Wisdom is the Principle Thing chapter 1

Not many of us self identify as a person of great wisdom. We want to make wise choices. We want to be wise. We want to do wise things.

Wisdom is the common thread that affects all areas of our life. Everything from finances, to health, to relationships, and employment is made better when we choose wisely and it is quiet obvious when we make choices that lack wisdom.

A great place to look for wisdom is the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs was written by the wisest man in the Bible. The purpose of the book is to relay that wisdom to his son.

The purpose of Proverbs is to:

Know wisdom and instruction

Perceive words of understanding

Receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgement and equity

Give subtility to the simple

knowledge and discretion to the young man

Wisdom requires three things of us: knowing, perceiving, receiving.

The result is it will give subtlety to the simple: subtlety prudence and shrewdness. To the young man knowledge and discretion (advisement).

There is a correct response to wisdom is:

Hear will increase in learning

Attain wise counsels

Understand

a proverb

the interpretation

words of the wise

their dark sayings

These are levels of maturity or mastery.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Wisdom rests on this key princiciple. The fear of the Lord is really an understanding of God’s position. He is the creator, the designer, the owner. And because of that I respect His right to prescribe the rules, and explain the best way to do go about doing things.

Despising instructions is rooted in pride, not needing help, thinking we already know, not admitting we are incorrect.

So the first step is are we going to hear? We need to honestly assess if we are willing to hear/obey and increase in learning. If we are unwilling to admit we don’t know something or that we need to know something we can’t move into the first levels of wisdom.