Being Wise in an Unwise World
If you were to ask someone, anyone, everyone: “Would you like to be wise?” I can’t imagine them saying, “No.” The desire to be wise is part of our created DNA. In the perfect Garden of Eden, Eve was drawn into the forbidden because Satan tapped into her desire to be wise. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate.”(Genesis 3:6) The desire to be wise comes from God, and being wise – being characterized by wisdom – is a Spirit-enabled and empowered process. We have to want it. We have to ask for it. We have to pursue it.
James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
We get wisdom from God. He willing gives it to us with generosity and without demeaning lectures of how we shouldn’t have to need it or gotten ourselves into this situation where it is needed. Every situation requires wisdom. He knows what we need. He has what we need. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 2:3 tells us in Jesus “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Again, He has what we need. He gives when we ask, but there is still a “cost” on our part.
Proverbs 23:23 Buy truth and do not sell it. Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.
“Buy it” means that there is a price, an investment. Invest means to devote time, energy and resources to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result. We have to be willing to invest into receiving the wisdom the Lord extends to us, and to act accordingly. Being wise requires acting wisely, not just knowing the wise thing to do. Knowing is cheaper than doing. “Do not sell it” means that once we have the desired wisdom, it isn’t “ours” to “sell” for personal profit: look good, sound good, be good, be impressive. It is grace! Grace is the manifestation of who God is and what He gives for ours and other best. If we are given the opportunity to share the wisdom we are given, then it has to be for their benefit not increase our own.
Proverbs 4:5-9 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace; she will present you with a crown of beauty.
Proverbs 3:13-18 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.
There are incredible benefits in being wise, but it requires an investment on our part. In Proverbs 2, the investment is indicated by “if,” and the result by “then” and “so.”
Necessary investments:
#1 We have to invest in knowing God’s word.
My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments ... (Proverbs 2:1)
My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments ... (Proverbs 2:1)
The word translated “receive” is laqach. It means having the capacity and capability to hold and carry something. We need to load up on God’s word. It tells us what He thinks, what He does, what He wants and who He is. 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Romans 15:4 tells us “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
We cannot be wise and neglect knowing God’s word. According to Jeremiah 8:9, the so-called “wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?” We have to receive God’s words and treasure His commandments. The Hebrew word translated “commandments” is mitzwah: a directive from one in higher authority. They are God shining His light on what we are to do, how we are to think and behave. “For the commandments is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.” (Proverbs 6:23) If we want the light to come on; if we want to be wise; then we need to open The Book.
#2 We have to invest in alertness.
Make your ear attentive to wisdom; incline your heart to understanding. (Proverbs 2:2)
Make your ear attentive to wisdom; incline your heart to understanding. (Proverbs 2:2)
Proverbs 22:17 tells us to “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to knowledge.” We need to adjust our hearing, fine-tune our listening. If we are truly seeking to be wise, we need to be constantly alert to whatever means the Lord chooses. If we tune our hearts to the Holy Spirit, we will feel His nudge. We have to pay attention. Be teachable. Enter every situation and conversation with the attitude of having something to learn.
There is a wonderful kind of wisdom in the Old Testament referred to as sakal: insight gained from personal experiences (positive and negative) and from observation of others failures and successes. It is often translated “prosper” or “success,” because that is the result. One of the purposes of the Proverbs, as stated in Proverbs 1:1-6, is increased capacity and capability to gain and apply insight. “… to receive (laqach) instruction in wise behavior (sakal), righteousness, justice and equity.” We need to constantly be alert to any and all wisdom to be gained.
#3 We have to invest in prayer.
For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding … (Proverbs 2:3)
For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding … (Proverbs 2:3)
We are not talking about longer prayers, but constant prayer – continual connection and communication with the Lord. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) means doing life with God. It’s asking Him, “What do You see?” … “What do You think?” … “What do You have to say about this?” Quit talking at God and start talking with Him. Ask questions. Listen for answers. Seek answers in His character, His word and in His Spirit’s presence. What do you imagine Him doing? In John 5:19 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” Talk with Him. Find out what He does or would do; and do it! “Figure out what pleases Christ, then do it!” (Ephesians 5:10MSG) It will always be the wise thing to do.
An important question we must ask and answer is: Is being wise a priority? Proverbs 2:4 says, “If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure…” If is about investing. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus tells a one-verse parable about a man who found a hidden treasure. He went and sold everything he had to buy the field so it could truly be his. What is being wise worth to you? What are you willing to invest for it to truly be yours? Luke 12:34 says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” How much of a priority is it for you to be like Christ? Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and age, and in favor with God and men.” He kept getting older and wiser. We need to as well.
We need to dig deeply to get the real treasure. Mining is a much bigger investment than panning a creek. Proverbs 3:14 says that when it comes to wisdom, “her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold.” Claim the promise of Luke 11:9 and keep investing your time, energy, effort and resources. “And I say to you, keep asking and it shall be given to you; keep seeking and you shall find; keep knocking and it shall be opened to you.”
In response to your investment, there are promised results. Proverbs 2:5-22 breaks it down into three promises.
#1 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice, and He preserves the way of His godly ones. (Proverbs 2:5-8)
We cannot under value the benefits of godly wisdom, beginning with “the fear of the Lord.” Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Giving God His rightful place of authority, responding with reverence and awe, and acknowledging He is the one and only true source of wisdom is the foundation of being wise. From there, we can draw what is needed to truly function out of His provided wisdom and under its protection.
Job’s friend Zophar asked him, “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are as high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.”(Job 11:7-9) He is right. But the Lord invites us to “discover the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:5), to explore “the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” (Romans 11:33) They are all in Jesus “in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
#2 Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you. To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of evil; whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. To deliver you from the strange woman, from the adulteress who flatters with her words; that leaves the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death and her tracks lead to the dead; none who go to her return again, nor do they reach the paths of life. (Proverbs 2:9-19)
His wisdom enables us to know what is right, as well as the right thing to do. We are given insight and discernment to recognize wrong when we see and hear it, and escape its snare.
#3 So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land and the treacherous will be uprooted from it. (Proverbs 2:20-22)
Here is the wonderful promise of good solid footing in this world and in the Kingdom to come. 2 Corinthians 1:12 refers to an incredible confidence we can have when we follow the path of godly wisdom. “For our proud confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience: that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, especially toward you.”
Recap: We are …
… given the provision and protection of wisdom;
… provided with discernment regarding what is right and enabled to do it
… supplied with insight as to what is wrong and the empowering to avoid it;
… and blessed with the confidence of holiness and godliness that flows from functioning out of God’s gracious wisdom;
IF we invest our all in securing this incredible treasure. It is worth it!
Back to our important question: Is being wise being prioritized? Are we daily investing in acquiring wisdom?
