Page 173 - Built For God Handbook (Annotated and Explained Edition) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

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There are child prodigies in many disciplines and areas of life, but rarely in
the area of wisdom -- he child Jesus in the temple being the exception - as
wisdom usually arises out of reflecting on the experiences of a lifetime.
However, wisdom is also a gift of the Holy Spirit and a central attribute of
God. The truly wise person will emulate Jesus, seeking to do only the
Father’s will for him or her, and never stray from that path.

Staying on that path brings serenity and a deep security that, in the end, all
will be well. On the other hand, succumbing to the temptations of over-
attaching to the secondary goods of possessions, prestige, power, and
pleasure will leave one always desiring more and more of what will always
be incapable of providing wholeness and wellness.

We have all been given the priceless gift of our free will, with the option to
be willing and cooperate with God’s grace, or to willfully and stubbornly
insisting on going our own way, often leading to hypocrisy and a lack of
integrity that is not the way of God.

b
a Proverbs 3:13-35; Luke 17:6; Matthew 14:31; Matthew 11:28-30;
d
c Proverbs 4:25-27; Isaiah 10:1-2; Proverbs 22:7; Proverbs 28:15;
e Matthew 23:25-28; Matthew 23:33.
f