"For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)
Over the last few weeks we have looked at a number of passages from the book of Proverbs dealing with life, the tongue and anger. So in conclusion, let us remind ourselves again of the source of all wisdom and its implications for our lives.
God is the Ultimate Source of Wisdom
We may gain wisdom from many sources in our lives - pastors, friends, parents, books, television, etc., but their wisdom can be tainted, incomplete, or sometimes just plain wrong. Despite that, all wisdom ultimately has one source, God Himself. Proverbs 2, beginning with the verse cited above, urges us to pursue wisdom and that God will give it to the one who searches for it.
This is an idea that is reiterated in James 1:5, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Coupled with this search for wisdom is the illumination of the mind by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 we read that, "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one." The wisdom that we have is not ours because we have learned or attained it in any way, but rather it has been granted and given to us by the Spirit of God.
We have no right to boast about our wisdom, for as we are reminded in Jeremiah 9:23-24, "Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD." All we can truly boast about is God Himself.
How God Gives Us Wisdom
As promised in James, when we pray for wisdom we will receive it, however, how we receive it differs from person to person. It may be that He gives you a greater desire for reading and studying the Bible, which will ultimately result in an increase in wisdom. You might find yourself in the company of wiser people who can advise, rebuke, reprove and guide you through the circumstances of life. You might find yourself in a church under the leadership of wise elders and pastors that you can look up to and learn from. He might provide you with a single individual who is willing to come alongside you and mentor you in a certain area of your life. Or maybe He will give you wisdom through books or other resources that He guides you to or provides you with through other people.
God may also allow you to go through certain difficult situation in your life that will help you to obtain wisdom through a hands on, experiential manner. And finally, He may just simply give you the wisdom directly like He did with Solomon.
Irrespective of how God gives you the wisdom, the questions you need to ask yourself are: Are you willing to read, study, and fill your life with God's Word? Are you willing to spend time with wise people like pastors or parents, seeking out their counsel, reason through it and apply where necessary? Are you willing to accept both the negative (rebuke and reproof) and positive (encouragement) counsel of others?
All these voices God can use to give you wisdom. You just need to ask Him and be willing to accept the results, irrespective of how He chooses to do so. Ultimately, your willingness to hear, reason through, and apply will show you and others how much you truly respect and desire the Wisdom God has for you.
Just a Thought!
© 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment