Why Wait at Wisdom's Doorway?

FULL TRANSCRIPT
[The following is the transcript of this week’s video. It’s not word for word but a close representation of what Cam said in his video. This transcript is provided for those of you who are unable to watch the video or would prefer to read the message instead of listen to it].

We are living in a time of transition. And I’m talking not only about the kind a congregation goes through during a pastoral change. As I've talked to people and looked around is that all of us are dealing with transition on multiple levels. We're dealing with it personally. We're dealing it with it in our families. We're dealing with it in our communities, in the congregations we work with with or without pastors.

And as I've wrestled with being a resilient leader — someone who can be there for people and provide guidance, insight, and wisdom, I've been looking for a way to stay strong on the inside so that my outside world can be effective and sustainable.

I have a proverb to share with you and make a few comments about. I think this relates to our internal lives and to our journey as leaders and people involved in families and communities. I believe this principle has powerful implications as well for our work with churches in transition. The proverb is found in Proverbs 8:34 in the Passion Transition.

If you wait at wisdom’s doorway, longing to hear a word for every day, joy will break forth within you as you listen for what I'll say.

I read this a few weeks ago when I was quiet and wanting a word from God for my life. I remember feeling a little bit disturbed on the inside but when read this, it landed squarely in my soul and gave me some incredible food for my life and journey.

There are a few things I want to point out. You see the word if — if we do what? If we wait — if we stop and get off the treadmill that we're on and wait — something happens. And we need to wait at wisdoms doorway — to wisdom, “Speak to me, show me the way.” As I was taking the time and the trouble, I realized that’s what I want to cultivate internally. I want to cultivate a heart of wisdom and know that's having that kind of a heart is the desire all of us have. To be the kind of a person whose internal world is put right. And a promise comes with that.

When you wait at wisdom’s doorway, with a longing and desire to hear and listen — and stop the noise long enough — you will hear a word. You will hear direction. You will be guided on the way you should go for every day. And joy will break forth within you, as you listen for what wisdom has to say.

As we listen to wisdom’s voice — as we listen to what God has to say to us in the stillness — joy is the result. Then what can happen in our external world is we can be a leader with light, joy, and be someone who is followable (if that's a word).

Three months ago, as many of you know, my wife of 36 years who I loved dearly, passed away from cancer. One of the things I've come to realize during this transition that has been incredibly tumultuous and challenging, is that I need to wait more than ever,

As I’ve been waiting at wisdom’s doorway — something I’m doing on a regular basis — I'm able to show up not only for my family, not only for my community in my neighborhood, but for my church, and with the leaders I work with. I’ve become convinced that wisdom is at the very core of what I want more than so many other things.

Maybe we want to be recognized, to make an impact or have money to pay the bills so we go after those things. In themselves they're not bad. But if wisdom and our desire for wisdom is not our longing each and every day, we’ll will be left empty on the inside, and that will ripple out on the impact we have on others.

Here's the equation that captures what I'm saying,

Knowledge + Experience X Stillness = Wisdom

We take what we know, and sit with our experiences in a place of stillness, God can speak to us His wisdom and insight. With the result being joy — the fruit that is ours in Jesus.

It’s important to reflect on and process our experiences — the good ones and horrific ones — and the challenging and wonderful ones. As we sit in stillness, wisdom is the fruit of that process. When we have wisdom, we have impact. When we have wisdom, we have peace.

When we have wisdom, we’ll be resilient leaders who people want to follow. With wisdom we’ll be able to discern what's needed and see clearly how we need to adapt in any given situation.

My challenge for you is when you look at your life, to ask, “How much stillness am I cultivating in my everyday rhythm of life? When I get up in the morning, is stillness part of my morning routine?”

You may read something, pray, read your Bible, do some journaling. How do you cultivate stillness, not just only daily, but weekly, and monthly so that wisdom is nurtured and you grow into the person you really believe you want to become.

During times of change, transition and uncertainty, wisdom is the core element that you and I need to be able to lead well. I leave you with these thoughts and a challenge to practice stillness — to gain that heart of wisdom so that you have the impact God wants you to have. With wisdom you will be changed personally, you will impact your family, your community, your church, your community, and the people you lead.

Thanks for being part of this community!