Christian Living
Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday April 8, 2008
Yesterday, our Adult Bible Class teacher, Dick Triestram, pastor and biblical illustrator extraordinaire, quoted a flyer that stated:
"Free wisdom Monday –Friday. Bring your own container."
Dick is leading a series of lessons through the book of Proverbs and his gem yesterday was Proverbs 1:5, "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:" Basically the proverb means that wise people increase their wisdom through energized listening. Far too many people appear to be listening but in fact their mind is wandering off to some experience past or desired, they are fondly walking down some memory lane and fail to grasp a mere modicum of what the speaker is saying, let alone grasp any meaning. To be sure the speaker has a responsibility to arrest attention, but only the very best speakers and teachers managed to do this consistently, so the burden for increased knowledge, or wisdom falls to the listener, for even boring speakers often say profound things. Certainly we have listened to tremendously exciting speakers who upon examination have said nothing, but they did say it eloquently.
For years I have practiced a technique given/sold to me by the famous motivator philosopher, Earl Nightingale. I carry a pen and paper and when I am hearing a good informative speech ideas tend to swim by, and I swiftly spear them, often writing them down in short hand, and then force myself away from the idea and get back to listening to the speaker. Okay, I do often conclude the best thing about the speech is the idea I just speared, and dwell on it, but one good idea a day thoroughly grasped, digested and implemented will over a relatively short period change your life. An increase in true wisdom will always effect positive change in your life, at least on the inside.
As Dick was teaching the phrase "Bring your own container" kept creeping back into my mind and fight though I did, I confess that through much of his speech I lost the battle as to whether to listen intently to him, or to let the "container" idea run a little wild. I don't feel the least bit of guilt for often I notice when I am preaching Dick will be writing away, and I know that an idea has hit him that he considers to be far superior to the one I am propounding. I forgive his ignorance and often wish I could see what he is writing that he considers superior, for I'm sure I would in many cases agree with him! After all an idea so powerful to overcome my clarity and eloquence must be worth consideration!!
When getting your "container" ready for a fresh infusion of wisdom it is a pretty good idea to empty the container, not of common sense, but of unbiblical bias, of any personal irritation by the speaker's dress or manner, and let the wisdom pour from his/her mind into yours. I do use a biblical filter when listening to any speaker, but other than that I let er rip and get some good ideas, which often turn to wisdom. When I was young I noted that bald preachers tended to launch tirades about men and long hair. Now that I am bald I tend to stay away from such subjects. There is much more wisdom in this statement than you may grasp at first listen.
Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.
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