We live in the most complex time in the history of the world. Human beings have never had such immediate access to such an overwhelming amount of information as we do in the digital age. Globalization has created a tempest of cultures, worldviews and ideologies all competing for space and influence. New technologies are continually entering into our lives.
This calls for wisdom.
The Cambridge dictionary defines wisdom as:
/wis·dom/ the ability to make good judgments based on what you have learned from experience
Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do at the right time and in the right way.
Wisdom allows us to rise above the clouds of emotions and biases, it looks beyond the hills of our present circumstances to see a bigger picture.
We all need it. How do you get it?
The Bible gives us three first steps in the pursuit of wisdom.
To gain wisdom, fear God.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 9:10
To properly understand the world and our place in it, we have to recognize the author of it all who is at the center of it all. And we have to give Him the respect and reverence that is due to that position. God and His world do not bend and shift to our wishes, and when we try to force them to, reality will snap back against us with consequences. Wisdom recognizes God and His reality and bends to fit that reality.
To gain wisdom, ask God.
The next step is a surprisingly simple one.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5
To gain wisdom for life, all we have to do is ask God for it. Sometimes, though, our prayers are like a child who knocks on a stranger’s doorstep and runs off into the shadows. We come and go with no plans to actually engage with God.
If you need wisdom for some tricky situation in life right now, here’s a simple tip: write down a specific request on a piece of paper, put today’s date on it and then tape it to your wall or someplace visible. Then, keep praying and looking for wisdom until you get your answer. This kind of persistent, expectant prayer is the kind God loves to receive.
To gain wisdom, receive Christ.
In the Bible, wisdom is not a thing, but a person. The early Christians saw Jesus as the embodiment of wisdom and became wise as they walked with Him.
But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:24
The wisest thing anyone can do is to receive Christ as their wisdom and begin a life long pursuit of following Him.
Tom Brown is the planting pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Wichita. Tom and his wife, Mandy, have worked together in ministry for 18 years and have four children. More about Pastor Tom Brown