9 Truths About Wisdom: Part Three

7. Wisdom is impossible without humility.

"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,

and humility comes before honor."

(Proverbs 15:33, ESV)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and turn away from evil."

(Proverbs 3:5-7, ESV)

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with the humble is wisdom."

(Proverbs 11:2, ESV)

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

but a wise man listens to advice."

(Proverbs 12:15, ESV)

Confession: this is the hardest part of wisdom for me! I think if we're honest, I'm not the only one. Humility is a fleeting thing for us. Just when we think we have it, we feel a prideful satisfaction at our accomplishment, and oops! there goes the humility... 

Nevertheless, humility is a prerequisite to wisdom. Why? Because in order to be open to instruction we have to admit we don't know everything. 

Example: I took several classes on elementary math for my undergraduate coursework. It was stuff like addition, subtraction, etc. Easy. At first, I thought, Hello, I'm in college! I do not need instruction on addition. This is a waste of my time, and I'm not going to pay attention. Well, it turned out there was more knowledge to be understood about addition that I did not have. (Don't laugh!) And I could not gain that knowledge until I admitted to myself that I didn't have it and opened my mind to instruction. And, (surprise, surprise) I came out of that class with a much better established, deeper understanding of addition. But I had to start with humility. 

The same principle is true for gaining insight from God. Even if you think you have mastered a concept or lifestyle of wisdom in a certain area(s), the fact is that you still don't know all there is to know. God is all-wise. We are not. But we can grow in wisdom when we humble ourselves and admit that we don't know it all and need God to instruct us. It's amazing what you can learn when you apply this principle! I wish I had abundant experience being wise enough to admit I'm not wise, but let's both take this to heart and ask God to humble us more and teach us more!

8. Wisdom is rewarding.

"My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,

and my yield than choice silver."

(Proverbs 8:19, ESV)

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,

and the one who gets understanding,

for the gain from her is better than gain from silver

and her profit better than gold.

She is more precious than jewels,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;

those who hold her fast are called blessed."

(Proverbs 3:13-18, ESV)

Wisdom is valuable short-term and long-term. 

In the short-term, people who are wise benefit from the natural effects of wise choices. This does not mean that wisdom will always make life perfect for you; that just is not how life works. Trials come to wise and godly people all the time. Take Job, for instance; he was an upright and righteous man, but he lost all of his worldly possessions, family, and health. Often times, these trials are the very means by which God makes us holier and wiser. But, as a general rule, wise choices result in positive things. A wise parent disciplines her child; the child typically grows up with a healthy respect for authority. A wise student works hard on studying; she gets better grades and the respect of her teachers and peers. A wise worker works diligently; she has money to sustain life's needs. These rewards are natural.

Wisdom has good consequences. It is "the good life" that God wants for us, even if the wise choice means delayed pleasure or has no immediately obvious benefits. God does not call us to wisdom to be a kill-joy and tyrant. He is calling us into a right posture of worship that brings our lives and hearts into harmony with our Maker and results in abundant joy. 

In the long-term, people who are wise benefit from the eternal effects of wise choices. The Bible speaks clearly about a judgment day for all people, even believers who are covered by Christ's righteousness. On that day, we will be held accountable for every idle word and evil deed, but we may also receive a due reward for good deeds done for God's glory. (See 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Matthew 12:36.) 

In addition to personal eternal benefits, a wise Christian life is an investment in eternal Kingdom purposes. This benefits anyone who knows or may come to know the Lord and brings glory to God. All that you do that would be considered "putting your hand to the plow" in work for the Kingdom of God to move on Earth is of eternal significance. Making choices like sharing the gospel, encouraging and discipling sisters in Christ, raising your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, loving and trusting God in your personal life, etc. are eternal investments with eternal rewards for the Kingdom of which we are citizens, which should be of great value to us.

9. Foolishness has consequences. 

"but he who fails to find me injures himself;

all who hate me love death."

(Proverbs 8:36, ESV)

"The iniquities of the wicked man ensnare him,

and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.

