I’ve been writing several blogs about wisdom recently. We’ve seen that God’s wisdom is vastly different than worldly wisdom, seeking godly wisdom is the way of loving ourselves, and wisdom has nothing to do with one’s intelligence. Here is what Solomon had to say about wisdom in Proverbs (in no particular order).
- Avoids the wrong kinds of friends – 12:26; 13:20
- Faithful to marriage – 2:12,16; 29:3
- Diligent – 6:6-8
- Promotes self-control – 29:11
- Takes God seriously – 1:7; 3:5-6; 9:10
- Doesn’t trust in himself – 28:26
- Speaks to heal and calm – 10:19; 12:18; 16:14,23
- Doesn’t gossip – 11:13; 20:19; 26:20
- Listens to advice – 13:10; 15:31; 19:20
- Avoids drunkenness – 20:1; 23:30-35
- Handles money well – 15:16; 21:20; 23:4-5
- Not reckless, avoiding dangerous situations – 14:16
- Respects property of others – 1:10-13
As you can see, wisdom goes far beyond getting the correct answers on a test. Wisdom influences choosing friends, speech, commitments, work, viewing ourselves, spiritual health, getting advice, handling alcohol, handling money, dealing with danger, and respecting the property of others.
Many people include one chapter of Proverbs in their daily reading, covering the book twelve times in a year. The book is not written like an encyclopedia, which makes it more difficult to study a particular topic. However, each chapter has something that applies to some aspect of life. I heard one man say that he wanted to be able to quote a proverb for every action he took each day. I don’t remember who said it or if they ever attained that lofty goal.
The book contrasts the wise and the fool, the righteous and the wicked. Those who follow God are considered wise and righteous. Those who attempt to live without submitting to God are considered fools and wicked. We may consider those people to be good, smart, successful, and philanthropic. But if they don’t acknowledge God’s right to rule over them, He looks upon them as wicked fools.
We aren’t any better than them or smarter. Because of our sin, we were in the same sinking boat with them, in need of rescue. The difference is that we accepted the Life Preserve (Jesus) who came to rescue us from certain death. Like the Coast Guard pulling sailors out of angry seas, Jesus dove into the icy waters of sin to pull to safety all who called out to Him. Sadly, many refuse His help, only to drown in their own sin. They learn too late that Jesus came to save them.
All they have to look forward to are death and being judged for their sin by Almighty God. No leniency or mercy will be shown them at His judgment bench. There, grace and mercy are no longer available. Those offers are good only in this life. “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:27–28)
Be wise. Bend your knee to Jesus now. Don’t wait until it’s too late. In death, everyone will be forced to bow to the Lord Jesus. “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10–11)
If you receive Jesus and follow Him, you will enjoy applying the book of Proverbs to your new life. “The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.” (Proverbs 10:29)
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