The Gift of Wisdom

By Troy Pomeroy

Wisdom and intelligence are often confused. They are related and yet different. Put simply, intelligence is “mental horsepower”, or how “smart” we are. Wisdom is knowing what to do with the intelligence we possess.

Intelligence can be developed and increased. We are all born with varying degrees of raw mental ability. From there, we can work hard to stimulate our brains and memorize more facts, learn new concepts, or explore new ideas. Our couture is actually fascinated with this, as evidenced by the popularity of television game shows and board games testing trivial knowledge.

Wisdom comes differently, though it too is increased in our lives. Wisdom comes either from experience or as a gift from God. The most intelligent people can lack wisdom because they haven’t yet had enough experiences in life that use their intellectual skills in making decisions. On the other hand, less intelligent people may acquire great wisdom, as they have learned over time to use their skills and abilities to make careful decisions.

There is no teacher like experience. The people most of us consider wise usually include our parents and grandparents, and our elders in general. That’s because they have more experience in life’s trials and have discovered what works during those trials and what doesn’t. That’s not to say that just because someone is older they are also wise. We probably all know people older than ourselves that are foolish or display little wisdom. Likewise we sometimes come across a younger person who seems to possess great wisdom.

Regardless of age, wisdom is knowing what to do in a given situation. Two people may have the same facts set before them and make very different decisions given those facts. Usually one choice will be more beneficial than the other.

Take the wise men of the Christmas story, for example. They weren’t wise because they knew a lot (though they did). Many people studied the stars. Still more had studied Messianic prophecy. What made the wise men wise was their decision to follow the star to find the Christ-child. The journey was long and presumably difficult. But they used all their skills and chose to press on. They kept their eye on the prize. In the end, they received a great reward, being in the presence of Jesus.

The wise men also used wisdom in “getting out of Dodge.” They received word from the LORD to leave and not lead King Herod to the Christ-child. They chose to heed the voice of God and obey God. That’s wisdom! After all, the fear (holy respect) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 15:33, Proverbs 1:7, and Job 28:28 for starters).

All of us hear God’s call at some point. We are directed toward Him and His nature is revealed to us. We all possess enough intelligence to understand the choice He asks us to make. Wisdom kicks in when we choose to follow Him. From that point on, we will be continually faced with choices that allow us to use wisdom. If we do, God is honored and we are blessed. There is always a reward when we keep our eye on the prize.

The really good news is that wisdom is also a gift that God desires for us. In ourselves, we may not feel like we have enough wisdom. But He promises that wisdom is available for all who seek it: "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." James 1:5

The question remains: Are we wise enough to ask for it?

Troy Pomeroy writes from Eagle Point, Oregon 97524 pastortroy@epacenter.com