I think all of us at some point in our lives search for wisdom, yet rarely do we really know where to begin. Proverbs 4:7 says this "the beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom!" (Amp). How is that really much of a help? When seeking for wisdom get wisdom?
In order to first understand how to get wisdom we must first understand what wisdom is. Throughout Proverbs King Solomon tell his son to listen to his teachings along with the advice of those older than him. He tells him also to be aware of sin traps and to seek the knowledge of God. How is this helpful? Firstly, seeking the wisdom of those older than you is wise because the truth is they have experience more and have lived life longer than you have and have a much different perspective on things. They can look back and relate to your situation however they know that breakups won't kill you, they know that school problems are part of life and overcomable, and they know that relationships with parents ease with time.
Secondly, Solomon tells his son to be aware of sin traps. Now this is very hard to do without self-evaluation. So I would pose that having a knowledge of yourself and who you are is essential to gaining wisdom. Without it you won't know why you do what you do, in fact you won't even be able to understand the consequences whether they be good or bad. Knowing yourself will give you insight into where you fall victim to temptation and sin. In addition, seeking the advice and wisdom of those older than you will enlighten you on potential sin traps that you might face or the ones you are currently facing.
Finally, in order to gain wisdom you must first seek the knowledge of God. I found this a very interesting thing. Solomon separated knowledge and wisdom. Why? Upon further examination into Proverbs I began to see that knowledge was just information; understanding of events and actions. Wisdom on the other hand was knowing why; why we should follow in Gods plan, knowing why you react the way you do to things and why other people react or act the way they do. Then, apply it. If you know why you need to do something then it is still simply knowledge, but when you understand it with both your heart and mind and put it into practice, that is when you begin to demonstrate wisdom.
This is what Solomon says about the benefits of wisdom:
"Then will you understand what is right and just and fair - every good thing. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you." (Proverbs 2: 9-11)
I love this verse because it wraps wisdom in beauty. When you seek to understand, when you seek to gain knowledge of who God is, rejecting your own understanding, it's beautiful. Seeking wisdom means rejecting your own pride and accepting humility, rejecting your own understanding and seeking that which is not your own, and rejecting passivity and finding strength in the Lord to give you the strength to develop your character.
So begin this journey of seeking wisdom with me. The first step: ask God what he wants to teach you and then listen! He has something for you because he longs to teach you, he longs to walk with you. Join this journey as I seek wisdom. I'm going to be starting a little mini series on this topic so expect more from me about what I've been learning and what I have found about wisdom and the knowledge of God.
"Let your eye's look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only the ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil." (proverbs 4:25-27)
~Catie
No comments:
Post a Comment