Wisdom and selflessness

I've been reading Ecclesiastes, Psalms and Proverbs a lot lately....well...I'm always reading psalms lol. It is my favorite of favorite books! :D

Anyway, that was besides the point. The point was, there is a heck of a lot of wisdom packed in those books. A lot. And it amazes me how so many people have that much knowledge and wisdom at their fingertips all the time, and yet don't put it into action, myself included.

So I got to thinking...as usual, pretty hard about wisdom. What is it's definition? How precious is it? What constitutes as wisdom? What would the world be like if we all took a good chunk of wisdom and put it into practice? ..A lot better that's for sure...

But anyway, my thoughts eventually picked out and followed the path of different definitions of wisdom. So I thought I'd share some:

(note: I am young, I am immature, and I don't claim that any of this is true, right, or wise. I only claim to have the small amount of knowledge and morals God has taught me since I was a child. So if you don't agree with any of this, please, feel free to comment and discuss it with me.)

Wisdom.

Wisdom is knowing what to do and when to do it.

Wisdom is obeying God's laws.

Wisdom is putting others before yourself.

Wisdom is complete and total selflessness.

Wisdom is knowing when to shut up.

Wisdom is knowing when to speak and when to shut up.

Wisdom is knowing what to say when you speak.

Wisdom is thinking before you speak.

Wisdom is listening, following, and putting God's laws into action.

Wisdom is practicing what you preach.

Wisdom is practicing what God preached.

Wisdom is acknoledging you're wrong, you're not perfect.

Wisdom is acknowledging that God is always right.

Wisdom is following God no matter where He leads.

Wisdom is knowing that God is better than anything else in the world.

Wisdom is putting yourself last.

Wisdom is loving God and His words more than yourself.

Wisdom is listening to God, that still small, beautiful voice in your head.

Wisdom is not only knowing the right thing to do, but when to do it.

Wisdom is following God even when it gets tough.

Wisdom is knowing that the persecutions of this earth are not even worthy to be compared with the treasures God has store for us in heaven.

Wisdom is knowing that all the treasures of the world are not worthy to be compared with even an ounce of God's glory. God's presence. God's love.

Wisdom is more precious than anything else in the world.

And wisdom cannot be bought, only learned. But that's ok, we have infinite wisdom at our fingertips every day.

But then my mind took another track; selflessness. I've heard several teachings about how pride is the ultimate and very first sin. It is what got the top most Angel, Lucifer, tossed out of heaven. It is what lead the way for every other sin to come into the world. It is the first sin ever commited by a human being.

So what is selflessness? Selflessness, is the exact opposite of pride. It is putting yourself in the very last place of everyone in the world. It is not saying that we are second, for who are we to say that we are second to God? No, wisdom and selflessness is saying that we are the eight billionth. It is regarding everyone else in the entire world as more important than oursleves. Loving them first. Taking the lowliest seat. Being completely selfless. Completely forgetting ourselves in the light of loving others.

So, I reasoned, just like every sin followed out of pride, shouldn't every good, moral, righteous thing follow out of selflessness?

So I guess first you would have to love everyone, especially God, far more than yourself, if you were being completely selfless. Even the Hitlers and Bin ladens, as well as your best friends. Love would come first.

Then you would go out of your way to help people, to be kind, to be a servant, for those things follow love.

And obviously you would not hate, murder, steal, cheat, lust, lie, or anything that hurts others for you care about them above yourself.

Even the small things; you would not complain, for that is simply a bother to someone else. You would not be annoying, or frustrating to others, for you sincerely care about how they feel.

You would be giving, of yourself, your time, your possesions, and anything else. For, once again, everyone else is placed above yourself. Your heart has now been transformed. Your eyes no longer look at yourself. Your mirror is no longer your most treasured item. People are. Neigbors and enemies alike.

I could go one, but I think you get the picture. But as I think about it, I think I am coming to realize that one thing does have to come before selflessness, and that is love. Yeah, now that I really think on it, love does not follow selflessness. Selflessness follows love. Love comes first. Love is the reason the world was created and the thing that holds it together. Love. God. That's it. This complicated world is really quite simple when you think about it.

Love God.

It will lead to loving people.

Which will lead to selflessness, and we all know where it goes from there. :)

Sorry if i rambled too much. Welcome to my mind and how it works, hope I didn't scare you off. ;)

Much love, Anna.