Daily Choices & Decisions (Wisdom II)

In my last post, I wrote about wisdom and God (No Longer Encyclopedias). In this post, I am focusing on how to get wisdom and why it is beneficial. 

  

The Bible encourages us to ask for wisdom from God and trust Him to give it to us (James 1:5). Therefore, just as Solomon asked God for wisdom, so can we. For the longest time, I have only asked for academic wisdom but then I realized that I was limiting myself and was in greater need of wisdom for life.

Receiving wisdom doesn't mean that I will SUDDENLY know and understand all things. It's not automatic. If we look at Solomon, his wisdom was first displayed in the judgement of who the baby's mother was (1 Kings 3:16-28) and that was a sometime after he received it from God. And he didn't suddenly write thousands of poems and proverbs (1 Kings 4:29-34), he wrote them over the course of his life. So when we ask and receive wisdom, we don't suddenly become super geniuses but it's a process that is visible in our actions and decisions day after day.
 

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Wisdom therefore is displayed in the daily decisions we make. For example, the Bible says in Proverbs that "he who vents his anger is a fool", but that "a person's wisdom makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 29:11; 19:11). This is something I am currently struggling with. The thing is, my boyfriend is forgetful unlike me; and there have been times where I have gotten angry over the silliest things that I could have easily overlooked but my own pride and foolishness always got in the way. And it's only afterwards that I realize that I have hurt his feelings and did show him love. So although I have asked for wisdom, I am learning to live wisely daily by seeing my wrongs and aiming to do better next time. It does not mean that I will not fail, the honest truth is that I will but the important thing is that I will get up each time and try my to do better the next time by the power of the Spirit (the righteous fall seven times, they rise again; Proverbs 24:16). 

So far, I have written about how we can get wisdom. Now, a good question to ask is: why on earth would you want wisdom? Here is a short list of the benefits of wisdom, the rest can be found in the Bible ;)         
Proverbs 19:8 = it shows that you love yourself and it will cause you to prosper
Proverbs 1:33 = you will live in peace, untroubled by harm.
Proverbs 2:12, 16 = will save you from evil people, from immoral women
Proverbs 3:13-18, 35; = more precious than silver, gold or rubies; life and riches and honor;
Proverbs 4:4-9 = protection, good judgement,honor

So don't miss out! Get wisdom!

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise" -Ephesians 5:15

God bless you!  

No Longer Encyclopedias (Wisdom)

In this post and the ones to follow I will be writing about wisdom: what is it, how to get it and why it's important (i.e. what are the benefits).

 Many of us when we hear the word  wisdom automatically think of Solomon. Although wisdom is instantaneously linked  to Solomon, it does not start nor end with him. 

So what is wisdom?

photo credit: simplydivinelove.blogspot.com

Wisdom is found in God and that's where Solomon got his (1Sam. 3). In Job and Proverbs, we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear the Lord means to have reverence for Him, and reverence is to show respect or honor. And what other better way is there to show God that He is worthy of honor and respect other than to obey Him? Wisdom is obedience, this should be an obedience out of love (trust me, you don't want be a Pharisee). Thus without God there is no wisdom and when you find God you also find wisdom. Colossians 2:3 also tells us that all wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ. That's why I think that the Bible also says that he who says there is no God is a fool (Psalm 14:1). And here is where we see that wisdom is not equal to intelligence because there are some pretty clever people out there that don't believe in God. Thus human wisdom will not get you anywhere with God,we need His wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).

How does it differ from knowledge?

 "Wisdom is the right use of knowledge." -Charles Spurgeon

  

"Knowledge is awareness of facts and

 wisdom is awareness of how to use those facts for good goals."- John Piper

So it's knowing what you should and should not do, and acting upon it. (Eph.5:15-17, James 1:22)

Let me give an example to make it more clearer. I recently read a book on sexual purity. I learned a lot from it, it was a great eye-opener. As long as I don't apply what I learned, I am not better than where I was before. Yes, I may know that the devil and my flesh are fighting within me to take the upper hand and cause me to fail, and I may know that I need the Holy Spirit to win this fight.But as long as I don't apply what I learned; then I might as well have not read the book. Then I am being a fool! 

