The Value of Wisdom

I have written about wisdom before but it’s so key to our daily lives that I wanted to address it again. I wrote a 3 part series for Outback and wanted to share it with you.

The Value of Wisdom

It has been said that our world is drowning in information but starving for wisdom. The main reason for this is because man doesn’t fully understand the value of godly wisdom. The Bible urges us to seek wisdom from God above all things.

Proverbs 8:11 For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  

In James 3:15-18, we see that there are two different types of wisdom. Heavenly wisdom is described as “pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits.” Wisdom of the world is known as “sensual, demonic, full of jealousy and selfish ambition.”

Secular wisdom focuses primarily on immediate gratification. The emphasis is on self with little concern for honoring God or viewing life from an eternal perspective. One with worldly wisdom alone will lack greatly in life’s most important areas of understanding.

True wisdom is not solely an intellectual matter, but also a matter of the heart. A person with godly wisdom is one who knows how to order their life in obedience to God’s will. Life decisions are made in clear view of their eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father. Earthly values are traded for biblical values. As a child of God, we have situational discernment that reflects a godly perspective.

Solomon became the king of Israel at the age of 15 succeeding his father, David. As Solomon became the “boy” king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” Given the opportunity to ask God for anything he wanted, Solomon responded with the following: “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?” God was very pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom instead of asking for riches, long life, or deliverance from his enemies. As a result, God blessed him abundantly with each of them.  

Solomon became known as an exceedingly wise man. He was the author of three books in the Bible – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. The book of Proverbs is a library of instruction on how to live a godly life with the assurance of the reward of the life to come. Yet, Solomon did not always follow the path of wisdom. In his later years, he lived in disobedience to the Lord and even began to worship idols. Sadly, he exchanged godly wisdom for worldly wisdom. Solomon paid a great price as the Lord removed His hand of blessing from him.

Man often places a higher priority on the pursuit of earthly treasure than the pursuit of godly wisdom. Solomon’s life provides great lessons both in establishing proper priorities and the consequences of failing to maintain them. God abundantly blessed Solomon when his heart and priorities were focused on building a heart of discernment. True wisdom is given to those who are walking in continual fellowship with God.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6