Wisdom is an important trait that marks people in positions of influence. Our world is built around communities and relationships. We interact with people daily, and to successfully influence others positively, we must aspire to acquire wisdom. Wisdom makes you a leader, which is manifested in different ways. Because it is related to finding practical solutions to problems, she enables us to do our work well. People repose trust and confidence in those successful at unravelling issues and solving them. It opens up more opportunities for them to lead. Wisdom helps us to rise in leadership. It is a driving force that allows us to excel and shine among our peers and colleagues.
Pursuing wisdom, acquiring it and living by it will lead to promotion. It calls us to what is high and above. When it speaks to you, she will challenge you to move from the level you are to a higher level. It constantly challenges us to outshine. When you think you are the best, wisdom will tell you to be better than your best. It calls us to new heights. Any voice that gives us excuses to do the least or settle for the easiest way out is not the voice of wisdom because it does not encourage us to stay in the same place or resolve with the least level of accomplishment. When we think the task is too hard, wisdom will enable us to stretch a bit more. It calls us to what is straight and orderly. It tells us to be tidy and not call us to disorder and chaos.
To walk in biblical wisdom, we must challenge ourselves to do what is right. It will tell us to live our lives better according to God’s standards. It calls us to what is firm and trustworthy. It stands on solid ground. She is firmly rooted in that which is enduring. It is not shallow but builds on a solid foundation.
Mentally, wisdom understands how life works. Most of us associate it with mental insight. However, biblical wisdom is not the same as attaining high academic heights. It is having a deep understanding of how life works with all its ethical, moral, and religious implications. We gain this dimension of wisdom through observing and appreciating how systems and structures work.
Morally, wisdom is the ability to tell between right and wrong. That is how we can live uprightly. It is an honourable force that enables us to make proper judgments. For example, we would generally consider a person who gambles away all their money or uses all they have on wasteful purchases unwise. “Does not wisdom cry out, and, understanding lift up her voice?” (Pro 8: 1). It expresses itself in many ways in life, and it is up to us to listen to her or not.
Spiritually, wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord shows itself in our reverence for God. It is what yields to God’s supremacy. When we fear God, we defer to the natural and spiritual laws God has set in His Word. Those who honour God’s principles benefit from it. It is like the fear that one has of electricity. The electrician acknowledges the tremendous power of electricity but does not keep away from it. Those who fear the Lord hate evil and love what He wants.
Practically, the technical aspect of wisdom is solving problems, and it is applicable when it helps us find answers to the questions we face. In the Hebrew society of the Old Testament, this is how most people view wisdom. It is the practical application of knowledge. You see it in the way people solve their problems. Those who live their lives wisely make moral choices that benefit them.
Governmentally, wisdom is ruling with fairness. This is seen in how we administer, manage and lead in our areas of influence over our lives, homes and businesses.
