May Is Made For You! Get Wisdom and Glow!
Saturday Motivation!
May Is Made For You! Get Wisdom and Glow!
Text:
Proverbs 1 v 7; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 23 v 23; Buy truth, and do not sell it; also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Proverbs 4 v 7: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding.
Introduction:
What is Wisdom?
Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and follow the best course of action based on knowledge and understanding. The wisdom of the bible is pure and everlasting. It stems from the Ten Commandments and entails reverence to God our creator.
Why do we need wisdom?
The bible implores us to get wisdom and with all our getting, to get understanding. This means that the most important prerequisite to a fulfilling and fruitful life is wisdom. Wisdom is the principal thing. We are encouraged to buy and not sell it. This simply means that we must treasure wisdom. As winners, wisdom should be priority in our everyday lives. We need it from the beginning to the end of our lives. We also need to acquire knowledge but without wisdom, knowledge can be dangerous if used in a bad way or for a wicked purpose.
Proverbs 21 v 11b says; when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. Knowledge here signifies using the knowledge we have acquired wisely. We should not think that because we have the liberty to do something, then we should just go ahead and do it. Being able to do something does not make it right.
For example we should not say that because we are hungry and have no money to buy food we should then go ahead and steal. We should also not say that because we have a television set, we should then indulge in watching porn.
Wisdom is profitable to direct and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fear here does not mean that we should be afraid of the Lord. What it simply means is that we should reverence, honor or respect the Lord.
If we reverence the Lord, it will be very easy for us to act with wisdom as we will be able to make the right choices. In the book of Proverbs, wisdom, knowledge and understanding are interconnected. Understanding means knowing in detail or mastering a skill. It means knowing what to do and knowinghow to do it perfectly.
In today`s society, we are so very impatient and are in a hurry to get things done. We therefore look for shortcuts to get things done more quickly. We live in a Tim Horton`s or Indomie Noodles society and that`s why we are in the situation we are right now all over the world.
• For instance people want to eat healthy but cannot cook their meals. They therefore go after fast foods and become obese in the process.
• We experiment with science and in the process we endanger the world we live in. We create weapons of mass destruction and in the process so many lives are lost.
• People want to get rich quick and as such engage in get rich quick schemes.
There are so many examples which are too numerous to mentionbut these three will suffice.
Note this, gaining wisdom and understanding takes time but we must invest the time if we want to be a master of our craft.
Shortcuts or the easy way out is not from God because the results of shortcuts do not last. It is not possible to have your own biological child without following the process of getting pregnant, birthing the child, nurturing the child etc. Some will say, but I can adopt a child, yes of course you can adopt, but that child will not be called your biological child. That child may bear your name but she will be called adopted. She may never have any of your traits or features because she is adopted. As a matter of fact, if in the future the child finds out that she is adopted, she might decide to go on a quest to find out who her biological parents are.
Things that are achieved through God last from the first to the last generations of those that love Him. Wisdom is the main key to success. Wisdom is supreme. It is everlasting. Every challenge and obstacle that we face in life needs the wisdom of God if we must overcome it.
Types of Wisdom
• Heavenly Wisdom; and
• Earthly Wisdom
How do I know? Let`s look at James 3 v 14 – 17; it says;
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, demonic. 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.
Let`s reminisce and think about the last time we spoke out of jealousy or selfish interest. It`s selfish when we feel like we deserve something that someone else has and in frustration, we try to grab it from them and make it ours by trampling their name in the mud. When we act out of jealousy and envy simply because we feel like someone else has what we think we deserve, that is earthly wisdom.
• Earthly wisdom is the wisdom of man, it stems from our feelings and emotions.
• Heavenly wisdom on the other hand is acting according to the will of God or operating according to God`s manual or blueprint for our lives.
• Earthly wisdom is despicable, dangerous and wicked. It leads to chaos, can damage relationships and often leads to heartaches.
• Heavenly wisdom on the other hand does not envy. It`s not wicked. It builds up others and demonstrates grace, endurance, patience and mercy.
What path of wisdom should we follow?
The God of all creation has given us a choice to choose evil or good. He has given us a choice to operate with heavenly wisdom or earthly wisdom. Whichever one we choose, there is a reward. The question we must ask ourselves is;
• Are we producing good fruits or bad fruits.
The fruits that come from heavenly wisdom are pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, impartial and sincere. The fruits that come from earthly wisdom on the other hand are selfish, wicked, unloving, provocative and argumentative. We all crave peace in the world. But for peace to reign, we need Godly wisdom and not competition. Why do we need to compete when we can all support one another and cohabit together in peace and harmony?
Why do the super powers of the world want to be the first at everything when we can all come together and win together? Winning alone is good but winning together is best.
A wise leader makes the best choices. Not everyone can be called a leader until they acquire the skills to lead and act like one. A leader must first be a follower and must be ready to listen to his supporters and take correction.
There is no perfect leader but a good leader does not chastise his followers for correcting him when he is wrong. A good leader does not criticize others without having his facts. A good leader builds and does not destroy with his words or his actions. A good leader chooses his words wisely because his words are powerful. His words can kill or make alive. His words can inspire or destroy the image or character of another human being.
A good leader brings peace and calm in the midst of the storm. He is not hateful, hostile, does not take sides, is not contemptuous and does not fight in public.
Why Should We Choose Heavenly Wisdom?
In 1 Kings 3 v 5, 7, 9 – 14; the bible gave us an account of King Solomon`s wisdom. He had a dream where the Lord gave him a blank cheque. The Lord appeared to Solomon and told him to ask for anything. Instead of asking for long life, riches or the life of his enemies, King Solomon asked for wisdom, knowledge and understanding to administer justice. He was very young and had been made King to the throne. He confessed to the Lord that he was a little child and could not discern good from evil.
The Lord was very happy with Solomon because he asked for the most important and principal thing. Because Solomon`s request was in tandem with the will of God, the Lord did not only give Solomon a wise and understanding heart but he added extras to it. The Lord added riches and honor to Solomon`s arsenal and promised him that there will not be anyone like him among the Kings that ever lived. He also cautioned Solomon to walk with him, to keep his statutes and commandments and that he will lengthen his days. As winners, we should all follow the example of King Solomon and acknowledge that we sometimes act in a childish manner. We should therefore turn to God and make our supplications known to Him. We should take a cue from King Solomon and ask the Lord for heavenly wisdom instead of operating with earthly wisdom.
We should meditate more on scriptures that will build us up rather than gossip about irrelevancies and involve ourselves in politics all in the name of I want to grow. I want to collaborate. I want to shine I want to excel. I want to blow. We should remember that it is God that lifts up and when He does, we will never fall. It is different when a man lifts you up. When this happens and there is a quarrel or misunderstanding, the man that lifted you up can pull you down.
God is the lifter of our heads and He should remain at the top. Patience is a virtue. Let`s all wait for God`s time because He is able.
Remember, no one can shine your shine but for you to become relevant like the sun, you must act, speak and dress with wisdom.
Whatever you do, it must be with wisdom. So go for wisdom. Get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding.
May the Lord bless us all as we mend our ways and do His will by returning back to Him.
Prayer: Lord endow me with heavenly wisdom. The kind of wisdom that cannot be rubbished or ridiculed, in Jesus Mighty Name! Amen!
Shalom!