The Importance of Wisdom

Proverbs 1:5-7 "Let the wise hear and increase in learning and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear ofthe Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Knowledge is good, but there is a huge difference between "knowledge" and "wisdom." Knowledge is having the facts but it takes wisdom to apply those facts to our lives. Having knowledge without wisdom is useless. It is imperative that our knowledge grows legs and become active in our lives. James 1:22 tells us "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. God wants to bless us greatly but often times our lives are so wayward that we are not mature enough to handle the blessings He desires to give us. We attend church on Sunday but for many of us it's just a tradition that we follow. We believe in prayer yet we rarely pray unless there is an emergency and we feel that our needs are priority over the needs of our neighbor. We read our Bibles but attach no meaning for our own personal lives. Therefore we have some Bible facts tucked away yet our lives are a mess. Messy lives are a direct result of a lack of wisdom. Our church attendance should be seen as an opportunity to gain new wisdom for our own personal living. We should go with the intention that today God will let me look in the mirror and see something in me that He wants to refine and purify. We should desire to attend Bible Study and Sunday School because those are the places that we can discuss and ask questions (gain understanding). Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron shapeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." When we study together God has a way of taking our biblical learning and our life experiences and teaching us how to make wiser decisions for His glory. I need to be sharper and a great way for me to do that is in a learning community. When Christian friends share their experiences and learning and I share we begin to sharpen the areas of our thinking to do and not to do some things because they do or do not please God. Wisdom helps us to seek the heart of God and His desires become our desires. Prayer is a powerful privelige that our Father has given to His children to stay connected to Him. Prayer builds our relationship with our Father. The more wisdom we gain the greater our need to talk to our counselor. We quickly realize how little we know in His presence. God has new things daily that He will illuminate to us just in conversation. Just like we feel the need to hear from our spouse, children, and family so longs God to hear from His sons and daughters and to tell them things that will make life meaningful and full. We need the assurance from our Father that in the midst of what things look like He still has us covered under the blood of Jesus. 1st Thessalonians 5:17 says to "Pray without ceasing." Even in the midst of work and life we still should be praying and connecting with the Father. Just like we freak out when our utilities go out and our homes are without power we should beccome just as concerned when our lives have been disconnected from our Father who is our spiritual power source. Prayer keeps us connected! I have comes to realize that my Bible is my roadmap. Every place I need to go in life it will direct me wisely. Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." God's desire is that we make wise choices in our lives so that others may see wisdom. If we live wisely and others see how He blesses our wise living they may want to reap the same kind of benefits and be drawn to Christ. Wisdom and fear of the Lord makes us have attitudes of gratitude because we are thankful to God, His Word, and His Son who died that we might live. Our character represents that of the life that Christ lived. Don't you want to live so that others may say, "I'm following you as you follow Chist?" That is my hearts desire. If so our attitudes, character, and language must be decent and in order and does not represent that of fools. In doing so our witness for Christ is pure and has not been perverted. The only prescription I have found for wisdom to stay in God's Word (read or listen to your Bible audio), stay on your knees (pray), and learn in community (attend worship & studies). May God's blessings of wisdom be upon you!