Wisdom

Wisdom

My grandfather was one of the wisest people I have known.  Growing up on a farm in North Florida during the Great Depression, he only had an eighth grade education. Yet, he had knowledge and a grace that emanated from the pain and the joys of his life. He valued people and relationships more than money and things.  He had a simple way of life that avoided so many of the entanglements that people find themselves in today.  He only used cash to buy things (even his cars).  He lived in the same 900 square foot house for over 50 years, the same one he and my grandmother raised two children in.  His favorite spot was sitting on the porch step or in a plastic white chair at the end of the driveway, and there he was most content.  He was not perfect and he certainly felt the pains and sorrows of life, but he was wise.

Wisdom is much more than knowing many things.  Wisdom comes from someplace deeper.  It is not conditioned upon money or success, but on experience and a willingness to learn and grow.  It is something that is measured beyond grades, tests, and diplomas. 

In the Bible, the book of James discusses two kinds of wisdom. There is a wisdom of the world that teaches people how to get ahead in life, how to succeed in their ambitions, to climb the ladder of success, to gain power.  We hold up successful people as models and we clamor to learn from them the fast track to success. This wisdom is not necessarily bad, but it is also not necessarily good.  It can lead us to devalue others while elevating self.  It can lead us to put our trust in things that will not last.  It can lead to jealousy, selfish ambition, and disorder (James 3:16). Better, James argues, is the wisdom that comes from God.

This wisdom of God has nothing to do with money, success, or power.  It is not something that comes from a conference, educational plan, or ten-steps to success book.  It is something that comes from God and a life lived in and with Him.  It finds contentment in things that can’t be measured, at least numerically.  It comes through prayer and silence.  It comes from a quality of life that slowly forms as we walk through the happiness and sorrow of life.  It comes when we submit ourselves humbly to God and let God shape us through all of life’s experiences.

How will we know it? 

What of the wisdom of above?  First, it is pure, and then peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair and genuine.   Those who make peace sow seeds of justice by their peaceful acts.  (James 3:17-18)

We spend a lot of time, money, and energy trying to gain the wisdom of the world.  That is not always bad, but it is not ultimate.  What can you do to grow more in the wisdom that comes from above? 

Here are a few suggestions:  make worship of God a regular part of your week (make your calendar work around worship, not the other way around); have some practice of daily prayer and scripture reading; set aside time to sit in silence; join a small group; find a way to be in service to others. 

Together we are the hands and feet of Jesus.

Brett