As our children go about investigating their world, one of the most important safeguards we can give them is the perspective they need. We want them to be guided in a way that will lead them to blessing and away from danger. If our instruction is complicated, it won’t be easily recalled and used.
As mentioned in previous posts, Cheryl and I have the privilege of teaching an adult fellowship group of young parents. Bryce Bouchard, one of the men in the class, sent me his thoughts connecting wisdom and folly to perspective. Bryce is devoted to a teaching and discipling ministry with college students.
Here are Bryce’s words …
“I may have mentioned to you that several years ago a student asked me if I could give him a two-word definition for the word Wisdom. At the time, I could not. He clearly had something in mind. He said, ‘Wisdom can simply be defined as God’s perspective.’ I suspected the idea wasn’t his own, but ever since then, I have loved this definition. When I don’t know what to do and I pray for wisdom, I am simply praying for God’s perspective. When I pray that my kids would walk in wisdom, I am really praying that they would walk according to God’s perspective. When I’m tempted to walk in folly, I need to look at sin and the consequences of sin from God’s perspective. The Word is full of wisdom and gives us the insight we are seeking.
Conversely, after pondering what a good definition for folly would be, it dawned on me yesterday that simply put, folly is merely ‘man’s perspective.’ Historically, I think I’ve just seen folly as acting stupidly. My epiphany yesterday though was that folly isn’t just our actions–foolish actions come from foolish beliefs. And, the root of all foolish belief is that we know better than God. Folly–man’s perspective– almost always contains a sense of rebellion and a belief that ‘I know better.’ So, when I live in folly, I am usually saying that, right now, I don’t care to seek out, consider or employ God’s perspective. I think I know better what’s better for me. When I see my own children and my college students living in folly, it is usually because they are convinced they know better.”
–perspective–
a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view
When we think about perspective, we are usually referring to “seeing something through a lens.” The question, when faced with any challenging situation, will be if we are looking through God’s lens or man’s.
Since your children are continually observing, help them look at events and decisions from “God’s perspective.” Likewise, we want them to recognize when people are making decisions only from “man’s perspective.” This is a skill that can be practiced and developed. As they grow in their knowledge of God and His ways, they will understand God’s perspective in even the toughest decisions.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. –Colossians 2:8
See earlier posts:
Worldview and the Big Questions of Life