Active GenerositySample

Proverbs urges us to resist the lure of worldly wisdom and resolutely seek out true wisdom. The biblical definition of wisdom is living in a way that honours and glorifies God. It is entirely unrelated to IQ, formal education or age, and it is given to anyone who seeks it: ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you’ (James 1:5).

King Solomon was known far and wide for his great wisdom. Early in his reign, God said to him, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to give you’ (2 Chronicles 1:7). Rather than requesting long life, the gruesome deaths of his enemies or piles of gold (or three more wishes!), he replied, ‘Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people’ (2 Chronicles 1:10).

Because he asked for it, God gave him wisdom that is still admired today. Wisdom is a gift from God, but we must ask for and seek after it. Look at how many imperatives there are in this week’s passage: find wisdom, gain understanding, take hold, hold fast.

Worldly wisdom dictates that we invest our resources so they grow and make us richer, and, we hope, safer. It urges us to hoard and protect our assets, be they financial, material or personal, storing them up for ourselves and our immediate family.

But godly wisdom leads us into radical, sacrificial generosity – the kind that gives glory to God.