Growing in Wisdom

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

There are many things we’ll seek to get this year. Wisdom ought be at the top of the list. Every other thing you get will enhance part of your life, but wisdom will enhance your whole life.

Proverbs 3:13–18
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.
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.

Generally life is going to go better for you if you embrace wisdom!

John Wayne
Life is tough. It’s much tougher if you’re stupid.

Proverbs 19:3
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.

We complicate our lives by our own foolishness, then get angry at God! Wisdom is the principal thing because our lives will never rise beyond the level of our wisdom.

Wisdom defined in the Cambridge Dictionary: The ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgements.

Five things wisdom is not:

1. Wisdom is not knowledge.

We can be information rich, but wisdom poor. The surge in knowledge hasn’t correlated with a surge in wisdom.

Bishop Dale Bronner
We are devouring information and consuming knowledge – while starving for wisdom. In America and in many other countries, we have people who are physically strong but weak-willed. We have children using superior technology but receiving an inferior education. We have laws that are legally right but morally wrong. We have abundant food but less nutritional value in it. We have rich homes but relationally-poor families. We have greater quantity but lesser quality. We have more possessions but less contentment. These troubling conditions tell us that we urgently need the influence of wisdom in our lives, our families, our communities, our schools, our businesses, our governing bodies, and our nations.

Martin Luther King Jr
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

Wisdom is not the accumulation of knowledge; it’s the application of knowledge.

Charles Spurgeon
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. To know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.

2. Wisdom is not education.

Education is a wonderful pursuit - but education alone doesn’t guarantee wisdom.

Education will open up opportunities for you, but we also must pursue wisdom so we can manage the opportunities education brings.

3. Wisdom is not automatic.

Even Jesus didn’t get a free pass to wisdom.

Luke 2:40
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus was filled with wisdom and uniquely favoured, but still He applied himself to grow in wisdom.

4. Wisdom is not wordly smarts.

James 3:13–18
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James explains that there is “wisdom from above” – God’s wisdom – but then lists three counterfeits.

i. Earthly wisdom.

Thought trends, conventional thinking, popular opinion.
Be careful not to frame your life on earthly wisdom, which shifts with the currents of time.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

ii. Unspiritual wisdom.

Literally means, ‘sensual wisdom’, referring to our appetites, passions and lower (animal) nature. This is living according to what feels good.

Matthew 4:4
But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

We are more than biological creatures. Our appetites are real, but they are not the rudder to our lives. The word of God guides our lives.

iii. Demonic wisdom.

James describes a path that goes from bad to worse. Starts with imbibing conventional wisdom. Then we start justifying sensual decisions. Then we advocate for demonic ideas that result in chaos and confusion.

5. Wisdom is not unattainable

Proverbs 1:20–22
Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?

Wisdom is everywhere - it’s calling aloud in the streets.

How can we grow in wisdom.

1. Assume God has it.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Instead of struggling with problems and complexities, we must look up and ask God for the wisdom we need.

2. Assume others have it.

We mistakenly think we must figure things out on our own. Others have shared our experiences and can provide insight.

Proverbs 13:20
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

To draw wisdom from others:
•Don’t wait for others to come to you.
•Don’t say “Will you be my mentor?”
•Don’t say someone’s “no” for them.
•Don’t waste their time.
•Don’t do all the talking!
•Don’t just have one person you go to.

3. Assume you don’t have it.

William Shakespeare
A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.

It’s only by assuming you don’t have wisdom that you can be assured of finding it.

Proverbs 16:12
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

King Solomon started in humility but ended in pride.

1 Kings 3:7-9
“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

God is not opposed to success – He gives it! But God is opposed to the pride that can attach itself to our success. Where there’s humility God can give more grace.

Solomon prayed for a ‘discerning heart’. Literally “a hearing heart”. When the posture of our heart desires to hear, we are in a place to receive wisdom.