We all need wisdom; so we must make every effort to get it. It is very important to our existence. The Bible in Proverbs 4: 7 says: “wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.” For something to be principal, it means it is very important and should rank the first on the list. It should be foremost. It also should be fundamental. It is the first thing to get if we want to make the most of and enjoy our lives.
Wisdom forms the foundation for everything we do in life. Any wonder, God possessed it at the beginning of His works, and there was the record that He made everything by His wisdom (Pro 8: 22). If we don’t put such importance on wisdom, we will shipwreck our faith and mismanage everything God has giving to us for life and godliness. That means you need wisdom for your daily interactions with Him, people, and things. As I once said, if you don’t live as a wise person, you will make a fool of yourself.
For the next few days, I want to discuss 3 types of wisdom: human wisdom, devilish wisdom, and godly wisdom. I will be reflecting on each one of them in the days to come. My goal today is to focus and reflect on human wisdom.
“wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.“
Proverbs 4: 7
Human wisdom is rooted in philosophy and it is earthly. It is purely intellectual, and it is based on instinct. It is based on education, reason, and logic. It is using your rational mind to compute things. It is not rooted in God. It is a result of gathering information to reach a logical conclusion. It is using knowledge based on research. That means it is based on popular opinions. It does not see beyond the immediate. It is based on common sense. So, the Bible encouraged us not to allow our faith to stand, establish, or be rooted in human wisdom (1Cor 2: 5). The Bible says:
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Cor 3:19).
One big characteristic of human wisdom is that it does not originate from God. So, it is not from above. It is not supported by God’s divine nature. Human wisdom is a result of the fall. So, it is not real, It is counterfeit. It is pseudo-wisdom. It is not the original. This wisdom goes against the will of God and everything He stands for. It is an antigod, It does not support His divine will. It is ungodly. People who operate with human wisdom always contradict what God’s word says. They usually use their mind to interpret God’s word. It is boastful, prideful, envious, and unspiritual (Jam 3: 14-15).
“Human wisdom is self-seeking, self-promoting, self-gratifying, and very indulgent”
Human wisdom is connected to the five senses. It is about what you can see, feel, hear, smell, and touch. It is not living by the faith of God’s Son. So, it cannot believe God for the impossible because it always considers things from a human point of view. When we live like this, we will live in error.
Human wisdom is independent of God and is not subjected to the laws of God. It is fueled by carnality. Anyone who operates with the wisdom of this world is carnally minded. Remember, to be carnally minded is death (Rom 8: 6). Death is a separation from the life of God. Secondly, a carnally minded person is God’s enemy.
The Bible tells us that we cannot know God, His will, or do His bidding if we rely on our intellect alone. Human wisdom is the wisdom of this world. It is contrary to the wisdom of God. You cannot use human wisdom to detect the things of God. The apostle Paul states:
"...the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God..." (1Cor 1: 21, the Message).
It will be as if you are asking a blind person to judge colors or someone who is deaf to rightly judge music. It will be awkward and practically impossible. The Bible teaches us that the things of God are spiritually discerned and it takes a spiritual person to know them.
But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated" (1Cor 2: 14, AMPC).
Human wisdom is limited to the earthly realm. It is selfish and sensual. It is self-seeking, self-promoting, self-gratifying, and very indulgent. It will not savor the things of God. It will cheat and manipulate others. It brings about strife. It is arrogant. This is what makes people engage in fraudulent acts. It is what makes people exploit and take advantage of others and they call it smartness.
Prayer: Lord, deliver me from human wisdom and the errors of my ways in Jesus’ name. Amen!
