How to Become Truly Wise

October 10, 2023

By Brooke Holt

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” Psalm 19:7-9

Even as a young child, my son loved learning. He did not always love the structure of school, but he did love the process of learning. Whether it was physics, calculus, economics, or English, Chase just delighted in pondering information, discussing that information, and discovering how it pertained to life today. The people who most impress Chase are those who he deems truly wise and able to instruct others in that wisdom.

Our world today loves information, but are we growing in wisdom? We can glean much information through an internet search. Just the other day, I researched and shared a statistic of how many selfie pictures are taken each day. I learned people take 93 million selfie pictures daily, but did that information make me wiser?

We have so much we can learn about in our world. Just consider how many master's and doctoral programs colleges and universities offer. You could go to school throughout your entire lifetime and earn numerous degrees (my son’s dream career). No doubt you would become quite learned in the ways of the world, but would all that learning and all those degrees make you any wiser in the ways of God?

God is smarter than any professor or teacher, and his teachings far surpass even the most renowned scholar in our world. The prophet Isaiah writes, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my way, declares the Lord For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). How can you and I become wise in the ways of God; the ultimate truth revealed by God?

King David writes that even the simplest people become wise through the law of the Lord. Studying God’s word, implementing his way, and seeking to know and obey him – these are the ways towards godly wisdom. God’s word brings light into the darkness and clarity into confusion.

On his deathbed, King David spoke words of life to his son, King Solomon: “Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do” (1 Kings 2:2b-3a). Solomon was taught the Law of God throughout his life so he had it imbedded in his heart and mind. When the Lord came to Solomon in a dream and asked Solomon what he would have the Lord to give him, Solomon asked for an understanding mind that could discern between good and evil. This pleased the Lord, and he made King Solomon exceedingly wise. (See 1 Kings 4:30).

Reflection:

Are you seeking wisdom today? Keep studying and staying attuned to the world, but, more importantly, learn the Word of the Lord. Pray for wisdom and seek to live in alignment with the will of God. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Recommended Resource:

Christmas is the festival of rejoicing at Christ’s first coming—the beautiful, unlikely start of our salvation! As the season ends each year, we pack up the decorations. Advent, on the other hand, is a bigger celebration—one we can’t box up and store in the attic. It celebrates the grace of Christ’s first coming, and then it reaches with restless anticipation for the fuller grace of his second appearing and the completion of our salvation! For 28 days, celebrate Advent. In Prepare the Way, join with St. Paul, King David the Psalmist, Zechariah, Gabriel, Mary, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist, along with the crowds as they rejoiced in the good news of Christmas, and then look beyond it for the holiday that never ends!