How to be Wise

"Let the wise listen to these proverbs 

and become even wiser.

Let those with understanding receive guidance

by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,

the words of the wise and their riddles.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Proverbs 1:5-7 NLT

Are only the old wise?  And does this wisdom automatically come with age?  Let's take a lesson on wisdom from the man who received the gift of insight and understanding from God Himself, the true source of wisdom (1 Kings 3:11-12).

Teachable.  I recently was talking to a friend who owns a funeral home.  When speaking of the challenges of training new employees, he concluded that he'd rather teach someone with no previous knowledge of the business who is willing and ready to learn than someone with a background in the field who thinks he has a handle on how things work.  The first is teachable, the second is not. 

It's important for me to adopt this teachable attitude in life.  If I gain a little knowledge and think there's nothing more for me to know, I've closed my mind to receiving new insight and understanding.  If, however, I remain hungry, always realizing there is more for me to learn, I'll retain an attitude of responsiveness to being taught.  Part of this spirit comes from humility which God has to bring about through life experiences that chips away at my pride.  As God transforms me into the image of His Son, I'll become less prideful and more teachable.  Trusting this process means I'll willingly humble myself before God, realizing He is always ready to teach me something new.  

If I want to be wise, I will need to be humble enough to possess a teachable spirit.

Listener.  I've heard it said that good communication is 45% listening.  I tend to think that if I want to be a good communicator, I must learn to effectively get my point across, to be articulate, to speak clearly.  In reality, if I want to learn good communication skills, I had better hone my ability to listen.

It's not so different with the acquisition of wisdom.  If I want to become wise, I will need to listen more than I speak.  It's easy for me to develop a kind of bias, listening up when someone with credentials is speaking or paying attention when someone looks the part of the wise.  What do I do, however, when a little child speaks a wise word, or a drug addict repeats a jewel of wisdom, or an uneducated woman says something quite important cloaked in her peculiar vernacular?  If I want to gain wisdom, I'll take note.

If I want to be wise, I will need to be a good listener.

Generous. It can be hard to be a child.  We've all been there, having passed through childhood on our way to adulthood, but it's easy to forget the struggles.  There is so much to learn about the world, God's kingdom and our relationship with our Father.  Even though we are all still learning, it's important to remember those who are on the beginning of their journey.

While I don't want to become a know-it-all, nor do I want to cripple young people by spoon feeding them truth without expecting them to struggle a little themselves, it is important that I remember to extend a helping hand to those who are younger than I, either in age or in faith.  When I'm willing to lovingly instruct and generously dispense the wisdom I've acquired, I've learned what it is to be wise.

If I want to be wise, I must never forget where I came from and offer a hand up to those who follow behind.

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom does not come with age.  Rather, insight and understanding is found in my right relationship with God through faith in Christ.  When I respect God as the source of all wisdom, I'll begin the process of growing in His knowledge.  In order to do so, I will need a teachable spirit, good listening skills and a generous nature.  In these ways, I will have learned how to be wise.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can look to God for true wisdom.

When do I assume I could never be wise because of my station in life, my age, or my education level?

How do I discount a godly message because of the unlikeliness of the messenger?