He dies for lack of discipline,

and because of his great folly he is led astray."

(Proverbs 5:22-23, ESV)

"For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing,

whether good or evil."

(Ecclesiastes 12:14, ESV)

As previously mentioned, you are on one of two paths: growing in wisdom or wrecking your life with foolishness. There is no middle ground. Growing in wisdom produces positive results. Foolishness produces negative consequences.

I don't know about you, but 99% of the time (maybe even 100%) I have to learn things the hard way. I'm stubborn. I like to test out the less-wise (read: foolish) options (for the sake of science) before settling firmly that the wise choice is actually wise. It's so stupid, I know. But you know what else? It produces a lot of negative consequences! For instance, if I don't believe that the stove eye is hot, you know I'm gonna touch it and test it. (Don't lie; you do it too!) And guess what... I will get burned, and it will be painful. You know why "learning the hard way" is "hard?" Because it comes back to bite you! 

Foolishness can be much more dominating in your life than the occasional burned finger, though. Unfortunately, often times foolishness isn't as immediately painful as touching the stove, and so fools go on being foolish, thinking it's fun and pleasurable, not knowing they are on a path to destruction. I know in my own life that my foolishness wrecked my life before God intervened. Hear me on this: foolishness is not always obvious. The Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon, said of discernment: "Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right." Keep both eyes open.

For Christians, foolishness often looks like a return to your pre-salvation lifestyle or a pet sin. Here's what Paul has to say about that, and I hope it encourages you:

"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the [result] of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its [result], eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

(Romans 6:20-23, ESV)

Sister, a life marked and bound by foolishness and sin is a thing of the past for us! We could not help ourselves in our sin nature. But now we are freed to make wise choices and become wise under the safe, benevolent Lordship of Jesus Christ, who paid our sin-debt to make it so. Satan always will tell you that your past sins were better than you remember and tempt you to return to them. He is lying. Remember the truth. Remember how sad your life was when you walked in darkness. Remember how hopeless you once were. Don't let Satan fool you! You are living the good life in Christ now and in eternity when you obey him with your life! 

A final warning: I mentioned this earlier, but it's worth mentioning again. There will be a final judgement for believers and non-believers. Every thought, word, and act of foolishness will be on the record, and God will hold you accountable for it all. And it will be way scarier than the time your mom caught you hiding your vitamins. (I did that.) I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I wouldn't be loving you well if I didn't tell you this. 

There is hope for you if you're a Christian in that (a) you have the ability to be wiser in God's strength now, and (b) even on judgement day, every evil deed on your record will be forgiven because of Jesus. I would encourage you (and myself!) to focus on BOTH of these, and let b be a motivation to persevere with a. 

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, judgement day is something that should terrify you. And I mean that in the most loving way possible. If you are not covered in Christ's righteousness on that day, your best life is now, and your eternity will be unmitigated suffering and separation from God and all his common graces. And it will be because of your foolishness, because of your sin. I don't say this to shame you but to warn you and beg you to consider Christ. As long as there is breathe in your lungs, there is hope for you! All Christians were like you, running in foolishness, before Christ stepped in and saved us. He can save you, too! Please, if you want your eternity secured and your life filled with peace, if you want the burden of guilt, shame, and moral requirements to be lifted off your tired shoulders, do not wait any longer. Submit yourself to Christ, and be forgiven, cleansed, and brought into a wise life.

7 Reasons Why Modesty Matters

Modesty.

That word is pretty loaded for us ladies. It makes you think of school dress codes, leggings, frumpy clothes, dressing room struggles, body image, and a host of other things. Modesty is a struggle sometimes. We grow up in our feminist culture believing that modesty was man's idea, and I do mean man. We've seen modesty used for religious pride and subjugation of women. But those negative uses of modesty are perversions of a good thing, not evidence of modesty being bad. I would submit to you that modesty is God's idea, and that he has good reasons for it.

