Wisdom calls

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
– James 1:5-6 (ESV)

Through my career, I’ve notice that most people want to do a good job — I presume you do, too.  Character is important, as are skills, but the key to making yours a life of consequence is obtaining and applying wisdom.

Wisdom is applied knowledge, and it is a fusion of character and competence — not the collection of facts.  The process of becoming wise consists of recognizing and valuing wisdom, desiring wisdom, pursuing wisdom and gaining wisdom through experience.

Elementary, my dear?
Perhaps you watched the game show Jeopardy when IBM’s Watson computer system competed against human competitors and won.  Watson is a formidable collector and processor of facts.  The scientists and engineers who developed Watson deserve credit for their achievements in artificial intelligence, since Watson has the ability to infer the context of a given question or problem set, and to form a response to a query that is mostly lifelike.  In addition, Watson can even learn and synthesize new hypotheses, but this is not wisdom.  If a functional definition of wisdom is knowing the right thing and doing it, there is a moral dimension to all of this that goes beyond storing, sifting, sorting and learning.

Knowledge is neutral
If you read the Biblical account of the fall, you’ll note that it was the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that ensnared Adam and Eve — not the tree of wisdom.  Clearly, Adam and Eve had other knowledge, but none of that developed into wisdom, and so mankind rebelled.  I admit this is an inference, but knowledge is neither good or evil in itself; rather, it is what we do with knowledge that determines its morality.

The architect and author of wisdom
The Bible contains at least 208 specific references to wisdom (and yes, I did count them).  Certain books of the Bible are actually grouped into a category called wisdom literature (these are Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs — you could look it up).  Since the Bible speaks so frequently regarding the importance of wisdom, it is helpful for us to look first to God to grant us wisdom.  We must not only ask, but we must act on the wisdom He gives us in order to acquire still more.

Where on earth to seek wisdom
Your father — If your father is alive and in your life, check in with him on your challenges and questions.  He will be honored that you asked, and he will open the treasure house of his lessons learned — from things done right and from his own failures.  Learning from others’ mistakes is inexpensive tuition.  But note this: If your dad is an upright man, he will want to help you profit from his wisdom.

Grandfathers, uncles, godfathers — In addition to your father (or instead of your father, if he’s not around), your elder relatives are potential storehouses of wisdom.  At family get-togethers ask these men about their triumphs and struggles around the great questions of life.  Then pay attention.

Coaches, scoutmasters, bosses, pastors, priests and elders — In a previous post, I mentioned that isolation is bad for you.  This is never more true than when you’re trying to acquire wisdom.   Take a look around your community.  Which men stand out due to their life, accomplishments and conduct?  Which men would you like to emulate?  Which of these men men do you already know?

Approaching them with respect and asking for their guidance can be of great benefit to them and to you.  Many  churches appear to be in the grip of a fetishization of youth, causing many worthwhile men to de-tribalize and leave the church.

Your mentor — We’ve talked about this previously here.  You do have a mentor, right?

A little help from my friends? — Beware the supposed wisdom of the crowds.  Sometimes the majority is correct, other times not so much.  This is one more reason why the Bible speaks the truth where it states, “The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  Consult your friends then measure their words agains the standard of scripture.

Great books and stories — Several wise men I’ve known have said that leaders are readers.  We’ve already discussed the Bible as the premier source of wisdom, but consider in addition great works of literature.  C.S. Lewis said that stories spoke straight to the heart – no doubt this is why Jesus spoke in parables.

How to seek wisdom
In addition to the methods I mentioned above, I subscribe to a method where I read a chapter a day from the Biblical book of Proverbs.  The chapter I read corresponds to the calendar date — chapter 1 on the first, chapter 2 on the second, etc.

So how about you? Where are you seeking – and finding — wisdom? Add your comments below.

Note: This is the fourth post in a series expanding on points made in a post titled “You Cannot Eat Like a Sparrow and Defecate Like an Elephant” on living a life of significance. You can read the previous posts here, here and here.