Are You a Listener – Proverbs 1:1-7

Have you ever heard the phrase “they don’t know what they don’t know?” If you have, you know this; it wasn’t a compliment.

You really can’t afford to pay the high price of living life in ignorance. The saying, “Ignorance is bliss,” doesn’t produce a fruitful life.

Proverbs 1 talks about the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Where does a person start if they want to be wise? It begins with listening.

Some of the most repeated phrases in the vocabulary of a parent might be,

“Are you listening to me?”

“You’re not listening.”

“Did you hear me? 

It’s not that all children struggle to hear the sounds of their parents’ voices; it’s just that they struggle to desire to hear parental instruction.

If you become a person of character, you won’t get there by ignoring God’s instructions for living.

Proverbs 1:1-7 talks about where the starting point is to achieve wisdom and character. Knowing, understanding, and receiving God’s wisdom begins with a teachable spirit. That teachable spirit, rooted in humility, is manifested in a heart that desires to listen and hear the instructions that come from God. You can start right where you are, even if you feel you are so far behind and begin right now attaining God’s wisdom.

Let the wise hear and increase in learning. Proverbs 1:5

And the one who understands obtains guidance. Proverbs 1:5

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Here is the reality. You can live however you want. God doesn’t make you listen to Him, and He doesn’t force you to obey Him. But He warns you; it is a foolish person who chooses to live life despising the wisdom and guidance God can provide. 

It starts with doing what you know He says to be true. Start today by obeying Him as you read and understand the instructions He gives in Proverbs 1.