Do you desire to be sensible? We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus and following the Word. The Bible instructs us in all manners of life. Wendy Pope shares a few.

Scripture: Proverbs 17:1-19:29

"Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” Proverbs 17:24 (NLT)

I have always wanted to be a sensible person. Someone who discerns in the moment what decision has to be made and has the confidence to make it. The wisest man who ever lived clearly explains how we can be sensible people. Let’s unpack some key words in Proverbs 17:24 to glean from Solomon’s instructions.

The word keep is a verb and means having or holding something. In his instructions, King Solomon identified the “something” the sensible person should embrace: wisdom.

That seems pretty straightforward. But what does the word sensible mean? We wear sensible shoes to avoid blisters when walking. Drive a sensible car to get the best gas mileage. Eat a sensible dinner to manage high blood pressure. We make these wise decisions because they make good sense. We’re able to look at the options and figure out which one has a better outcome. And that’s exactly what the Hebrew word for sensible—biyn (pronounced bene)—means. Sensible is defined as to distinguish and discern; the ability to perceive the meaning of. When we keep our eyes glued on wisdom in moments when quick decision making is necessary, we will be equipped to make the right choice.

Do you desire to be sensible? Me too! We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus and following the Word. The Bible instructs us in all manners of life. Here are just a few:

• Finances: steward your money well (Luke 16:1-13); avoid debt (Proverbs 22:7); give with a cheerful heart (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
• Marriage: love sacrificially (Ephesians 5:22-23); do not marry an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:4)
• Raising children: teach them about the Lord (Proverbs 22:6); treat them fairly (Ephesians 6:4)

If we follow the wisdom of the Word and emulate our lives after Jesus, we will know how to manage our money, love our spouse, care for our kids, and navigate every other area of life. So when we are looking to buy a new car, or are upset with our husband, or not sure how to handle our teen, we can look to wisdom for guidance. Today, let’s open the pages of the Bible and open our eyes to focus on wisdom!