Wisdom

‘Wisdom’ is more than knowledge: it is the ability to use knowledge, judge what is right and true, and make good decisions in life. A wise person can navigate a course through life that pleases God. The Bible says that true wisdom only comes from God, and that God’s wisdom is not like the world’s. He does not do things the way the world expects. This is best demonstrated through the crucified Saviour Jesus Christ, something no human being would have thought wise, but which turned out to be the wisest thing of all (1 Corinthians 1:16-31). If we want to be wise, we must recognise our own foolishness and believe that He knows all things. As Creator, He alone knows how everything should work in His creation. We are wise when we turn to Christ in repentance and receive the gift of His Holy Spirit, who helps us to make sense of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:14-17). James says in his epistle that if we lack wisdom (which we all do), we should ask God for it and He will give it to us if we have faith (James 1:5-6). The Bible has books dedicated to Wisdom, to learning how to understand the mind of God and live His way. In particular, the Old Testament book of Proverbs gives us a collection of sayings showing God’s principles for how we should live.