from the wisest being in the universe, God. His advice, His instructions, will never lead you wrong.