If we are to receive God’s wisdom, we must seek his favor, and we seek his favor by honoring others, by doing good for them whenever it is in our power to do so, by sharing with them of our “first fruits,” by watching out for our neighbor and keeping him from harm, by not accusing someone unjustly, or struggle with them when they have done us no harm. We are warned not to be jealous of those who willingly hurt others, to turn our backs on their ways and to not follow in their footsteps – an interesting idea in today’s society where the “gangster” lifestyle is widely emulated, where professional sports figures are paid by how well they cheat, where the truth is twisted and turned inside out for the sake pride.

If we are to actively seek God’s wisdom, it seems that the “golden rule” applies: Love your neighbor as yourself. It’s through our single mindedness to respect God’s laws, to treat others fairly and justly, to give of our possessions, our talents, our gifts, to live our lives in humble awe of God’s power and love that we receive true wisdom.

~SLM