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15 "Be careful
then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the
most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be
foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
The Oxford dictionary
defines wisdom as having the quality of showing experience,
knowledge, and good judgement. It’s one of the qualities that
some men and women spend their entire lives trying to obtain.
One can work night and day to study and obtain knowledge and
become an expert in one's field. Others can practice and
develop their skill set to become prolific athletes, entertainers
and artists. There are others who are great at investments
and business, and make tons of money. Our society measures
people on how many degrees one has, how much money one makes, and
how famous one becomes. However, none of these qualities are
indicators of how wise one is. Wisdom can’t be obtained by
money, studying, or practicing.
Proverbs 16:16 states that it is much better to obtain wisdom than
gold, and to get understanding rather than silver.
Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge from God because
he understood that without wisdom, all the wealth, honor, and
possessions in the world would be of no benefit. Everyday we
hear and read of stories of famous, educated, and rich people who
are in the news because of the foolish decisions they’ve made.
We are astonished when we see athletes, celebrities, and big
time CEO’s lose their endorsements, careers, and fame over foolish
things they’ve said or done. In verse 17 of today’s passage,
it says that the first step to obtaining wisdom is understanding
the Lord’s will. Do we understand God’s will, and accept it
in our lives with all the choices we make? Do we ask God for
wisdom, or do we only pray for material things such as security,
health, and items that benefit our well-being? James 1:5 says
that “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to
him.”
This passage was written many years ago, but it very much applies
today. We live in troubling times, and the days are evil.
We face so many temptations and choices every single day of
our lives. Are we making wise decisions in our choices?
Do we understand and accept the Lord’s will in our lives and
use it to guide our decision making? Proverbs 3:5-6 says to
“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make
your paths straight.” We must learn to trust in his will, and
if we do so, we will make the most of every opportunity and grow in
knowledge and wisdom.
The
Oxford dictionary defines wisdom as having the quality of showing
experience, knowledge, and good judgement. It’s one of the
qualities that some men and women spend their entire lives trying
to obtain. One can work night and day to study and obtain
knowledge and become an expert in one's field. Others can
practice and develop their skill set to become prolific athletes,
entertainers and artists. There are others who are great at
investments and business, and make tons of money. Our society
measures people on how many degrees one has, how much money one
makes, and how famous one becomes. However, none of these
qualities are indicators of how wise one is. Wisdom can’t be
obtained by money, studying, or practicing.
Proverbs 16:16 states that it is much better to obtain wisdom than
gold, and to get understanding rather than silver. Solomon
asked for wisdom and knowledge from God because he understood that
without wisdom, all the wealth, honor, and possessions in the world
would be of no benefit. Everyday we hear and read of stories
of famous, educated, and rich people who are in the news because of
the foolish decisions they’ve made. We are astonished when we
see athletes, celebrities, and big time CEO’s lose their
endorsements, careers, and fame over foolish things they’ve said or
done. In verse 17 of today’s passage, it says that the first
step to obtaining wisdom is understanding the Lord’s will. Do
we understand God’s will, and accept it in our lives with all the
choices we make? Do we ask God for wisdom, or do we only pray
for material things such as security, health, and items that
benefit our well-being? James 1:5 says that “If any of you
lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
This passage was written many years ago, but it very much applies
today. We live in troubling times, and the days are evil. We
face so many temptations and choices every single day of our lives.
Are we making wise decisions in our choices? Do we
understand and accept the Lord’s will in our lives and use it to
guide our decision making? Proverbs 3:5-6 says to “Trust the
Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in
all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We must learn to trust in his will, and if we do so, we will
make the most of every opportunity and grow in knowledge and
wisdom.
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