Wouldn't it be great if you could enroll in a college course numbered Wisdom 316? Some claim that age brings wisdom, but age sometimes travels alone. And if wisdom does come with old age, it's too late to do us much good! A course to teach wisdom? Hardly possible. You can buy an education, but wisdom is a gift from God.
Some define wisdom as knowledge at work. Others claim wisdom is learning from our foolishness. The writer of Proverbs has his own definition of wisdom. He says that trust in God is wisdom (Prov 3:5). In Proverbs 3:5, he also advises those who want to be wise not to "lean on their own understanding." He seems to warn that our own life experiences can be misleading or useless.
Life may teach us to keep quiet, save our money, and otherwise look out for Number 1. Keeping quiet is fine when we have nothing good to say, but wise Christians just can't be mute when it comes to sharing the Gospel. It's not always the popular thing to do, and some will think it unwise, but we can trust God's wisdom in His command for us to proclaim His Word.
Saving or investing money is a wise way to approach retirement, but spending some of that money on God's work is an even wiser practice. After all, there is no mandatory retirement age for Him, and His work needs to proceed. Spending money on God's work requires the trust Solomon wrote about, too. Did it ever strike you that he was exceedingly rich even though he spent fortunes for God's work?
Looking out for Number 1 is a wise thought too. As long as we remember who Number 1 is! True wisdom comes with recognizing God as Number 1 in our life and trusting Him more than we trust ourselves. He provides plenty of guidance in His Word and through His Spirit. We're wise when we trust Him. If we don't, we're "otherwise."
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