We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. 

1 Corinthians 2:6,7 (MSG)

Raise your hand if in the last year you have:

• Baked any variety of bread
• Purchased or created an item of tie-dyed clothing
• Participated in a TikTok dance
• Bought at least one pair of joggers to add to your work from home uniform
• Ditched your skinny jeans for a wider legged variety

What all these things have in common are their trendy natures. All became popular during our extended time at home during 2020, and some just highlight the cyclical nature of the fashion industry. Most trends and fads are harmless, but all are temporary. 

Can you name something we use in 2021 that was popular fifty or even one hundred years ago? I polled Team Waldstein and they said things like shoes, toilet paper, silverware, and toasters. Ha! I think it’s fair to say those things don’t fall into the fad category, don’t you? Wisdom doesn’t fall into the fad category either, and in the last year it seems to be especially lacking in the general population. I really love how The Message translates these verses: 

Wisdom from above isn’t always popular or fashionable. The path to wisdom isn't a crowded one! It’s easy to fall into a pattern of scrolling the internet and taking in whatever headlines we see as truth, never questioning their validity or what taking them in does to us emotionally and spiritually. It’s work to seek the truth and courage to confront misrepresentations.

Wisdom isn’t found floating around on the surface of puddles, like pesky (and temporary!) spring pollen. Wisdom requires our desire and effort to dig deep and discover God’s message for ourselves. How much more do you value the things you’ve had to work for versus the ones that were just given to you?

Wisdom isn’t the latest message, but the oldest. Wisdom from on high has stood the test of time: God’s plan to bring out His best in us was set in motion before we ever existed, and it will continue to persist until the end of time.

Odds are a year from now tie-dye and TikTok won’t be as popular as they are right now, but godly wisdom will never go out of style. Take a minute and think of an area of your life where wisdom needs to be applied. Bonus points if you think it over while kneading bread in your tie-dyed joggers! :)