Live smart

The person who believes in Christ is called to be smart. Obviously, there is a lot of emphasis in the Bible on being truly smart. In the language of the holy writ they use the word wise rather than smart but it means the same thing.

God’s wisdom calls out to everyone to leave being simple and start to be wise. Read Proverbs 1:20-22 – Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets: the cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying, How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? …

Again in Proverbs 8:1 – Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?

We do hear a lot of people use the term ‘common sense’ whenever they speak or rather give advice to their teenagers and servants too. It’s just that they expect people to do something wise which is so clear and should be quite common to any wise person.

A smart person takes time to get knowledge even if it means to hear someone out. Here we go:

• Proverbs 18:15 – An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
• Proverbs 19:20 – Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Some caution however is to be exercised in classifying anything as true wisdom. Yes, I mean just because you want to enjoy a good time at a luxury resort, you don’t take in bribes though you might be told by someone who says its good money. Not everyone is capable of giving you wisdom. Just imagine a person took a bribe and got caught, would he even be able to enjoy in the resort or would he spend time in jail.

So the hallmark of wisdom is that it gives freedom and won’t land you in trouble. In fact a good part of wisdom is just staying out of trouble, that too undue trouble. A few verses on that:

• Proverbs 24:3-7 – By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.
• Proverbs 21:20 – Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.
• Proverbs 10:8 – The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
• Proverbs 15:22 – Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

Now true wisdom comes from the Lord God who obviously made wisdom. Believe me the Lord gives wisdom too. You don’t need to spend like 25 years on top of a mountain to get wisdom. You instead need to get it from the Lord who gives it freely. The best place to get it is from the Bible. There is much you can learn.

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
• Proverbs 13:14-16 – The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin. In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.

The words of Jesus are wisdom and benefit those who follow it but at the same time those who reject his words find themselves in trouble. Jesus himself said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

I would therefore like that every person who stands up for God, stands up in wisdom. Getting wisdom is like getting a blessing. Like in Proverbs 3:13-26 it says, 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. …

Keep yourself away from things that are not wisdom like I said earlier. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8).

Keeping the wisdom of Christ and not of the world is good combination indeed for you can’t walk to the right and to the left at the same time otherwise at sometime a breaking point will appear which might not be so nice. Also concentrating only on true wisdom helps you to utilize your resources more efficiently in the right direction.

Be smart, be blessed.

 

 

Related articles

• How do you read the Book of Proverbs? (tentmaker.co.uk)
• Wisdom of Man Pt. 1 (isaacsotero.wordpress.com)
• Why Should I Read My Bible? (biblebelievernet.com)
• Wisdom…Where Does It Begin? (promisebook.net)