Longing for Wisdom

Wisdom often feels elusive. It isn’t something you accumulate or earn like a resource. You can’t learn wisdom from reading a book. So we trust James and ask God, who is said to give generously!

Wisdom is discerning how to live in God's world and God's way.

When Jesus took his place within the living wisdom tradition of Israel, living in God's world made "God's way" cruciform through his own suffering as well as through his use of the cross as the way of life.

Scot McKnight, from The Dictionary of Jesus and the gospels: The Ethics of Jesus

I like what Scot says here because it gives me two handles on wisdom that are really helpful.

First, wisdom is intrinsically connected to living. One can be knowledgeable, clever, a good debater, preacher, leader, CEO, a master of the catchy social media posts while at the same time be utterly devoid of the sort of wisdom so valued by the biblical authors.

Second, Scot gives us insight into the shape of wisdom, and like much of the biblical witness, we find a counterintuitive logic. The shape of wisdom is cruciform. It’s not about accruing or climbing or winning; it is all about sacrificial, self-giving love. We see it most clearly in the cross, not the C-sweet.

Wisdom is something I think about often. I desire to be wise because it’s one of those linchpin pieces of the Christian life. If we can receive wisdom from God, it affects everything else. As I think about my work caring for pastors, my relationships with friends, my wife, and maybe most of all, as I think and pray for wisdom to be a good father to my kids, the desire for this enigmatic characteristic of the Christian Life is every increasing.

But wisdom often feels elusive. It isn’t something you can simply accumulate like other resources. You can’t get wisdom from reading a good book or taking a class.

I supposed I’ll trust James and continue to ask God the Father to give me wisdom, trusting he desires to do so.

James 1:5

 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Here are a few thoughts I've had about wisdom as I’ve read the scripture:

• Wisdom is a tricky and counterintuitive concept to define.
  It maybe even more elusive to procure. 

• Wisdom is a gift. 

• Wisdom can be found among the young but it seems normative to find it among those who have lived life for a good long while. 
  However, age isn't equal to wisdom, as if our age equaled our level of wisdom.

  And being childlike is somehow a part wisdom. 

• Those who are overconfident in their wisdom and even proclaim themselves as such, are likely the ones who need wisdom the most. 

  And we should be cautious around self-proclaimed wise.  

• True wisdom will bear fruit! 

  Things like humility, gentleness, the ability to listen, to discern, to guide.
  And the fruit of the Spirit will be abundantly evident in the life of the wise! 

• Wisdom is cultivated but not procured or earned. 

• Wisdom is among the most valuable things the Lord gives. 

As I continue to think about wisdom, here are a few scriptures that I think point us in a helpful direction.

Proverbs 4:7
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

Yeah, wisdom is tricky and sort of enigmatic…

The Beginning of wisdom is to get wisdom?

What??? Clear as mud!

Defining wisdom might be just as difficult. Widsom seems to have a constellation of attributes. Things like the fear of God (Prv. 9:10), righteousness (Prv. 37:30), humility (Prv. 11:2), and the ability to listen and take advice (Prv. 13:10, 19:20). Then, in some vital way, wisdom comes with age and experience, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” (Job 12:12).

Then there is James.

James 3:18
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James also tells us that if we need wisdom, we are simply to ask, and God will give it generously (James 1:5). Let’s be honest, if you think you have all the wisdom you need, that’s probably a sure sign you need more of it!

Many who spout their “wisdom” from on high or from the safety of their computer desk actually appear to lack this virtue they so confidently share. Often, their works are more divisive than fruitful, more provocative than peaceable.

The fruit of peace and humility are often connected to wisdom. However, there is a tension in displaying peace and gentleness as the fruit of wisdom (James 3:17-18) and being the wise one who speaks justice amid an unjust world (Psalm 37:30). To some, the call for justice will be disruptive. Maybe this is where the ability of the wise to discern comes into play. 

I could go on. Maybe the bottom line is this:  

Wisdom is complicated. Wisdom is simple. Wisdom is a gift.  

I will continue to learn about and pray for the wisdom that can only come from above as gift. Thanks be to God!