The pursuit of wisdom is honorable, but we must be careful to follow the right path. The internet has a lot of suggestions from “think before you speak” to “ask a lot of questions,” marching us down the path toward worldly wisdom. God gives us a different path:
“Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment” (Proverbs 9:10, New Living Translation).
Godly wisdom is a by-product of fearing the LORD. Good judgement is a by-product of knowing the Holy One.
Not the World’s Wisdom
The first thing to wrap my mind around is this: the wisdom that comes from knowing and fearing God will not always look wise to the world.
- The Caananites didn’t see Joshua’s wisdom in marching around Jericho, but Joshua feared the LORD and obeyed Him. It was the wise choice, and Jericho fell. (Joshua 5)
- The Midianites didn’t see Gideon’s wisdom in shrinking his army to 300 men, but Gideon feared the LORD and obeyed His directions. It was the wise choice, and God defeated Midian. (Judges 7)
Our world doesn’t do things God’s way. But, as followers of Christ, our goal is to do things God’s way more and more often until it’s our new normal.
Wisdom from Above
James compares worldly wisdom with Godly wisdom in James 3, showing us how to identify the two.
Worldly wisdom is rooted in jealousy and selfish ambition (James 3:13-16), but “the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” (James 3:17 NLT).
Fearing and Knowing the LORD
The question then becomes, “How do I fear and know the LORD so I can live a wise life with good judgement?”
First, we don’t let wisdom become the goal. When we are living in relationship with God, wisdom is the by-product.
When we make by-products of our relationship with God our goal, we walk a fine line toward idolatry.
Second, the more we come to know God, the more we are in awe of Him. So, the way to fear God-- to be in awe of Him, to respect Him, to obey Him-- is to know Him.
Three Habits
I have noticed three habits in my relationship with God that help me know God better (and result in wisdom): studying scripture, prayer, and community.
1. Study of Scripture
Regular immersion in God’s word combats the immersion of culture.
2. Prayer
This two-way communication helps me bring decisions before the LORD, consider His way and submit to Him.
3. Community
Disciplemaking friends can offer encouragement, reminders and insight.
What has helped you know God better? What advice would you give someone who wants to fear God and be wise, but doesn't know where to start? Share below so we can learn from each other.
1 Comments
I love what you wrote about the three habits! For me and this past year, trying to really focus on the attributes that God has revealed to us about Himself in Scripture has been so powerful. Learning about who God is (and how much I'm not God) has helped me know God better. We just finished a book study at Oakwood on humility (your third habit....community!) and God used that convict me about how easy it is to slip into a position of pride. I'm continuing to learn that we are not God and that humility is such a key to not only our relationship with Him, but also when we get to be a part of his Kingdom-building mission. :)