Why is it that you always have the best ideas after the time when you needed them has passed? On Sunday at SLBC I preached on the wisdom of God, and we looked at how we as human beings have limited wisdom and therefore have a universal need for the stuff, just in the everyday practical matters in life (parenting, managing finances, handling relationships, developing businesses, character etc). But we also looked at how God is able to give us wisdom because He is wisdom and therefore holds the ‘wisdom pot’.
Anyway, I was reflecting on the ways that this wisdom is available to us today, and feel frustrated that I missed out an important step and that was laying down a challenge for each of us for the week. So here are the four points we went through on Sunday, with four challenges at the bottom to all who want to lead a wise life (and therefore ride out the storms of life like a man who builds his house on rock, to paraphrase a wiser man:
1. Wisdom starts with respect for God – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – Proverbs 1:9 – Any teacher knows it’s useless trying to teach a class unless it begins with respect, and so it is with God – we can’t learn how to be wise unless we first respect the teacher.
2. Wisdom comes from God’s Word – His wisdom, laws, commands, practical advice for wise daily living are in the Bible. Sure, we need to do the homework and look past the cultural differences, but the Bible is pretty clear on many things and what wise living is, and what foolish living is.
3. Wisdom comes when we are anointed by God’s Spirit – James 1 says that if we need wisdom we can ask for it and God will give it. We can be anointed by God with the gift of wisdom for situations.
4. Wisdom comes from spending time with wiser people – Proverbs says “He who walks with the wise grows wise”. When you do life with wiser people, it rubs off.
So the four challenges for this week:
1. Spend a moment each day to remind yourself that God knows everything and you know nothing. It will be make you humbler and more open to being taught.
2. Spend a moment each day reading Scripture and ask God to reveal His practical wisdom to you.
3. Ask God each day for an anointing of wisdom so that you may make wise decisions.
4. Go for coffee with a wiser person.
I just had a mocha frappaccino in Starbucks with a wiser Pastor in Bromley and I feel wiser already! Enjoy the challenge.
Hi Simon, I wasn’t well Sunday so really appreciated reading what you wrote today, feel I need a coffee with a wiser person!!!!
Thanks Simon, this is really helpful and wisdom is something i am seeking at the moment. Great to see you the other day, much love..x