Biblical Reasons for Modesty:

1. Modesty is a picture of the gospel.

In the garden of Eden, we know that man and woman were created without clothing. There was no shame in their nakedness (Gen. 2:25). But after they sinned, they became aware and self-conscious of their nakedness (Gen. 3:10). This newfound shame is a reflection of the true shame of guilt from sin and separation from our Holy God. But, in God's mercy, he killed an animal, shedding blood, to make a covering for them, to cover their shame, just like Jesus shed his blood to ultimately remove our shame (Gen. 3:21). When we cover our bodies, we are putting on display God's mercy in covering our sin in Christ.

2. Modesty shows the true beauty of humility.

Sometimes we can be immodest in genuine ignorance. But I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that we usually find immodesty appetizing because it will make us look better, sexier, en vogue, even more feminine. A little extra leg, cleavage, or curve-accentuating spandex and we feel beautiful.  

The problem with that is that it makes you the center of attention, not just in some hypothetical person's mind but more importantly in your own heart. Trying to look hotter for the public or your crush or your ex-boyfriend exposes a heart issue of self-worship. Sister, we are called to God-worship. His glory is what matters, not ours. Modesty says, "I'm laying aside my glory and pride because His has preeminence." And that is true beauty. 

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, 

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." 

(Prov. 31:30, ESV) 

"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 

(1 Peter 3:4, ESV)

3. Modesty reserves your precious body for your future or current husband.

Try as we might, we cannot deny that our bodies are explicitly sexual in certain contexts. Consider lingerie ads: a woman's body is accentuated and highlighted with underwires, lace, and whatever else, all to market a look that will make a woman sexually pleasing. The Bible acknowledges the female form's sexual appeal also. Just read Song of Solomon and you quickly see it. So, this is not necessarily sinful, but the context matters. 

Showing much of your form, even in non-sexual contexts, still runs the very real risk of becoming sexual. For both men and women, God has given us a desire for, shall we say, reproduction. He made the means of reproduction pleasurable; thus, we have an instinctive drive toward it. A view of our bodies can awaken that drive.

Your form is beautiful, graceful, fearfully and wonderfully made, and also designed to trigger love from your husband. It is not meant to elicit that kind of response from men who are not your husband. Understanding this, we can honor our future or current husband by reserving the most intimate exposure of our form for his eyes only.

4. Modesty helps guard your brothers' hearts and minds. 

After reading #3, you know that our physical forms can (and often do) elicit lust from men. This has always been an opportunity for sin; it is not particular to our place, time, and culture. It is, however, a much more sensitive opportunity for sin now. With the rise of men, and even women, viewing and becoming addicted to pornography combined with the sexual media we see and hear everywhere we go, it's no wonder that sex is rarely far from the surface of men's thoughts. 

This is equally true for our brothers in Christ. In a world that worships sexual liberty and bombards their senses with explicit content, with Satan crouching nearby with locked-and-loaded lies and temptations, not to mention their own fleshly desires, the cards can be very much stacked against our brothers. They are in an uphill fight to have pure thoughts and obey God. Sister, be in their corner. Help them fight the good fight. Don't add to their temptations when you have the power to avoid it. 

5. Modesty helps keep you above reproach.

The Bible encourages and instructs us to not suggest even a hint of sexual immorality (Eph. 5:3). In order to be obedient to this, we have to ask ourselves, "What is my behavior or dress suggesting?" Based on the previous points, we can see that overly revealing clothes are legitimately suggestive of sexual immorality. Even if you know that your secret conduct is totally pure, it still matters what your presentation of yourself suggests. When you embrace modesty, it leaves no room for suspicion or accusation regarding your character. And that is a good thing.

6. Modesty represents Jesus well. 

You are an ambassador for Christ, and with that comes certain responsibilities. For example: When I interned in a public school during my undergrad, I was an ambassador for Auburn University. As such, I had to cover my otherwise visible tattoos and dress professionally. I submitted to this because Auburn, as the organization sending and backing me as an intern, had the right care how I represented them. This is even more true for Christ our King, who you represent. 

