Gaining Godly Wisdom
Wisdom is gained any number of ways. Asking Questions. Passed down from one generation to another. Experiences. Trial and error. Study. Practice.
Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, observed three ways to acquire wisdom – “First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” Sometimes the wisdom gained through our experiences comes with little or no blood, sweat, and tears, while other times, it is gained the hard way. I have often learned the hard way. Let me tell you one such instance.
During my childhood, my immediate family moved three times, from one city to another. Because of that, we did not live near any relatives. My mother’s parents lived on a farm in rural Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River. We visited them usually once a year. I loved going to their house. It had everything a city boy did not have – animals, crops, barn, creek, well with cold water, open spaces. I have written about the joy of making apple cider with my grandma (click here) and always looked forward to going down to the river to watch the barges go through the locks. I tell you all this to set up the story.
On one particular trip, my brothers and I, along with two of our cousins (all of us under the age of ten) were playing near grandpa’s pasture, where he had chickens, pigs, and cows. We were throwing stones into the creek that ran near an electric fence that surrounded the field. Our goal was to cause a splash to hit the electric fence. We loved to hear the noise of water hitting the electrified rail – Zzzzzz. My cousin and I, both the oldest of the five, came up with the idea to see which of us five boys could pee and hit the fence. Sounded like harmless fun. Let me just say, I was the only boy to succeed reaching the fence. And it was then that I learned one of life’s valuable lessons – urine is a good conductor of electricity.
While that wisdom is important to know, as is much of the worldly wisdom we accumulate along life’s journey, gaining the wisdom of God is paramount, more important than all other wisdom, even the truth that some liquids are good conductors of electricity. The conduction of electricity inside a liquid takes place due to the movement of ions. Salts produce those ions. So, liquids that contain salt (yes, urine being one of those) are good conductors. Oil and alcohol are two examples of liquids that do not conduct electricity. Does that mean that if I would have consumed several beers before peeing on the fence that I might have had a different result? Just wondering.
Just how do we gain the wisdom of God? Solomon, considered to be the wisest man ever to live (1 Kings 4:29-34), said this about gaining wisdom – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 10:9). In this context, fear is not “being afraid,” but rather, it is awe and reverence, not wanting to disappoint.
We are also told that God gives wisdom to those who ask – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Later on, still in James, we find these words – “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” (3:16-17).
Scripture calls “blessed” (Hebrew – happy) those who seek and gain godly wisdom. Click here to read Proverbs 3, paying particular attention to verses 13-18.
And lastly, the apostle Paul tells us that even the best of the best worldly wisdom is not as valuable as the foolishness of God (1 Corinthians 1:25). So, today, I ask – are you seeking to gain wisdom? Not just any wisdom, the wisdom of God.
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