Wisdom Defined
Proverbs 16:13-16 (16)
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth.
14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will appease it.
15 When a king’s face brightens, it means life;
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to choose understanding rather than silver!
Biblical Wisdom properly defined is when we “see things from God’s perspective.â€Â The problem is identified in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus demonstrates in practical terms what Biblical Wisdom is all about. Strangely enough the human reaction appears normally to be the direct opposite of the Divine desire. Proverbs 2:10-15 gives an “if-then†statement of promise. “When (if) wisdom enters into your heart, and (if) knowledge is pleasant to your soul; (then) discretion shall preserve you, (and then) understanding shall keep you.â€
In Phuket, Thailand, a sign hangs outside a doctor’s office. The words in Thai are followed by an English translation, which proudly proclaims: FAIRLY RELIABLE DOCTOR. Although this interpretation probably does not convey the intent of the doctor it does describe our human endeavors that lack godly wisdom. When our life’s intent is to see things from God’s perspective we can then be assured that the results will be different. They may be confusing to the world but they will be pleasing to God.
James’ admonition is encouraging. James 1:5 tells us that if we discover that we look at things only from a human perspective that we should ask God to help us to learn how to look at things from His view point. When we ask, James says we can be sure of two things: 1) God will generously bestow this ability upon us, and 2) He will not scold us for our spiritual sluggishness that causes us to be slow to make this request.
Dr. Gayle Woods
