"Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it will cost all you have, get understanding." Proverbs 4:6-7
Looking back on all of the situations in my life, I learned that I would have handled things much differently if only I had focused on gaining wisdom. Why is wisdom so important? God gives us the Bible for a reason, and that is so that we may become knowledgeable in His word and when life throws situations at us, we are better equipped to make life decisions. Whether you are making decisions about where to go to college, who to date, what to major in, what friends you should have, or where to live, the Bible will always have your solution. Another reason we should gain wisdom is because Jesus did, and we should all follow in his footsteps, right? "And Jesus grew in WISDOM and stature, and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52 So how do you gain wisdom?
1. We should ALL dig into scripture daily- even though we lead a busy life, we should all take time out of our day to simply read God's word. Even if this means getting up 30 minutes before you normally do, or reading before bed, we should take as much time out of our day to study His word. Analyze scripture, ask questions, and share with others what you learned about.
2. Listen during church! I know this can be so hard for some of us. Our mind tends to wander during worship and we are thinking about where we are going to eat that day, what we are going to wear tomorrow, boys, friends, what color to paint my room, and the list goes on and on. I am definantly guilty of this, but I think I found a pretty good solution. Take notes, highlight scripture, and really put yourself into the lesson. Write down things that really jump out to you because it may end up helping someone else down the road.
3. Have spiritual discussions. Sometimes discussions may bring up things you never knew about or you may even teach the other person something they don't know! "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." Proverbs 13:10
4. Finally, you gain wisdom through experience. Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others.
"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men." Proverbs 4:13-14
People tend to base their spiritual lives on emotion and rely on "whatever feels right." Although emotion does play a part somewhat in our spiritual lives, will it keep us from sinning? Become wise by taking time to read, listen, discuss, and learn, because wisdom will "protect you and watch over you." And remember, "Only scripture will keep you from sin, and only sin will keep you from scripture."
