Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. PROVERBS 28:26 (NLT)

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“The lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” This quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln may well have learned it from a collection of quotes from Henry Kett published in 1814. This proverb covers some of the same ground.

* A person who thinks he or she cannot trust the advice of others will live a life of limited success.
* A person without a circle of trusted advisors who have been there and done that is likely to make things harder than they have to be.
* Whoever thinks he or she is the smartest person in the world probably spends a great deal of time alone.
* Bosses who think they have all the answers probably do not know all the questions.

You get the idea.

The Message paraphrase says, “If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others.”

Wisdom is not a solo venture. Each of us gains wisdom through trial and error. We also gain wisdom from observation. However, if those are among our only pathways to wisdom, we are leaving more than we collect.

Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”

One of the wisest things we can do is to hang around with wise people. Spending time in their company teaches us how to think, make necessary adjustments, and apply truth to every situation.

* Who is in your Circle of Trust?
* Who is included in your Council of the Wise?
* Who do you go to when you need to ponder the imponderable?
* Who do you seek out when you are perplexed?
* Who knows how to ask the right questions which shift your perspective?

Don’t be a fool. Walk with the wise and become wise. You will know you are on the right path when someone seeks your wisdom. You will know you are truly wise when you can confidently say, “I do not know, but let’s find out together.”

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I will walk with the wise.

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Our Father, thank you for the wise people you have placed in my life. Empower me to listen to them and to learn from them. Continue bringing the right people at the right time into my life who can stretch my mind and teach me new ways to gain and apply insight. Amen.