Stepping Out

Why Wisdom? The beginning of wisdom is this: Get Wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7 NIV) Yes, wisdom is the principal thing. Wisdom describes the practical skills associated with living a successful life. It is your companion, guide, and counselor on your life journey. The knowledge and understanding that helps you make good decisions, discern good from bad, and act and behave in ways that serve your better interests. Wisdom is also a rich source of encouragement. To encourage someone means to come alongside and provide support and aid. When we encourage someone, we are sharing our strength in word, thought, or deed that helps them cope with life’s struggles and challenges. And that is what wisdom can do for you. It gives you direction and clarity in both good times and bad. Wisdom provides true counsel and advice to guide you and help you navigate through the complexities of life. To the ancient writers, “to be wise” encompassed many things. It could refer to being skillful or having artisan ability, and it could mean being clever, or capable of sound judgment and decision-making that lead to success. Wisdom brings with it strength and favor and avoidance of reckless actions or foolish deeds. A wise person is characterized by being open to instruction and discipline and is in command of their speech. They know when to speak and when not to. Wisdom is often equated with righteousness that is not acting evilly but acting out of a willingness to comply to moral principles and laws. And above all, a wise person is characterized as having reverence toward God—a healthy fear that encompasses respect, awe, admiration, and a belief that God is the true source of wisdom. Proverbs is a book that reveals the wisdom of God. It provides adages and truths that help you live your life well. The book of Ecclesiastes is also wisdom literature, and some have argued that it is quite a depressing book with its central theme that life is ultimately meaningless. I would disagree with that assessment. When you read the entire book of Ecclesiastes, you get a sense that yes, your physical life is temporal and problematic, seemingly pointless if you only think about it from a materialistic and naturalistic perspective. And that life is often difficult, unfair, and unjust. But if you read it through the lens of fearing God, you realize the wisdom of seeing life from the perspective of eternity. That life is not pointless or meaningless. Rather it has great significance, and God will make all things right, exercise justice, and reward those who are faithful to him. There is a simple wisdom and peace in that understanding that may help you gain clarity, meaning, and purpose out of your existence. Wisdom is not just good thinking; wisdom is also personified as a person. In Proverbs 8, for example, wisdom is described as being with God, knowing God’s works, and being present when God made the world. For Christians, Christ is referred to as the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). As such, wisdom is more than clever sayings and helpful adages; it is also someone who can guide and help you. According to Proverbs, wisdom calls out to you and desires to bless you. To give you instruction, understanding, and knowledge that is more precious than silver, better than choice gold and jewels. To provide sound counsel and insights that can strengthen you. By wisdom, kings reign, princes act justly, and nobles rule fairly. With wisdom come honor, enduring wealth, and righteousness, granting an inheritance to those who love and seek it. For those who find wisdom, they obtain favor and avoid injuring themselves. To pursue wisdom is to love life, and to those who hate wisdom is to love death (Proverbs 8:1–36). According to the biblical writers, wisdom, as personified, demonstrates that God is not only interested in our salvation and relationship with him but also deeply cares about us doing and living successfully and well in our lives. Wisdom helps you connect with the divine. All you must do is sincerely seek the wisdom that is with God. It is from this perspective I define wisdom in this book. When I refer to wisdom, or if I state, “Wisdom instructs us …” or “Wisdom states that …” I am applying this personified view of wisdom. That wisdom serves as your instructor, teacher, advisor, and guide. It is through wisdom that we learn there are natural, social, and divine principles that govern life. These principles emanate from God through wisdom. If you want to live a life that leads to joy, happiness, and well-being, you will try to grow in wisdom because wisdom holds the knowledge and understanding of how the world was designed to function and be. The writers of Proverbs also viewed life as a journey—a journey that will require you to make choices along the way. Wise choices are ones that have a greater probability of leading to better outcomes. The writer of Ecclesiastes and the sages of Proverbs also acknowledge that a wise and moral life does not always lead to physical prosperity. However, wise and moral choices do honor God and do minimize the pain you could create for yourself and others. If you are now embarking on your life journey in your twenties, or if you are older and just looking to broaden your own understanding and wisdom, this book provides you some key concepts and tasks that can help you along your way. Wisdom is an incredibly valuable companion, counselor, advisor, and guide. Don’t ignore wisdom. Seek it, and it will help direct your paths.