Who do you know that is kind, peaceable, humble, smart, and very wise? These character traits are what God constantly looks for in each of us. It is the combination of these attributes that will work for the good of all. One without the rest is a setup for failure.
Someone can be smart but lack the common sense to be humbly thankful and kind. While some see wise as becoming important at all cost, a sign of wealth, or strictly a decision-making success, God sees that, if not careful, a wise one can become arrogant, selfish, and unforgiving, even rude and mean.
1 Samuel 25 David, Nabel, and Abigail
There is no better recollection of this than the interactions between David, Nabel, and Abigail. Nabel was a wealthy businessman who became arrogant with a nasty attitude. He married Abigail, who was humble, kind, smart, and wise. She constantly intervened in the missteps of Nabel to keep peace. One such time was when David asked Nabel for hospitality for his army after David had previously protected Nabel and his workers during unsafe times. Nabel arrogantly decided not to share without a second thought disrespecting the help he had received. When Abigail heard of this, she quickly gathered provisions and humbled herself before David in the hope that David would not kill them all because of the rudeness of her husband. It worked.
Little known Abigail of the Bible saved her husband, herself, and their people yet again because she possessed the attributes of God’s character and used good judgment. When she told her husband what she had done, Nabel had a medical event that took his life days later.
We never know when our days on earth will be up. In our success, we must guard against becoming so self important that we lose sight of who God is and who Holy expects us to be on earth. We must stay close to God and be determined to live out our daily lives like Abigail.
David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord God of Israel who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and avenging myself with my own hands….if you had not come quickly to meet me not one male would have been left alive by daybreak.” 1 Samuel 25:32+
Nabel’s arrogance and lack of good judgment could have caused the deaths of many. Pride, ego trips, and selfishness always hurt others because decisions are never made fairly.
Today, be an Abigal. Don’t let the ways of this world drag you down with it. Be kind, humble, thankful, forgiving, peaceable, smart, and very wise while seeking advice within the arms of God, not self.