Proverbs 8:1
"Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice?"
Does not wisdom call
What is amazing about this verse is that God tells us that wisdom is not unknown or mysterious. Wisdom is calling attention to itself; it is usually overlooked. According to this verse, wisdom is telling us what to do; we just don't hear its message.
The idea is that someone or something in your life is telling you the right thing to do. The question is - will you have the discernment to know which one that is and be willing to do it when lots of your own thinking says to do something different?
There are all kinds of reasons why we do not listen to the voice of wisdom; many of them are the reasons of a fool. It is not what we want to do. It doesn't feel right. It is a lot of work to do that. It means I have to work harder than other people. It means I have to be disciplined to pull it off. It means I don't get as much rest. It means that I would need to let others win and even promote their winning. It means that I will not get immediate credit for doing something. It means that I must let others win in order for me to win. It means that I can no longer just be the critic looking for the flaws in others plans. I must try to make a difference.
There are all these and many other reasons that any of us ignore the voice of wisdom that calls to us. The wise thing is never that far from any of us. It just doesn't sound easy or risk free or quick.
understanding lift up her voice
Remember that understanding is the connection between things. It is not a mystery why things happen as they do. We just often do not want to face the real reason, either politically, psychologically, or for some other reasons. We don't want to admit that a connection between one thing and another thing exists. In our culture people don't want to admit that there is a connection between pornography and child abuse. People don't want to admit there is a connection between liberal enforcement of current laws and increasing violence. There are all kinds of connections that are real, but we do not want to admit that they are present. They scream to us, but we are often paddling on the river of denial.
Most importantly, there is a connection between the choices that you have made and the condition that you find yourself in. It is not a mystery why you have the career you have, the house you have, the marriage or children you have. These result from the choices that you make. If these areas are not what you want them to be, then make different choices starting now. Start listening to wisdom; start listening to understanding.
This is not to say that there is not injustice in the world where one person oppresses another person. This is present, but that also involves connections and choices. One should not submit to oppression, immorality, degrading conditions. New choices need to be made. It is true that the perpetrator of these things should be punished, but hoping they will be given justice will not make it happen. You may be the person who starts the wheels of justice turning. Potentially, just your act of no longer being under this immoral oppression may begin the change that will lead to justice, but at least it will change your situation.