When you define a thing, it helps us with its understanding. It sparks interest and helps with the scope of what is being talked or written about. When we define something well, we create a shared understanding—it becomes easier to explore its depth and relevance. It erases confusion and ambiguity.
In today’s reflection, I would like to define wisdom to aid our understanding of this subject matter.
The Hebrew word for wisdom is Chokmah, it means skillful living, practical and moral insight. It is the ability to make the right decisions at the right time so that you can do the right thing at the right time.
The Greek word for wisdom is Sophia, it means insight, clarity, intelligence, and the ability to apply knowledge with discernment.
“Wisdom is, therefore, obedience in action because it is acting on the knowledge of God’s word. Wisdom is the expression of your faith in God. It is faith in action. It is also courage in action.”
Insight is the ability to see into a situation. It is seeing beyond the periphery into the heart of the matter. It is seeing beyond the surface. It is seeing God’s reality and making it your reality. It is about being able to wrap your mind about an issue until God’s light shines on it and you are able to see into it and through it. Wisdom is about seeing God’s solution to the problems of life.
Wisdom also speaks about expertise. It speaks about clarity. Wisdom is good judgment., So, to be wise is to have and exhibit good judgment, insight, and discernment. Wisdom is beyond human intellect. It is possible to be smart and not be wise but there is no way you can be wise and not smart.
“If we are not living wisely, we will make a fool of ourselves.”
Wisdom is the ability to live in the fear of the Lord (Ps 111: 10. Pro 9: 10). The fear of the Lord connotes deep reverence for Him and His word. It means acknowledging Him in all of your ways and using His precepts to run your life.
Putting these definitions together we can define wisdom as the ability to do the right thing at the right time, in the right way, and at the right place, with the right people, and with the right attitude in a way that delights and brings glory to God. Wisdom is, therefore, crucial to our day-to-day living and interaction. That means if we are not living wisely, we will make a fool of ourselves.
The televangelist Mike Murdock once defined wisdom as the ability to recognize the differences in things, times seasons, people, and places. He said wisdom is “the ability to discern and recognize difference, specifically the ability to discern the difference between right and wrong, and to discern the difference between opportunities and obstacles.”
Wisdom is both knowing and doing what God wants when He wants it, how He wants it, and where He wants it to be done (Eph 5: 15-17). So, it is not just about doing stuff, it has to be done in the right way at the right place, and time and for the right reasons and with the right attitude. And as Christians, everything we do even the mundane things must be done in the name of Jesus and to the glory of God (1Cor 10: 31).
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Col 3: 17).
In other words, there is no wisdom in doing your own thing your own way. There is no wisdom wanting to have your way. It is foolishness and stupidity. So, to be wise means you are not playing stupid. It means you acknowledge God in all your ways at all times (Pro 3: 5-7). It means you fully depend on God and you are not wise in your own eyes. Wisdom is, therefore, obedience in action because it is acting on the knowledge of God’s word. Wisdom is the expression of your faith in God. It is faith in action. It is also courage in action.
“In other words, there is no wisdom in doing your own thing your own way. There is no wisdom wanting to have your way.”
Skip Moen the founder of At the Lord wrote that “Biblical wisdom is about behavior that is pleasing to God. It is about reverence for God and His creation. It is about knowing and doing what God has in mind. It’s following God’s agenda for my life.” So, wisdom is not the accumulation of knowledge. It is doing something worthwhile with that knowledge. We have lots of people today who are full of knowledge but don’t know how to make it work for them. We have many people today who seem knowledgeable and have concluded that there is no God. The Bible calls those people fools (Ps 14: 1; 53: 1). That means it is possible to be an educated fool. What this implies is that any knowledge that you claim to have that can take you away from God will not make you wise.
Furthermore, wisdom is the ability to know what to do as well as what not to do. It is the ability to know what to say and what not to say and when to say it and when not to say it. So, giving people a piece of your mind may not be revealing your wisdom. It is knowing where to go and where not to go. It is also knowing when to do something and when not to do it. It is the ability to differentiate between what is holy and unholy.
“Giving people a piece of your mind may not be revealing your wisdom.”
Wisdom is being skillful in handling the issues of life. The issues of life have to do with our relationship with things and people. Wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and do life God’s way. If you can’t see well, you can’t live well. To see well, you must hear well. Seeing and hearing is about insight and discernment. So, wisdom is the ability to identify what to do in a certain situation and then do it.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to honor You with my heart, words, and actions. Let my reverence for You shape my every decision. Help me to do the right thing at the right time, in the right way, and at the right place, with the right people, and with the right attitude. Amen!