This is applies to everything.For example in our readings of the Bible a lot of truth is revealed to us but as long as we don't apply and use it. As long as we don't let it marinate and take root in our hearts, then they just plain facts. This is an issue I recognize in myself, I read the Word daily but I am very weak spiritually because one of the reasons is that I am being a fool and not applying what am reading. And honestly, am fed up and super happy that God has shown me the step that am missing out time and time again.

Thus in all our getting, let us get wisdom by acting on our knowledge.
  
 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." - Matthew 7:24

 "If you don’t have wisdom that goes with knowledge, you are only a walking encyclopedia. A book of knowledge is useless without the wisdom to know how to apply that knowledge." - Jack Wellman

Stay blessed xoxo

 The book I read on purity is called Sex and the Single Christian Girl by Marian Jordan Ellis (YOU SHOULD READ IT'S AMAZING). Thanks to my dear friend, Mukase, for recommending it to me :)

Guest Post:The Word of God by Myriam Ndanga

The Word of God, when we think about it, we think about the Bible.

But the Word of God is so much more. Let's take a look at the Bible and at Jesus.

The Bible is active and alive, it's our daily bread, it gives life, it's the Truth, it shows us the way, it is there for correction, encouragement and teaching, it's as sharp as a double sided sword, it's perfect in itself, it enlightens our ways by enlightening the path of our feet and much more.

Jesus is the living Word of God. He was in the beginning and He was with God and He was God Himself. He became flesh and dwelt among us.

Jesus says of Himself that He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. He says that He is the Bread of Life. He speaks what God speaks without error. When He speaks, He speaks with divine authority, with grace, with wisdom, with power, with knowledge, with truth and love. He proclaims the righteousness of God. And He uses Scripture to rebuke and correct and to guide.

Now, both of them are the Word of God but we can not live with one while neglecting the other one. They belong together and are one. You can not love Jesus but have no desire to read the Word also if you think that Jesus spoke to you but you can't find it in the Word it is not of Jesus, since He doesn't speak anything against or not according to His Word.

The Word of God is what God, Himself, speaks. It is what He thinks and it is coming out of His very heart. When we know and understand His Word, we get to know and understand His heart.

It is very interesting to see that He blessed us with His whole Word. Now, this doesn't mean that God doesn't have more to say, NO! God's wisdom is endless. It just means that He told us everything WE need to know in order to survive in this world and to be prepared for the world to come. He told us everything we need to know from beginning to end. There is nothing which should surprise us since He made sure to tell us everything we need to know concerning history, present and future events.

His Word also says that it is forbidden to take anything away from it or to add anything to it. Otherwise the Word would be twisted and not perfect and complete and holy in itself. It wouldn't be 100% the truth.

With that being said there are two parts of the Word. The reading part and the living part. The Scriptures help us to understand God's heart and will for our lives and Jesus helps us living according to it through His Holy Spirit. 

If you don't read the Word, you won't understand God and you would be spiritually dead and defenseless against the tricks of the enemy. If you don't live it, you can't please God, since your faith wouldn't be complete and faith without works is dead and it's impossible to please God without faith.

We have to abide in Him and His Word to understand and live it. 

Through His Word, by beholding Jesus, we are being transformed more and more into His image.

Just as Jesus is with us everywhere and everyday of our lives, it's important that the written Word is with us everyday and everywhere too.

Mindset Mondays: Life or Death by Favour Omileke

'Life and death are in the power of the tongue, he who loves it will eat the fruit thereof'. The venom coming out of a spider's mouth is so powerful that it can destroy anything it comes in contact with. What comes out of your mouth when you speak? Words are powerful, words have life. Positive words bring life, healing and restoration..negative words are venomous and destructive. The words you speak over your life are important, they can either build up or tear down your life..speak life not death to your life to the lives of others.

 A single letter is a character on it's own, a visual symbol that merges with other symbols to generate syllables. Syllables intimately connected emerge as words. A single word blended with patterns other words become more than just words.
Words have a creative power, whether spoken or unspoken, they give expression to thoughts and create a certain reality. The words you say about yourself matters. What you say over your life today could be your reality tomorrow. Words are seeds spoken in to the future. Sow the right kind of seeds into your life so you can bear the right fruits. Wishing you a blessed, fulfilled and productive week ahead.