Growing in Wisdom

Today we are looking at the topic of wisdom. Culture says that wisdom is knowing a bunch of information, but as we have been learning, Jesus and His life counters that thought. Let’s pray as we get started today.

God, I am grateful for Your love. I pray that You give me an open heart and an open mind to listen to Your word and what You are trying to tell me. I pray that You help me to grow deeper in knowledge and wisdom that ultimately comes from You. Amen.

Psalm 111:10 (NLT)
10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!

If you were to ask someone what wisdom meant, they would tell you that wisdom is knowing a lot of information, or that wisdom comes with age, experience, or academic knowledge. Yet, as we have been learning through this series, Jesus counteracts that narrative. His life and His teachings show us that true wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord. When you hear the phrase “fear of the Lord”, what do you think that means?

To fear the Lord is to honor him, obey His word, and to be in awe of His power. By doing this, we can experience and grow in wisdom. God is our source of wisdom. We need to stand firm on what God says and let Him and His word be the foundation of all the decisions that we make. If you think that you can make decisions in your life on your own, then your foundation will shake and crumble. One of my favorite quotes that I use quite often with my kids comes from my husband’s Grandma Funny. She would tell them, “if you don’t listen, you must feel.” This saying meant that if you don’t listen to the truth that is being given to you, then you will feel the consequences that will come from not doing so. If we don’t heed His truth and listen, we are going to experience, or feel, the consequences of that decision. We will only be gaining head knowledge instead of wisdom. Is there anything that causes you not to listen, which in turn causes you to feel?

We grow in wisdom when we listen and obey God because we are surrendered to His commands and His ways, which will ultimately lead us to life. Growing in wisdom is growing in your ability to submit to what God is calling you to do and trust Him to walk you through those callings. So yes, it is through experience that you gain wisdom, but they must be experiences rooted in Jesus and what He is asking us to do. We gain wisdom through seeking God and making our decisions through His viewpoint.

In today’s world, everything is at our fingertips. Knowledge is easily accessible and plentiful. Wisdom is scarce. True wisdom is an attitude that decisions affect every aspect of your life and should always be rooted in His truth. Trust in God, listen to what He says, and He alone will make you wise. Take the time to pray and ask God to help you always go to Him in every decision so that you can grow in wisdom. If you’re not sure where to start, you can use the following prompts:

God, I want to grow in wisdom. Help me to….

God, I pray that You are always in the center of the decisions that I am making…

I hope that today you are going to God with every choice that you make and asking Him to guide you toward His wisdom.