The Bible is quite clear on another
aspect of our lives and that is that we should strive to attain
wisdom. And by striving towards it we also find ourselves in a
fortunate position of growing spiritually. And through growing
spiritually we discover a wealth of treasures hidden in the Word of
God. What an exciting prospect!
The Word of God quite specifically
says that we should strive to attain wisdom. We should run after it
as if we are chasing a monumental treasure!
"Tune your ears to wisdom, and
concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and
understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or a
hidden treasure." Proverbs 2: 2-4
Now wisdom is such a massive
concept. How can we be wise? How do we attain it? I think we can
write thousands of books on this subject alone, but let's focus on
the basics for now. The Bible is quite specific about attaining
wisdom. I think for a start we can look at the verse above and
start by listening more than we speak. I am sure that the Lord made
two ears and only one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as
much and think carefully before we speak, as life and death is in
the power of our tongue.
We should allow the Holy Spirit to
help us to respond to and deal with situations in the correct way.
We should be discreet and realistic and allow His Spirit to empower
us to make the right plans. We should make the most out of life, be
open to correction and reproof, and above all value the truth.
The Bible also specifically warns
against being a fool. Some of the characteristics of a fool
mentioned are the following: being ignorant, arrogant, aimless,
careless, argumentative, want everything on a plate, doesn't think
for oneself, prefers fantasy to fact and illusions to truth.
Now I think if we read the list of
actions related to a fool and those related to being wise, it is
natural to want to lean towards being wise, but it is easier said
than done. It is easier to retaliate when someone hurts you, it is
easier to receive everything than to think for yourself, it is more
convenient to dream dreams than to actually get up and do something
about it, it is hard to be open to correction and reproof, it is
hard to be discreet when your ego cries out for recognition. It is
hard I know. I battle with it myself. But thank God that He is
there to help us with the battle. Thank God that He doesn't condemn
us, but that He came to set us free.
We should ask the Lord daily to
gain wisdom. Ask Him to help you on a step by step basis to walk
the steps towards true wisdom. Restrain yourself from foolish
activity and focus on your only true source of inspiration, Jesus
Christ. Step by step you will attain wisdom, and though the
progress of growing we will find ourselves happier than we have
ever been, more at peace with ourselves and with others. I will end
of with two powerful scriptures of Paul declaring that we must pray
and ask God for spiritual wisdom. May God bless you.
"We ask God to give you a
complete understanding of what He wants to do in your lives, and we
ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you
live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will
continually do good, kind things for others. All the while you will
learn to know God better and better." Colossians 1:9, 10
"I pray for you constantly,
asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give
you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in
your knowledge of God." Ephesians 1:16, 17
Father God, thank you for being
there for us. Thank you for instilling wisdom into our spirits. We
want to grow in knowledge and stature in You. In Jesus Name.
Amen