True wisdom is defined as the godly use of knowledge. The world has forms of wisdom. Confucius wrote some wise saying. Benjamin Franklin was famous for his pithy sayings and Aesop’s fables are supposed to teach clever, wise things to children. Most people today will call people who see through the spin and hype a wise person. It is also accepted that age produces wisdom in many cases.
True wisdom, however, come from God. It is a free gift to all believers. The idea here is that a person who truly believes in Jesus Christ now has the privilege of asking for wisdom. James 1:5 states “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” The only caveat is that the person requesting the wisdom must believe God will give it.
God has provided wisdom books for his people as well. In the Bible, the books of Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are called wisdom books. They are to be read more than studied. If each book can be read in one sitting that is best. Many years ago I was asked to preach at First Presbyterian in Santa Clara. As a test, I read these three books once a week for the three weeks leading up to the sermon. I preached on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the book of Daniel. When I was done, a man came up to me and said, “you are wise.” Then he walked away. So I guess it worked.
Worldly people tend to confuse wisdom, intelligence and a good memory. If a person remembers many things and can quote ideas without looking them up, then he is called intelligent or smart. Someone speaks clearly and plainly is called wise. A better way to look at these words is this: Intelligent people have good reasoning abilities. They can figure out puzzles and things. People with good memory remember lots of things, lots of trivia. Wise people have an application for what they know. Wise people do things with what they know. So a person who reads a great deal, and remembers what they read and is able to do any crossword puzzle, would not be a wise person. They would be a smart person. A wise person would take what they learn and apply it, and perhaps have better money managing skills or better productivity at work or something where the knowledge is used. It is true that a “penny saved is a penny earned,” but only people who save their pennies would be considered wise.
Godly wisdom, the eternal, best wisdom of God only comes from God. He gives his followers the ability to use their knowledge of Him to live godly lives, counsel and help people live godly lives and to manage their lives to give glory to God. Godly wisdom is always worked out in a godly lifestyle. The best part is that this wisdom is free for the asking.
True wisdom, however, come from God. It is a free gift to all believers. The idea here is that a person who truly believes in Jesus Christ now has the privilege of asking for wisdom. James 1:5 states “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” The only caveat is that the person requesting the wisdom must believe God will give it.
God has provided wisdom books for his people as well. In the Bible, the books of Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are called wisdom books. They are to be read more than studied. If each book can be read in one sitting that is best. Many years ago I was asked to preach at First Presbyterian in Santa Clara. As a test, I read these three books once a week for the three weeks leading up to the sermon. I preached on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the book of Daniel. When I was done, a man came up to me and said, “you are wise.” Then he walked away. So I guess it worked.
Worldly people tend to confuse wisdom, intelligence and a good memory. If a person remembers many things and can quote ideas without looking them up, then he is called intelligent or smart. Someone speaks clearly and plainly is called wise. A better way to look at these words is this: Intelligent people have good reasoning abilities. They can figure out puzzles and things. People with good memory remember lots of things, lots of trivia. Wise people have an application for what they know. Wise people do things with what they know. So a person who reads a great deal, and remembers what they read and is able to do any crossword puzzle, would not be a wise person. They would be a smart person. A wise person would take what they learn and apply it, and perhaps have better money managing skills or better productivity at work or something where the knowledge is used. It is true that a “penny saved is a penny earned,” but only people who save their pennies would be considered wise.
Godly wisdom, the eternal, best wisdom of God only comes from God. He gives his followers the ability to use their knowledge of Him to live godly lives, counsel and help people live godly lives and to manage their lives to give glory to God. Godly wisdom is always worked out in a godly lifestyle. The best part is that this wisdom is free for the asking.
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