CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WISDOM: THE PRINCIPAL THING
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)
Nothing sets a man back than ignorance. It keeps one under. It makes mediocre out of many people. Indeed it is the sting of all setbacks. So many are gifted but foolish; so, they know not the right manner to utilize their giftings or the yields of them.
In Proverbs 4:7, we are told that “wisdom is the principal thing…” That is, wisdom is the main thing. The word principal means the first in rank, the chief factor or the leading thing. So wisdom is the leading weapon you will need to carry along with you if you want to fulfill purpose. To despise wisdom is to despise destiny. To embrace wisdom is to embrace fulfillment.
Wisdom is what gives you an edge over others in the journey of life. Wisdom is what puts you ahead. Wise men are never found beneath. You can work your way to the top through wisdom. Folly, which is the opposite of wisdom, is the sting of failure; for “…a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). To lack wisdom is to leave your future to mare fate and without any assurances.
You may not have connections and you’re probably not from a rich family. But you can acquire through wisdom what you haven’t been able to acquire through your bloodline or connections. Most of the well-established and accomplished fellows around the world today had to work their way right from zero level to the very top; and the last time I checked, wisdom was a vital tool for many of them.
Wise people are never stranded. Doors never close on them. There’s always a way out because wisdom is creative in its nature. Therefore, those that possess wisdom are very creative and can always make something out of nothing. The cause of confusion is the lack of wisdom. Wise people always know what to do. They know when to take a major step, when to hold back, when to walk away, when to act, etc. Wisdom empowers your discretion for sound decisions that will lunch you into an enviable future.
Wisdom is the difference between the successful and the failure. With wisdom, success is guaranteed. But give success to a foolish man and watch how he will soon run it down. Wisdom is what sustains destiny. Take it out and destiny is in shambles.
GET WISDOM!
The Bible instructs is in Proverbs 4:5; to get Wisdom! That means you can consciously go get it. You can deliberately crave to acquire wisdom. It is something you can work toward and below are some ways to acquire wisdom.
Generated by Information
The difference between the wise and the foolish is information. My mentor said “Information is the genesis of transformation and the escape from deformation”.
Wisdom is the acquisition and correct application of information. Knowledge is the blanket of wise men. Take out knowledge and what you have left is foolishness. Wisdom is the right use of acquired knowledge.
If wisdom works by information, then you can deliberately go get it. That’s why the Bible instructs; Get Wisdom! That means you can deliberately crave to possess wisdom by consistent search, acquisition and application of information.
Ignorance is the snare of a failure. If you want to fulfill your dreams in certain areas of life, then you must get informed about what to do, what steps to take, who to meet, who not to meet, where to go, where not to go, when to start, when to stop, etc. You must learn about where you are going before you take off. That’s the only way to escape being a casualty of destiny.
You can increase in wisdom by expanding your bank of knowledge (Luke 2:52). Wisdom is a product of finding (Proverbs 8:25), that is, your desire to know more. Those who don’t read can never increase in wisdom. Similarly, those who don’t learn can never achieve any form of transformation.
Ask For It
A very remarkable verse of scripture is found in James 1:5. It says “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask…”That means you can ask for wisdom. And who are you going to ask from? “…let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally…” So God is the possessor of all wisdom and we are instructed by the Bible to ask from God who according to that verse is a liberal giver.
Therefore, it goes beyond your quest for knowledge, you must also acknowledge the source of all wisdom which is God. Salvation gives you access to the place where all wisdom is found but it is only through asking that you can possess it.
Scientists have tried to find out how God created the world including everything in it. They have also studied the entire universe. The truth however is that science has not been able to give a detailed explanation as to the ultimate source of all creation, and this is the reason; the wisdom of God which initiated creation is unsearchable! (Romans 11:33). That is, it is unexplainable. Therefore, when you ask God for wisdom, He gives you a mental endowment that becomes too much for other people to explain. You become a star as a result of that.
Money cannot generate wisdom but wisdom can generate money. Wisdom is not a product of gold but can produce gold. The Bible says “the merchandise of wisdom is better than that of silver, and its gain than that of gold” (Proverbs 3:14). Therefore, wisdom is more valuable than silver and gold and you can access the wealth and riches lying in posterity only through wisdom.
It Comes by Inspiration
You can be intelligent and fail, but you cannot be inspired and fail. The reason is this; inspiration is the source of understanding. Inspiration births understanding and understanding empowers your efforts in your quest to achieve greatness.
Job 32:8 tells us “but there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding”. The inspiration we are talking about here comes from God, -the Almighty. I’m not talking about being motivated. I’m talking about being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Inspiration is when the Holy Spirit takes over your mortal mind and transforms it into a super machine that can dissect issues, analyze situations, proffer solutions to life’s problems and make a star out of any man. Inspiration is the movement of the Holy Spirit in the mental faculty of man. Inspiration is cooperating with the Holy Spirit to make major decisions in your life. Therefore, inspired men are men of great understanding.
The Holy Spirit is the source of real understanding. When He comes into your life, He makes you of quick understanding (Isaiah 11:3). That is, He quickens, sharpens and empowers your mind for exploits.
Many people seek inspiration from friends, relatives, colleagues, events, etc. but real inspiration can only come to us from the Holy Spirit. It’s much better to be spirited than just being motivated. Motivated people may fail when the source of motivation stops. But inspired people never fail because the source of inspiration, which is the Holy Spirit, never stops. Hallelujah!
In summary, wisdom is the principal thing, therefore, get wisdom! And above all, crave to have understanding because it is what empowers your bank of knowledge to produce results for you when applied. Also, seek earnestly for inspiration; not from friends, not from families, but from the prime source of it, the Holy Spirit.
It Works by Understanding
While wisdom means knowing what to do, understanding means knowing how to do it. Another incredible verse of scripture is found in Proverbs 14:33. It says “Wisdom rests in the heart of him that has understanding”. That is, understanding is what helps you to process the knowledge or information you have acquired in your quest for wisdom. If wisdom rests in the hearts of those that have understanding, then understanding is what determines the level of your wisdom. Understanding is the processor of wisdom.
Wisdom like I said is the correct application of acquired knowledge, but then understanding is crucial because it is what helps you to grasp thoroughly and put into proper use the information you have gathered. Therefore, wise men are defined according to Proverbs 14:33, by the level of their understanding.
The Bible says in Proverbs 8:5, “O ye simple, understand wisdom”. Therefore, wisdom is meant to be understood. In Proverbs 4:7 which is our prime text for this chapter, the Bible says in the second part of it; “in all your getting, get understanding”. That is, you must pant after understanding as one choking and searching for air.
Jesus states clearly in Matthew 13:23 that anyone who lacks understanding cannot amount to anything in life. In His words however, those that have understanding will bear fruits; some hindered fold, some sixty and some thirty.
Many people are frustrated in life because they don’t know how to approach the issues that confront them in different stages of their lives. Some know what to do but they don’t know how to do it. Wisdom means knowing what. Understanding means knowing how.