Get It At All Costs

What's the one thing you think you need to truly make life meaningful and fulfilling? 

Is it more money? If you had just a little bit more, you could buy the car you’ve always wanted, take that dream vacation, or add square footage to your house. 

A special someone? If you only had that one person in your life who truly understood you, then you would never have to feel the pains of loneliness again. 

Recognition and esteem? If you had more of it, you might feel appreciated instead of overlooked, and certain doors in life that have been locked shut would finally open to you. 

Many people are striving for these things. They are working endlessly and tirelessly to attain them, thinking they are always on the cusp of reaching them.

But putting your hope in money is a dead-end trap. It never brings full contentment and only leaves the endless desire for just a little bit more.

While we were made for relationships, no human on the planet can fully meet all your expectations. Even if you meet someone who "gets you," there will come a day when they will let you down. 

And the more recognition you get, the harder and faster you have to spin your wheels to keep it. All records, achievements, and triumphs are quickly surpassed by someone else.

Instead, the book of Proverbs encourages us to pursue wisdom above anything else. We read in chapter 4, 

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding" (v7).

The writer is straightforward and almost blunt; get wisdom. Though it might be costly and may require you to sacrifice what you think your heart wants -- love, wealth, recognition, etc., in the end, wisdom brings greater benefits. He goes on to say that wisdom will protect you. It will watch over you. It will exalt you. It will honor you. 

The charge near the end of the chapter is "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (v23). Wisdom will enable you to be honest with the state of your heart. For if you ignore it, you could easily be led astray. 

If the beginning of the chapter is an encouragement to get wisdom, and the end of the chapter is a call to guard your heart, the middle of the chapter is a repeated warning not to follow the ways of the wicked (v10-19). The implication being that wisdom guards your heart against being led down the wrong path.

If the pursuit of life is love, money, and recognition, or anything else that you believe will bring ultimate satisfaction, there will be moments when you'll be tempted to compromise on what is right for what you want. But wisdom guards your heart and leads you to a life of righteousness and fulfillment. 

So, seek wisdom. Get understanding. Go after it, even if it costs you all you have.