–Originally published on FWB21 April 19, 2011–
My dear husband said something profound recently. He told a friend, “You know, I never really was a reader either… until I started reading.” The funny thing is, he is absolutely right.

When we met, Mick wasn’t a reader–I was. He certainly did not share my love for books, and never had. After 3 years of Bible college and 2 years of graduate studies, though, my dear husband has become an avid reader. As he’s had to read more, he’s become a faster reader, his comprehension has improved, and he has started to enjoy feeding his mind through books. He now reads more than I do! If you were to ask me to describe him today, I’d say, “Yeah, he’s a reader.”

Thinking on his profound statement, I realized that there is a correlation between that sentiment and a verse our family recently memorized:

Even a child makes himself known by his acts,by whether his conduct is pure and upright. Proverbs 20:11

We make ourselves known by what we do. And the implication is that we can (with God’s prevenient grace) choose what we do, and therefore we choose how we are known. Take into account this bit of wisdom:

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,and favor is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1

How do we choose a good name? We make wise choices today.

The Proverbs are not hard-and-fast promises, they are more generalizations about how the world works. But it is clear that the way to become wise is to make wise choices (like those advised in Proverbs), and that the way to become a fool is to disregard instruction and live by impulses. Well, the only time frame in which we may follow such advice (or disregard it) is today.

The great thing is, it really doesn’t matter who you’ve been. You may today choose to follow Christ with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and become known as a godly person. You may today choose to live by wisdom and instruction and become known as a wise person. You may today choose to develop a particular discipline and become a reader, or a prayer warrior, or a runner, or a temperate individual, or a consistent parent, or a giver, or a healthy eater… You get the idea.

Today, with God’s help, who will you decide to be?