Non-Christians are watching us. When our dress and conduct are a misrepresentation of the truth of Scripture and the gospel and who God is, then those things are reviled by outsiders. There is a lot more to this than mere modesty, but modesty is part of it. As a representative of Christ, are you dressing in a way that shows you share His values?

7. Modesty is obedience that honors the Lord.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I'm willing to guess this is the bottom line on this issue. We've explored the biblical heart behind modesty and the benefits of it, but what it comes down to is obedience vs. disobedience. Please don't read "legalism" here! I am not saying that you have to earn God's favor or supplement Christ's work with your own. But when you are trusting Christ for your hope, righteousness, and guilt-removal, it will result in obedience. This honors the Lord! It is an expression of love for him, trust in his wisdom, sharing his values, and submission to his authority. Rather than look at this is another "rule" you have to follow, I would encourage you to celebrate modesty as another area you can joyfully honor your Savior. 

The 3 Salads: Spring & Summer Hospitality Made Easy

Spring is here! That means summer is just around the corner, and people are getting out and getting together! You're going to have many opportunities this season to show hospitality at home, bring a fan favorite to a cookout, or serve a sister who just had a baby. In times like these, it's super handy to have some simple, easy, crowd-pleasing recipes up your sleeve. My 3 easy salads will give you just that!

#1: Summer Harvest Salad

Ingredients:

• Lettuce, washed and cut
• Strawberries, washed and quartered
• Mandarin Oranges, drained
• Toasted Pecans
• 1-2 tbs melted butter 
• Pinch of salt (if butter is not salted)
• Dressing (I'd advise vinaigrette. I used Ken's "Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette") 

Procedure:

• Pre-heat oven to 350F. 
• Toss pecans in butter and salt. Spread out over cookie sheet.
• Cook pecans for ~10min, stirring midway through. Dry on a towel.
• Combine ingredients. Add dressing to taste. 
• Enjoy!

#2: Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1lb Chicken, boiled and shredded 
• 1 c. Mayonaise
• 1/2 c. Whipped Cream
• 1/2-1 c. Craisins
• 1/2-1 c. Pecan Pieces  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Pepper, to taste

Procedure:

• Boil chicken in large pot for ~30 minutes.
• Remove chicken and shred in 1 1/2 quart container.
• Add remaining ingredients; stir well.
• Refrigerate to desired coldness. 
• Serve cold. (Optional: with pita chips, toast, crackers, or lettuce leaves.)
• Enjoy!

#3: Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 box Rotini Pasta, cooked
• 2-4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• Feta Cheese, crumbled
• Fresh Basil, chopped 
• 16oz Greek Dressing

Procedure:

• Cook pasta in boiling water using large pot ~10 minutes.
• Strain pasta.
• Add tomatoes, basil, and dressing.
• Let cool for ~5 minutes, then add cheese.
• Stir well and refrigerate.
• Serve cold.
• Enjoy! 

May your warm months be full of good food and fellowship with these recipes! Bon Apetit!

The Cross He Made a Throne: Why We Call the Darkest Day in History "Good"

It's Good Friday.

I've always found that title, "Good Friday," to be odd in a funny sort of way. This is the day we observe our Lord, our King, Jesus Christ, the Messiah dying violently and unjustly on a Roman cross. He was given hasty and corrupt trials, whipped and beaten beyond recognition, scorned and mocked, and then nailed up on a cross. And we call this day good.

Why would we call this day "good"? Are we stupid or something? No, not at all. We acknowledge and understand that Good Friday was the darkest day in history, the day the Lord Jesus died. But we also understand and rejoice that Jesus did not merely die on the cross; he won.

You see, all of history came to its climax in this singular event. The curse of death first pronounced over mankind through Adam's sin, the centuries of costly, bloody animal sacrifices, the rampant sin, sickness, and suffering of mankind, the tiresome and futile adherence to the Law of Moses... All of this plagued the world. But all the while there was hope, a promise of the Messiah who would restore the world and mankind's relationship with God. He would be a King, come to deliver Israel. He was first prophesied by God himself (Gen. 3:15) and later through all the prophets of the Old Testament. God faithfully brought his promise to reality, remaining faithful to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the whole nation of Israel. There were wars, victories and losses, kings and judges, prophets and priests, sacrifices and feasts, all pointing to this, the cross and Jesus on it.

