Ps 131:1-2 My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
One of the greatest forms of wisdom is the wisdom to know when NOT to get involved in something. So many people waste time, physical and emotional energy and/or finances in those moments when they step into something that is not their concern or calling. I once knew an older man who had a number of friends going back to university to get higher education degrees and he suddenly felt as if he needed to do the same to “keep up” with them. During this time of wrestling with this decision he had a dream. In the dream he was in a laundry mat and he and his friend who went back to school were washing their clothes. The man went to take one of the piles of clothing that was on the counter, thinking that it was His and the other man who had gone back to university came to him and said, “Wait that is not your load. That is my load!” The man awoke from the dream and knew that the burden of going back to school was “not his load!”
In Psalm 131:1-2 the psalmist points us not only to the wisdom of knowing what to say yes to and what not to concern ourselves with. He also points us to the humility that is needed to accept such restraints. Far too many Christians have their identity wrapped up in their function rather than their relationship with Christ. There are times when our need to feel important or successful or our ambition for material success can create an internal pressure to involve ourselves in issues and areas that we have no grace nor gifting for and it requires a heart that has embraced a sober and realistic appraisal of ourselves to be able to submit to wisdom when it conflicts with these other internal voices.
King David imparts a powerful point of wisdom through these few verses in Psalm 131. In his reflection he directs us to the understanding that his rest and right discernment flows out of having two primary things: this heart of humility that we have identified before and his ability to subdue the voice of his soul! He states in verse two “I have stilled and quieted my soul.” The voice of the soul is a deception and flows out of our brokenness but the voice of our Spirit man is rich with wisdom and understanding.
Every person who would enjoy a life giving relationship with the Lord must grow in their capacity to live out of their Spirit and conquer the insistent voice of their soulish needs and desires. Heb 4:12 points us to the scriptures as the training ground for growing to maturity in the inner man. He writes “the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.” The more we implant the living word within us the more our spirit man is trained to distinguish between the impulses of the soul and the wisdom and direction of the Holy Spirit. Set your heart today to become wise by the Spirit of God and to live out of a rich inner life that is ruled by His peace and revelation within you.
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