Exploring Biblical Wisdom - Words From the WiseSample

In this piece, we continue to consider the nature of wisdom, in particular the heavenly wisdom which God gives to all who ask him (Jas 1:5)

Being wise is not about knowing lots of things. It is not based on intelligence or reliant upon a high IQ, nor is it exclusive to those considered to be clever. In fact, you may have noticed that clever people are not always the most wise! In reality, cleverness can get in the way of wisdom, blocking out the sense of any need for wisdom from God.

There is nothing wrong with education or learning new things. But this does not in itself make us wise in a godly sense. Education helps us earn a living, but this is not the same as living a life. The world often confuses these. God’s wisdom is about how to live life successfully, not in terms of your standard of living but your standards in life. In short, knowledge may increase your income, but wisdom improves your outcome.

Wisdom may draw upon existing knowledge and skills, but it goes beyond them and takes us further. Wisdom helps us apply what we already know and can do, especially in situations that might defeat us. Wisdom helps us to survive in difficult circumstances and to avoid tricks and traps that might destroy us. It alerts us to deception, fake news, and half-truths. It protects us when danger threatens. It indicates the right direction to follow and the correct path to take. Above all, being wise is about making better decisions and good choices.

By way of illustration, consider the humble tomato. Knowledge tells you it is a fruit; wisdom tells you not to put it in a fruit salad. This witticism expertly expresses the difference between knowledge and wisdom. It also stresses that wisdom is essentially practical – and not just for improving the taste of your meals! It equips you for whatever task God gives you, whether relatively mundane or a large-scale spiritual venture.

Wisdom enables you to get things right you wouldn’t normally get right if you relied solely on your own skills or knowledge. It provides something extra and puts to better use what you already know or can do. In summary, wisdom is knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do, knowing what to say when you don’t know what to say, knowing where to go when you don’t know where to go.

We will say more about this in our next piece.