Wisdom is the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships or simply good sense. Wisdom is something many lack today. Proverbs is a book in the Bible I’ve been studying recently and wisdom is talked about over and over again.
Here are 10 golden wisdom nuggets from Proverbs:
- There is wisdom in the counsel of many people
- Wisdom doesn’t make friends with crooked people
- Wisdom doesn’t envy those who do evil deeds
- Wisdom stays away from temptation instead of flirting with it and tiptoeing on the line
- Wisdom isn’t lazy and won’t fall into poverty
- Wisdom doesn’t judge others but lets God Himself act with justice in due time
- Wisdom doesn’t boast and become arrogant
- Wisdom takes care of the widow and the poor
- Wisdom looks out for the needs of others above their own
- Wisdom knows how to keep their mouth closed when angry
There’s a lot more on wisdom and I challenge you to explore that on your own in Proverbs and throughout other places in the Bible like Ecclesiastes. The point is so many people, even Christ-followers, do a lot of dumb things that could’ve been prevented. If only we would exercise wisdom.
Many people who could be wise get 3 really big things wrong… They have selfish ambition, act and react rashly, and don’t consult the Bible for answers.
The root of sin seems to have a common running theme – selfishness. We need to pray to the Lord as David did in Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer ”. David knew that his outward sin was rooted in his selfish thoughts against others and God.
Acting rashly is another mistake we make all too often. When we act and react too quickly to things, it can lead to lifelong consequential mistakes. Those mistakes can spiral out of control and bring about consequences we and others have to live with for the rest of our lives. Another thing we don’t think of is how is doing this going to affect others as well. When we do something, it doesn’t ever just affect us, it affects those around us as well.
We can pray all day long for guidance (and that’s the right thing to do) but God can give great advice through His Holy Word. Unfortunately, not going to the Word is a mistake that too many make, including me.
Why do we go to the Bible for answers? The Word is alive and active and God can use it to instruct us on all kinds of things. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been going through something but when I read the Bible, a verse stood out to me. That verse or chapter shed light and understanding in a new way for me that applied very specifically to that circumstance.
It’s amazing how we can get new things from the same words in the Bible depending on the season of life we’re in and the different circumstances we face. That’s because it’s truly alive and active!
Anyway, rant over lol. I’ve done some pretty dumb things in my past that could’ve been avoided using a little wisdom. Wisdom doesn’t just come from knowledge but from a close and intimate relationship with our Creator.
“Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17-18
Stay hopeful!
