HOW TO GET MORE WISDOM
Proverbs 8:17, 33-34 NKJV
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
In Proverbs chapter eight, wisdom is talking. Wisdom being God’s wisdom, not man’s. Wisdom is personified as a woman who is crying out in the city. Wisdom is available and not elusive. And wisdom tells who the ones are who gain her.
Wisdom loves those who love her. So, it’s obvious that wisdom has a conditional love. She is not going to track us down and force us to listen. She is crying out, but not pursuing. Wisdom must be pursued. We see that truth in the next sentence, as wisdom declares that those who seek wisdom diligently will find her. Again, we see how wisdom is positioned. Wisdom must be sought after and pursued. So a picture is starting to form as to how to get more wisdom.
Most of chapter eight is talking about the benefits of wisdom and what wisdom can do in our lives. Riches and honor come with wisdom. Wisdom is more valuable than gold or silver. Blessings come with wisdom, as do strength and leadership ability. Wisdom is a high value proposition. Wisdom is not scarce, but obtaining wisdom requires effort.
Verses 33-34 teach that to gain wisdom, we have to hear what wisdom has to say and not disdain or think lightly about it. This agrees with verse 17, those who seek diligently find. So, listen to what wisdom has to say, but don’t listen occasionally or casually. The blessed ones are those who seek daily and are intentional about obtaining wisdom.
This consistent approach is the way wisdom is obtained. Wisdom does not discriminate. We don’t have to be book smart to gain more wisdom, but we must have a heart for it. Wisdom is not limited to those who are good students. But some of the same characteristics that make someone a good student are beneficial in gaining wisdom.
So, to get more wisdom, we’ll need to position ourselves to obtain. Wisdom is not simply going to jump in our lap.
APPLICATION
Seeking God’s wisdom today is no different. The heart and attitude we take toward wisdom determine the results we get back. This is why someone can sit in a good church where they teach the Bible and never gain much wisdom. Wisdom loves the ones that love her. Think lightly of her and she ain’t coming around.
Jesus said if we seek, we will find. This pertains to the things of God, of which wisdom is certainly one of the most valuable things on the list. Wisdom must be pursued but finding her yields good things in our lives.