The irony of "Good Friday" is reflected in the very life and ministry of Jesus. He was expected to be a political king, yet he led a humble life, embracing poverty and sacrificial servanthood to others. He lived a perfectly holy and righteous life, and yet he was reviled by the religious elites. He was the 'yes and amen' to all the prophesies of the Old Testament, yet he was often met with skepticism. He was indeed the King of the Jews and Son of God, yet his people ushered him not onto a throne but a bloody cross. 

By his suffering and death, he became the one-and-for-all sacrifice to satisfy the wrath of God against sin and sinners. He did not only die a physical death; he drank the cup of God's wrath in our place. He laid down his life willingly, obedient to the Father, to make war with the curse of death. And in the very moment he seemed his weakest, he had sealed for eternity his victory and our redemption. Τετέλεσται, "It is finished."

Apologist Ravi Zacharias puts it most poignantly with these words (pictured above):

"They gave him a cross, not guessing that he would make it a throne.

They flung him outside the gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up all the gates of the universe to let the King of Glory come in.

They thought to root out his doctrines, not understanding that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy.

They thought they had God with his back to the wall, [...] helpless and defeated. They did not know that it was God who has tracked them down to that spot.

He did not conquer in spite of evil; he conquered through it."

This is the goodness of Good Friday: that in the suffering of abuses and painful death, Jesus secured forever victory over sin and death, making himself the ultimate victorious King. 

"Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities."

(Isaiah 53:11, ESV)

Every Leaf of Spring: A Poem for Easter

Several years ago, I heard this quote of Martin Luther during a "Secret Church" podcast by pastor David Platt: "Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." These insightful words of this great reformer remind us that God has designed springtime as a natural testament to his redemptive plan. Spring is juxtaposed with winter. Winter is a season symbolic of death or lifelessness, while spring is symbolic of life and hope. In the winter, we eagerly await the coming of spring, flowers blooming, animals playing, and a warmer sun. This cycle of nature is an annual reminder of what it represents: Jesus's triumph over death after laying in his grave for three days, which we celebrate at Easter, as well as Jesus's triumphant return that we are still waiting for with hope and longing. How wonderful that God gives us such beautiful things as flowers to remind us of his goodness and gospel! 

Shortly after hearing Luther's words, I was inspired to write a children's poem expressing the parallels between natural seasons and God's redemptive story that we read about in the Bible. I hope you enjoy it as we transition into springtime and celebrate Holy Week and Easter! Feel free to share this with your own children as you seek to teach them the meaning of Easter. 

Every Leaf of Spring

(by Elizabeth McGee, 2013)

In the beginning

It was summer all the time,

And everyone was perfect,

And everything was fine.

But summer went away

At the moment of the fall.

And God promised us he'd make a way

For summer to return, once and for all.

The wait felt like forever,

But one fateful winter night

Jesus came to rescue us

And make all wrong things right.

He faced all of winter's icy dread

And felt death's stinging pain.

Just when he seemed defeated,

He woke up, alive again!

Still, seasons come and seasons go,

And life still sometimes stings.

But my Jesus is returning, this I know

By every leaf of spring.

9 Truths About Wisdom: Part Two

4. Foundational wisdom is the fear of the LORD.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."
(Proverbs 9:10, ESV)

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever!"

(Psalm 111:10, ESV)

If you want to grow in wisdom according to the wisdom of God, this is where you must start. 

The "fear of the LORD" is often a confusing phrase to people. What it basically means is to revere God with trust and honor and due respect. God is loving and welcomes sinners; we do not need to be afraid of him, but we also need to respect him with the understanding that he is huge and mighty and holy and that we are not. 

