Get Wisdom
"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold" Proverbs 3:13–14
A good working definition of wisdom is “skill in everyday living.” Making choices that lead to human thriving. Doing what is right. That’s wisdom.
There is a difference between being smart and being wise. Smart people know facts, have information and have knowledge. Wise people know what matters in life and how to live life in a way that brings peace and joy to your soul.
A smart person without wisdom can get good grades on tests or can get a scholarship to college. He can win at Trivial Pursuit. He can qualify for a slot on Jeopardy. He can impress people at dinner parties or edit Wikipedia articles.
But information does not bring joy or peace to your life. Wisdom can, and does, lead to shalom, to inner well-being.
It’s the wise person we turn to for help when life is hard or when we need counsel.
Ultimately, a wise person is someone who knows how to live life the way God designed for life to be lived.
Tim Keller said that wisdom is “the ability to grow and handle and flourish in the midst of life circumstances, whatever they are. Having great life circumstances, fame and fortune and power and happiness, is nowhere near as important as having wisdom.”
“Many decisions, in order to make them well, only require knowledge. If you had all the knowledge, you could choose the right car, maybe the right medicine, or something like that.
“Other decisions are mainly a matter of your principles and your commitments. But for the vast majority of the decisions we actually face, the rules and the facts won’t help you.
Who do you marry?
Do you get married?
Who should you date?
Do you break up?
What career should you go into?
What school should you go to?
Should I stay here?
Should I go to another job?
Should I move here?
Should I move there?
Should I confront the person, or should I hold back?
Should I take the risk, or should I play it safe?”
To deal with questions like those, you need more than knowledge. You need more than facts. You need more than an ethical system.
You need wisdom.
“Wisdom is supreme” according to Proverbs 4:7. “Therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
How do you get wisdom? According to the bible, the starting place for gaining wisdom is a healthy respect and reverence for God – to fear the Lord.”
In 1999, Jerry Bridges wrote a book called The Joy of Fearing God. At the beginning of the book, he shared a story he wrote. He called it A Parable of Awe.
His parable was the story of Sgt. Butch McGregor. Butch joined the Marines at age 18. He was a good Marine who learned how to respect his superior officers and follow orders.
In time, Butch was moved into the motor pool. He was recognized as a skilled and capable driver, and eventually becomes the designated driver for the commanding officer of the division, Major General Collins.
Butch spent a lot of time with the General. He saw him as a no-nonsense, tough but fair leader, and he respected him. In his role as the General’s driver, Butch was able to hear the General interact with others over the phone. He came to admire the General’s wisdom and military skill.
In his role as the General’s driver, Sgt. McGregor had always shown respect for his superior officer. But over time, he began to feel respect for him. He admired his character and leadership skills. He realized that he liked being with the General. And he had the sense that the General liked him as well.
Of course, he never forgot that the General was the General and he was a sergeant. Even in casual conversation, he always called him sir.
Eventually, the General was assigned to a combat area, and Butch went with him as his designated driver. It happened that the two men were traveling in a hot zone when the car Butch was driving hit a land mine. The General was thrown from the vehicle. Butch was trapped in the front seat of a burning vehicle.
The General, who was injured himself, put himself at risk helping Butch get free and get to safety.
Both men were taken to a military field hospital. The General recovered quickly, but Butch was in for several weeks. During that time, even with all he had going on, the General would regularly some to the hospital to check on Butch.
Bridges writes that Butch often pondered the question “Why would a Two Star General in command of a Marine division risk his own life to save the life of a Sergeant?” Eventually, the only conclusion he could come to was that despite the vast difference in rank, the General actually cared about him.
When that began to sink in, in addition to awe and respect for the General, Butch began to experience love and gratitude for him as well. This man had saved his life. Butch looked forward to the day when he could one day resume his work as the General’s driver, vowing to be the best, most loyal, most dedicated driver any Major General had ever had.
Still, Butch realized that in spite of their friendship and love for each other, he and the General would never be peers or buddies. It would always be a “yes sir, no sir” relationship.
And that, Sergeant McGregor knew, was exactly as it should be.
Bridges’ parable is a great picture of what it means to have a healthy fear of God. It’s not a “slavish fear.” It’s a reverential fear. A deep respect.
It is this kind of fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, according to Proverbs 9:10. “The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
If we’re going to grow in wisdom, we have to start with respect for the God of wisdom. You have to begin by believing that God is the source of wisdom. And that His wisdom is trustworthy and true.
The first sin in the Bible, according to Genesis 3, happened when Adam and Eve tried to pursue wisdom apart from God. To be wise on their own, apart from Him. That same posture is present in the heart of everyone today who is far from God.
“Be not wise in your own eyes” the Bible says in Proverbs 3:7. “Fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.”
John Calvin began his most celebrated work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion with this observation: “Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.
Ultimately, it comes down to this. True wisdom is anchored in knowing and loving and serving Jesus. He is our source of wisdom.
A lack of wisdom, judgment, discernment – this is what will lead you to personal disasters in life.
The message of the Bible is loud and clear. Get wisdom. Start with reverence for God and His word. Turn there every day to find the wisdom you need for every day living. And walk with Jesus, who is our source of wisdom.