Wisdom

How to Become Wise

Oprah Winfrey says, ‘Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.’ In other words, wisdom comes from within and is a kind of intuition. Since you are created in the image of God, there is truth in this. However, as we see in today’s passages, true wisdom comes from God and it is supremely acquired through your relationship with him. As we have seen, knowledge is horizontal. But wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. You will grow in wisdom as you learn, reflect, and live in a relationship with God.

We all desperately need wisdom. In the Old Testament, there are several books of ‘Wisdom’: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. In addition, sprinkled throughout the Bible are various writings which might loosely be described as ‘Wisdom Literature’, dealing with such diverse areas as the power of the tongue, the blessings of faithfulness, the dangers of adultery, the hazards of strong drink, the inequalities of life, the sufferings of the righteous, the skill of leadership and the art of parenting.

This wisdom is a kind of sanctified common sense. It leads to greater self-understanding. It gives you the ability to cope in life and to steer through and master its challenges. It is the sort of legacy good parents want to hand on to their children. Ultimately, wisdom is found in Jesus Christ, who is the ‘wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Seek wisdom from God

Proverbs 8:12-21

Wisdom is immensely valuable: ‘My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary; the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus’ (v.18–19, MSG). This wisdom is worth more than all the material wealth in the world. Apart from anything else, unlike material wealth, it lasts forever (v.18).

In this passage, we see why wisdom is so valuable and how we should seek God for such wisdom:

Wisdom comes from God Wisdom begins with a relationship with God. It starts with the ‘fear of the Lord’ (v.13). ‘Fear’ means ‘respect’ and a deep awareness of God that is the foundation of all wisdom. Wisdom is pure and beautiful The writer of Proverbs says, ‘To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech... I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice’ (v.13,20). This is the test of true wisdom that comes from God. As the apostle James writes, ‘Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere’ (James 3:17). Wisdom helps you lead well. Wisdom is of particular importance for leaders. If you want to be a good leader you need wisdom and common sense: ‘With my help, leaders rule, and lawmakers legislate fairly; With my help, governors govern, along with all in legitimate authority’ (Proverbs 8:15–16, MSG). Wisdom is available to you God promises wisdom to all who seek after it: ‘I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me’ (v.17). As the apostle James puts it, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you’ (James 1:5). This is a prayer you can be sure will be answered.