Let me be very clear about this: there is no way to fear the LORD aside from submitting to his Kingship through faith and surrender to Jesus Christ. Being a blood-bought Christian (i.e. fearing the LORD) is a prerequisite and foundation to growth in real wisdom, wisdom that flows from and points back to God. This means believing the gospel and receiving grace. The gospel is, in fact, the wisdom of God and wisdom from God. 

5. Wisdom is valuable.

"Take my instruction instead of silver,

and knowledge rather than choice gold,

for wisdom is better than jewels,

and all that you may desire cannot compare with her."

(Proverbs 8:10-11, ESV)

"How much better to get wisdom than gold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver."

(Proverbs 16:16, ESV)

Wisdom is valuable because it is rare. This is basic economics. A commodity that is rare or hard to come by is more expensive and a treasure to those who possess it. This is even more true for wisdom because you can't have it by merely being wealthy. You have to seek it, mine it out yourself, and root out your own foolishnesses by the help of the Holy Spirit in order to possess it. Once you have it, oh, it is such a treasure. 

(Disclaimer: Nobody ever has all wisdom but God. We are growing in wisdom. But to have any wisdom is a treasure, and each new degree of wisdom gained is a treasure.)

6. Wisdom is practical.

"Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil."

(Proverbs 4:26-27, ESV)

"In everything the prudent acts with knowledge,

but a fool flaunts his folly."

(Proverbs 13:16, ESV)

Wisdom is practical. It is applicable for everyday life for all people. Whether you are a missionary, a stay-at-home mom, a college student, or a little girl, wisdom comes to bear in your day-to-day life. 

Proverbs 4:26-27 (above) speaks of "the path of your feet." This is a figurative reference to choices. Making good choices keeps you on a good "path," while making bad choices directs you on a bad "path." As the proverb says, to "ponder the path of your feet" (i.e. consider your choices with wisdom and discernment) prevents you from "[swerving]" off the good path. Good choices begin with wise thinking.

This is where we often see a limited degree of wisdom possessed by non-Christians. For example, it's wise to eat a basically healthy diet. There are natural consequences to ignoring that wisdom. Many people embrace that wisdom and certainly don't need to be Christians to do so! This is a common grace of God and, I believe, also a way that people show their design as image-bearers and, though they deny the true God, give him glory. However, we must note that this common wisdom is very much limited when it does not flow from a heart that fears, loves, and worships the Lord. 

Your choices matter. This makes me think of a poster I've seen in classrooms. It says something like, "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character." This is so true! It's not a slippery slope argument. It's just true. This is why Paul admonishes us to take our thoughts captive and bring them into submission to Christ. (See 2 Corinthians 10:5.) The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control, and, by the Spirit's help, we can exercise this, even in the tricky area of our thoughts.

Not only can wisdom inform good choices, but also choices (good or bad) will give evidence to your true character, whether it is wise or foolish. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:43-45 that your fruit (i.e. choices) give evidence to what is in your heart. You can judge the root by the fruit. What is your fruit saying about your heart? Look also at Proverbs 13:16 (above). It testifies that "a fool flaunts his folly." How does a fool flaunt his folly other than by acting and speaking like a fool? As women of the Word and daughters of God, let us make it our ambition to "flaunt" God's wisdom, starting with our hearts.

9 Truths About Wisdom: Part One

1. Wisdom is knowledge & insight.

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

and I find knowledge and discretion."

(Proverbs 8:12, ESV)

                This may be the most universal understanding of what wisdom is. Most people, when they think of wisdom, picture Tibetan monks or Ghandi -- people who are clearly unique compared to the rest of humanity in their practices and the way they speak and think. We see these types of ultra-pious lifestyles and often think that is what true wisdom must be.

                We know that wisdom is mysterious in a sense; some have it and others don't, and even those who have it seem to never fully arrive in it. Do the wise know something the rest of us don't? In a sense, the answer is usually yes because wisdom is knowledge and insight, so the implication is that if you aren't wise you lack knowledge and insight. However, wisdom is available to all people, not just an elite few. The only thing that I believe sets apart "wise" people and "unwise" people is (a) fear of the Lord and (b) teachability. Those things are rare but not unattainable in the least. All people are accountable to grow in wisdom; you are either growing in wisdom or on a foolish path to destruction. In order to understand this better, we need to understand the concept of wisdom from a Christian worldview.

