Little Precious

In the movie The Lord of the Rings there is a central character, Gollum, who refers to an object that all who seek it can not escape it.

It is a ring that Gollum refers to as “my precious”.  The ring drove men who possessed it or tried to possess it to madness and to the brink of death.

What causes us to want a new car?  What causes us to desire a bigger house, a more prominent position, or anything that becomes so predominant in our lives that we think of nothing else?

Is it the power we seek?  Is it the title?  Is it the applause of men?

What is it that we seek in our lives?  What is it that drives men in their efforts to be close to it, to touch it, to make it their own?  And to keep all others away from it?

At times I have had someone say to me, “John, just be who you are, not somebody who wants to change the world.”

But what if I am supposed to change the world in some small way?  Shouldn’t we all want to change the world with our own special gifts as given by God?

I believe we should.  Yet, in doing so we have to be aware of and constantly re-evaluate our motives.  Do I truly want to change the world for God, to offer good and not evil, or is it to be recognized by others?

Do I care more about what others think than what God thinks?

What should I truly be seeking?  A ring? A person? Titles?  Or God.

The answer can actually be found in Proverbs 3:15.  It is wisdom.  “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.”

If I seek Godly wisdom then the opportunities will come to use that wisdom through the gifts He has entrusted to me for His purposes.

Over the next week ask God how to gain in your life His wisdom in even the smallest of ways.

For wisdom is truly precious and should be sought after.

JHH