Do you believe you are lacking in wisdom? If so, good fortune smiles upon you. To be a Christian allows you to pray to God for wisdom. You might be wondering what to do if you’ve never considered praying for guidance in this regard before. You might be asking what source of wisdom you should get inspiration from.
How can one obtain God’s wisdom? Let’s break down some writings and work it out altogether.
In God Alone Is the Beginning of Wisdom
According to God, the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and shunning evil is the essence of wisdom (Job 28:28). That passage sums up the essentials of saving faith: repentance (or turning away from wickedness) and a healthy fear of God.
Fearing God, putting your faith in Him, and turning away from your sins are all signs of a person beginning to grow in wisdom. You can’t know God or get a genuine understanding if all you’ve got is human wisdom, or, as James puts it, “earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:15). That first connection is necessary for any further communication with the Source of all Knowledge and Understanding.
Conversely, if you have accepted the gospel in sincere repentance, the “only wise God” (Romans 16:27) is your Father. As a Christian, you have access to his enlightening literature. When the Spirit of knowledge, who dwells within you, reveals the truths of His Word, you will see that you are capable of great wisdom.
The Bible has all the wisdom we need from God, so why do we continue to rely sinfully on the wisdom of men instead? We will abandon our simplistic worldview and embrace the depths of divine wisdom if we can grasp the polarity between the two ideas.
How We Can Source Our Wisdom From The Good Book
The Bible contains all the information God judged necessary for His children. God alone possesses all knowledge beyond this. But by what the Bible calls “general revelation” in creation (Romans 1:10; emphasis added) and “special revelation” in the words of Scripture, God has made His truth known to all people (1 Corinthians 2:6–10).
In contrast to “wisdom from above,” “earthly wisdom” has its limitations (James 3:14–18). The first step in accessing God’s knowledge is to seek and pray for it. It is said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). The following verse goes into detail on how we should approach our prayers: “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (verse 6).
Jesus Christ is the incarnation of Divine wisdom, and we recognize that he is the source of all wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30). When we put our faith in Christ and submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can make wise decisions (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Knowing means that you are familiar with or well-informed about a subject. Wisdom is the capacity to put one’s acquired knowledge into practical use. Knowledge is gained via studying God’s Word, and reflection on that study leads to wisdom.
Psalm 119 is the Bible’s longest chapter, and it’s all about learning from God’s Word and growing in wisdom. A small selection of the verses includes
A small selection of the verses includes:
- “I meditate on it all day long” (verse 97).
- “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (verse 105).
- “I will meditate on your precepts, and have respect to your ways. I will delight myself in your statutes: I will not forget your word” (verses 15–16).
The term “meditate” appears five times in Psalm 119 and another fifteen times throughout the book of Psalms, usually in the context of prayer. Meditation is necessary to examine how to implement God’s Word daily.
There is much sound wisdom to be found in the book of Proverbs. In it, Wisdom begs to be heard by asking, “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?” How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings” (Proverbs 1:22–23).
God’s truth is available to all who seek it, as promised by Wisdom, but only at the cost of rejecting the world’s silly imitation of the truth. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
“Fear of the Lord” refers to awe and reverence for God, confidence in His Word and character, and a desire to live one’s life following those things. One who walks in fear of the Lord seeks God’s counsel in all life’s decisions and adjusts his or her behavior accordingly, as revealed in the Bible.
How To Absorb God’s Wisdom From His Words
God’s wisdom does not enter our hearts and minds magically. Instead, it’s something that has to be taught and honed. The combination of the following is what gives birth to wisdom:
- Total confidence in Christ: the fear of God, according to Proverbs, is the first step toward gaining knowledge. James also encourages believers to pray earnestly for God’s wisdom. When it came to the connection between prayer and gaining insight, Paul was spot on: “We have not ceased to pray for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1.9).
- The kind of soul that has read the Bible and wants to live by its precepts: Psalm 19 states that, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
- Frequently engaging in introspective thought: God’s creation is set up in such a way that he tests us first and then teaches us the lesson. You may learn a lot from your past mistakes if you take the time to analyze and ruminate on them. Life experience is necessary, but education is not. According to Psalm 90:12: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
- Self-control coming from training oneself to observe and reflect before taking action. Proverbs 14.29: “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”
- A meek and humble spirit. The importance of modesty cannot be overstated. The Bible strongly discourages relying on one’s intelligence. Have faith in God and put forth the effort to learn wise counsel. Proverbs 11:2: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.”
Final Thoughts
As a biblical virtue, wisdom is the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. In this sense, the Bible is a guidebook for living by the formula I+R=O (Incident + Response = Outcome).
With God’s help, wisdom means you can keep your R Factor in check. A successful and flourishing Christian life cannot be achieved without it. One must have a close connection with Jesus to gain God’s knowledge. It is in Jesus that “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Colossians 2:3).
Check out some of our other posts!
