From Richard E. Simmons III in The True Measure of a Man, p. 69-70.
Proverbs 3:13-14 — Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding; for wisdom is more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than gold.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 — God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising. (author’s paraphrase)
According to the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, wisdom is one of the greatest of all life’s possessions. An essential component of wisdom is to have the ability to see things as they really are and not just as they appear to be. This ability is vital to the foundation of wisdom, because we are continually developing ideas that explain how life works. These diverse sets of ideas govern our thinking, telling us what the world is like and how we should live in it. Wisdom enables us to distinguish between those ideas in life that are true and those that are false.
Author Stephen Covey contends that if people are truly going to lead healthy and vibrant lives, their ideas about life must be rooted in what is true. He shares a wonderful illustration demonstrating the importance of this truth:
Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific location in central Chicago. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But, suppose you were given the wrong map. Through a printing error, the map labeled “Chicago” was actually a map of Detroit. Can you imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach your destination?
You might work on your behavior; you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster. You might work on your attitude; you could think more positively. You still wouldn’t get to the right place, but perhaps you wouldn’t care. Your attitude would be so positive, you’d be happy wherever you were. The point is, you’d still be lost. The fundamental problem has nothing to do with your behavior or your attitude. It has everything to do with having the wrong map.
If you have the right map of Chicago, then diligence becomes important, and when you encounter frustrating obstacles along the way, then attitude can make a real difference. But, the first and most important requirement is the accuracy of the map.
I find this to be true in the lives of so many people. They attempt to live their lives with maps that are entirely inaccurate. They have false ideas about life, money, work, success, identity and happiness. What they do not realize is they interpret everything through these false maps, these false ideas, that they have mentally developed over the course of their lives.
Wisdom plays a crucial role in our lives. The development of wisdom is a prominent theme in the Bible. French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal, one of the most brilliant men to ever live, recognized something extraordinary. He said all human beings are on a great search for happiness, but most find it to be elusive. He strongly believed that unhappiness is a result of false beliefs on matters important for living a high quality of life. He said that true happiness can only be found by uprooting false beliefs and replacing them with genuine wisdom.
We live in a time where we are flooded with information. Many people are convinced they have a real advantage in life when they have a great deal of knowledge. Yet, every day we read of highly educated fools who ruin their lives, businesses, and families by making bad decisions. Often, it is knowledgeable people who lack wisdom.
We fail to recognize that the quantity of what we know is not of ultimate importance. What matters is the quality of our knowledge, which is at the heart of wisdom.
Further supporting this view, Author Richard Foster shares that superficiality is the curse of the modern age. He contends that our desperate need is not for a greater number of intelligent or gifted people, but for a greater number of wiser people who have gained depth in their lives. He believes wisdom is the answer to a hollow world.
Unfortunately, much of today’s society dismisses the nature and value of wisdom to the point where it is no longer of real importance. For most of us, the distractions and frantic pace of a technological culture do not encourage deep thought, reflection or introspection.
Wisdom provides insight into the true nature of things–both physical and spiritual reality. It allows us to grow in competence as we respond to the realities of life. Wisdom is knowing how things truly work and why things happen, and then knowing what to do about it.
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Psalm 119:105 — Your Word is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path.
Joshua 1:8 — Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Proverbs 9:10 — The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 11:2 — When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
James 3:17 — The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Ephesians 5:15-16 — Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
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Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that we might be grounded and settled in your truth. What we do not know, reveal to us; what is lacking in us, make complete; that which we do know, confirm in us; and keep us blameless in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–Clement of Rome (first century, A. D.)
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