Student Message on 4/2/06 Brandon Moore - Wisdom We all want it. We often ask for wisdom when we have an important decision to make and are unsure what to decide. I usually ask for it in those situations, when I feel that I fall short. But do we ever pursue it as a part of our lives? How does wisdom fit in with our Christian walk? Let’s discuss what wisdom is and is not. What is wisdom not? 1) Wisdom is not knowing everything about everything. It’s not having all the answers. It is not knowing what to do in any given situation. Consider what Solomon, the wisest man of all time, had to say about wisdom in Ecclesiastes: Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man’s labor on earth-his eyes not seeing sleep day or night-then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it. Even the most intelligent, knowledgeable person we can think of is not wise compared to God. We know that God’s ways are higher than our ways. We can certainly gain very much wisdom from God, but we will never get to the point where we can rely on ourselves for all the answers. But don’t worry, it’s not important that we know everything…we can still have wisdom. We just have to realize that there is always more to learn with God. 2) Wisdom is not human understanding. I Corinthians 3:18-19 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. We often hear that wisdom comes with age and experience. We think of old people as being inherently wise because they have experienced and learned so much. While they may be wise by human standards, God considers it foolishness. What is wisdom? 1) Wisdom starts with fearing the Lord. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. What does it mean to fear the Lord? In this verse, as in many others, the word ‘fear’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘yirah’ which has much more variety of meaning than the English word ‘fear.’ In Hebrew, yirah can mean fear, respect, reverence, awe, and worship. It can have both negative and positive meanings. How we interpret it depends on our perspective. God’s enemies should in fact fear God, but those who have been forgiven and are not under condemnation should revere and stand in awe of God. This is the beginning and the prerequisite for attaining knowledge. Solomon also made this statement about fearing the Lord at the end of his introduction to Proverbs as if to say that everything that follows concerning wisdom is dependent on fearing the Lord. Fearing God is the beginning and foundation of wisdom. What else is wisdom? 2) Wisdom is foolishness to the world I Corinthians 1:23-24 For we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ is referred to as the wisdom of God. But according to the wisdom and pattern of the world, Christ and the life he lived are foolishness. And for us to follow that example is foolishness. Why? By worldly standards, it is foolish to: -Live for anyone but ourselves -Not be obsessed by appearance and status -Be kind to others and have a positive attitude in the face of hard times -Live a pure life -Forgive others rather than take revenge. But to us, it is the wisdom of God. So we see that wisdom starts with the fear of God and it is contrary to what the world might call wisdom. We also know that God’s wisdom is exemplified in Christ. How can wisdom be seen in our lives? The answer might surprise you! 3) Wisdom is seen in its fruit James 3:13-17 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Wisdom is seen in a humble life and in our behavior. When we act out of envy or selfishness, James says we are displaying earthly wisdom, not God’s wisdom. But God’s wisdom is seen in God’s character. When we act and think in this way, we certainly are displaying heavenly wisdom. From this perspective, wisdom is not a lofty goal, but simply living like Christ. Conclusion I don’t believe there is some magic bullet that will give us the answer to every decision that life throws at us. This is not really what wisdom is, and where would we need God if this were the case? God is wisdom. Any wisdom we have comes from him. Still, how can we be confident in the decisions we make? It’s difficult when you have choices in front of you and you pray about it but still just aren’t sure. This is where trusting God comes in. He doesn’t guarantee that we will always know where a decision will lead, but he does assure us that if we trust and acknowledge him, he will direct our path. Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.