The Bible is quite clear on another
aspect of our lives that we should strive to attain, and that is
wisdom. And by doing it we also find ourselves in a fortunate
position of growing spiritually. And through growing spiritually we
discover a wealth of treasures hidden in the Word of God. What an
exciting prospect!
The Word of God quite specifically
says that we should strive to attain wisdom. We should run after it
as if we are chasing a monumental treasure!
"Tune your ears to wisdom, and
concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and
understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or a
hidden treasure." Proverbs 2: 2-4
Now wisdom is such a massive
concept. How can we be wise? How do we attain it? I think we can
write thousands of books on this subject alone, but let's focus on
the basics for now. The Bible is quite specific about attaining
wisdom. I think for a start we can look at the verse above and
start by listening more than we speak. I am sure that the Lord made
two ears and only one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as
much and think carefully before we speak, as life and death is in
the power of our tongue.
We should ask the Holy Spirit to
help us to respond to and deal with situations in the correct way.
We should be discreet and realistic, with the power of making
plans. We should make the most out of life, be open to correction
and reproof, and above all value the truth.
The Bible also specifically warns
against being a fool. Some of the characteristics of a fool
mentioned is the following: being ignorant, arrogant,
aimless, careless, argumentative, want everything on a plate,
doesn't think for oneself, prefers fantasy to fact and illusions to
truth.
Now I think if we read the list of
actions related to a fool and those related to being wise, it is
natural to want to lean towards being wise, but it is easier said
than done. It is easier to retaliate when someone hurts you, it is
easier to receive everything than to think for yourself, it is more
convenient to dream dreams than to actually get up and do something
about it, it is hard to be open to correction and reproof, it is
hard to be discreet when your ego cries out for recognition. It is
hard I know. I battle with it myself. But thank God that He is
there to help us with the battle. Thank God that He doesn't condemn
us, but that He came to set us free.
We should ask the Lord daily to
gain wisdom. Ask Him to help you on a step by step basis to walk
the steps towards true wisdom. Restrain yourself from foolish
activity and focus on your only true source of inspiration, Jesus
Christ. Step by step you will attain wisdom, I don't think any of
us will ever reach a state where we will reach the final step, but
at least we are making progress and though the progress of growing
we will find ourselves happier than we have ever been, more at
peace with ourselves and with others.
Father God, thank you for being
there for us. Thank you for instilling wisdom into our spirits. We
need You, please help us. In Jesus Name. Amen