How to be a Wise Guy … and Gal
How to be a Wise Guy … and Gal
Les Parrott
eHarmony.com
Falling We read recently about a man who hired a helicopter to drop 2,500 Love really can cause some people to lose their heads. They become Have you thought much about wisdom — the ability to reason with Wisdom is not about saying wise words or doing wise deeds. It is After a decade of marriage my spouse and I are still on an First of all, we have learned that wisdom only comes when humble. As The second tool for mining wisdom in relationships stems from the So enjoy the dizzying emotions of love when they come, but never
in love is a dizzying experience. Once the spark of attraction catches
flame, love quickly turns into a raging fire of unreasoned passion.
Engulfed by its heat, couples sometimes sacrifice all sound judgment in
the interest of bonding their relationship. The Song of Songs says,
"Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away"
(8:7). Love, by its very nature, is extravagant.
carnations and 10,000 love letters on the lawn of a woman he
loved. Apparently the woman failed to share this man’s affection and
had him charged with littering. She told reporters "he had lost his
mind."
"crazy in love." They become compelled by the emotional force of love
and forsake their analytical ability. It’s a common danger. The
compelling emotional force overrides our capacity to think clearly if
we let it. That is why Scripture urges us to "be careful, then, how
you live-not as unwise, but wise" (Eph. 5:15).
insight? You should. It is essential to the success of your
relationships. Sure, the emotional side of love is vital, and you will
need to stoke the fires of passion over the years, but don’t neglect
the cool calm of wisdom.
concerned with being, not doing. So how do you cultivate wisdom in
marriage? Or, as Job asked, "Where can wisdom be found? Where does
understanding dwell?" (28:12). The writer of Proverbs compared
searching for wisdom to mining and said, "If you look for it as for
silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will
understand" (2:4-5).
expedition for more wisdom. Daily we seek to avoid being unwise and we
have discovered two tools that are essential in our pursuit.
Socrates said, "The wisest man is he who knows his own
ignorance." Without humility marriage partners fall victim to pride,
and "when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes
wisdom" (Prov. 11:2). Be humble enough to ask for help. Learn how to
ask a good question. According to Francis Bacon, "A prudent question is
one-half of wisdom."
first-ask God to share his wisdom with you (see James 1:5). Human
wisdom on its own is inadequate (see 1 Cor. 1:19; 1:21; 3:18-19). We
need the wisdom that comes from God, for "the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom" (Ps. 111:10; see also Prov. 9:10; Matt 12:42,
13:54; Acts 6:3).
neglect the importance of wisdom in marriage. It is a shared pursuit
for soul mates and it will bless your union.