2. God is wise.

"The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

by understanding he established the heavens;"

(Proverbs 3:19, ESV)

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

(Isaiah 55:9, ESV)

What makes wisdom trustworthy? What makes wisdom wise? Wisdom is valuable and trustworthy because it flows from God as part of his intrinsic character. It makes sense that wisdom is an attribute of God because he is all-knowing, and his complete knowledge is evident by virtue of the fact that he created the universe and thus knows all the ins and outs of it. 

In this we also see that God's wisdom is indisputably greater than ours; no man is as wise as God. Because we are created in God's image, we have a special capacity for wisdom, but we are nevertheless human and not God, created and not creator. We are faithful reflections of God when we grow in wisdom, but we are reflections only, not the true source. 

3. There are two kinds of wisdom: wisdom of the world and  wisdom of God.

"The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;"

(Psalm 19:7, ESV)

"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

(1 Corinthians 1:20-25, ESV)

The Bible makes a clear distinction that there are two kinds of wisdom: the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. These two categories are at odds with each other. Let's briefly examine some key differences in the two.

The Wisdom of the World:

• trusts man's judgement and knowledge
• distrusts God's judgement and knowledge
• values earthly rewards
• devalues eternal rewards
• values observable strength and power
• devalues humility and meekness
• seeks after earthly pleasure
• avoids delayed gratification
• seeks personal glory

The Wisdom of God:

• trusts God's judgement and knowledge
• distrusts man's judgement and knowledge
• supremely values eternal rewards
• thanks God for earthly rewards
• values humility and meekness
• distrusts observable strength and power
• embraces delayed gratification
• is not deceived by earthly pleasure
• seeks God's glory

We see these two worldviews contrasted best in Jesus's redemptive work. Mankind throughout history has observed that there is a divine power and that there is a "God-mankind gap" because of moral failings and limited abilities/knowledge. Christians can agree with most of the world on this. But there are distinct differences in how the wisdom of the world proposes reconciliation of God and man and how the wisdom of God proposes reconciliation between God and man. 

The wisdom of the world believes that man can earn a restored moral standing before God by doing good works (ex: offerings to God, kindness to others, pious living). Some version of this view is evident in every single world religion. In this view, only the most moral and wise, an elite few, persons have a realistic chance at redemption. And those who do achieve whatever standard they've adopted get all the credit for their redemption because they did it from their own effort. For those who are not the elite few that are very moral and wise, their best option is to close the God-mankind gap by diminishing God's holiness and judgement rather than putting heavy moral burdens on themselves. Both of these approaches are hopeless.

The wisdom of God tells us that man is incapable of earning a restored moral standing before God because we are incredibly sinful, sinful at the heart, sinful in all our intentions, and utterly morally flawed. God knows that we cannot come to him, and so he came to us. But he did not come to us in a way that diminished his holiness or his judgement. Rather, he made himself the perfect moral sacrifice in our place and directed his holy judgement toward himself instead of us. By doing this, he preserved his righteousness, holiness, and just wrath but also made a legally sound way for us to receive his mercy and grace, thus closing the God-mankind gap. By removing the legal demands of moral law from our requirements for reconciliation to himself, he made it available to all people: the weak, the uneducated, the poor, the unpopular, etc. (See 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.) And no one who receives this gift gets credit for it; only God gets all the glory because he did all the work. This is our only hope, and what a wonderful hope it is!

Do you want to know how polarized these two types of wisdom are? The wisdom of the world is so opposite of the wisdom of God that it calls his wisdom foolish. And the wisdom of God is so opposite of the wisdom of the world that it proves it to be foolish. The two cannot be reconciled; one is true, and the other is false. And we have to decide which one we want to live by. If you want to live by the wisdom of God, be prepared to be thought a fool.