Stumbling, Standing, Seeking; The Pursuit of True Wisdom

 Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

Okay, that was not his most relevant nor most repeated piece of wisdom. But it is true.

I have reached the stage of life where I am purported to have gained a certain level of wisdom. After all, I have walked this earth for enough years to have 'seen a thing or two,' as the fellow in the insurance commercial puts it so eloquently. Life has taken me through some lessons, many of which I passed, many of which I had to retake. Both options taught me things that gave me a perspective I may not have had previously. That, my friend, is one way in which wisdom is gained. We call it life experience.

There is another way. It is a bit less painful than the personal lesson method. It comes from listening to those who took the above-cited course, and is simply learning from others' mistakes. 

I have always loved to cook. Baking or cooking, I have enjoyed working in the kitchen since I was in junior high school. I learned to bake and cook starting in Home Ec, (a dinosaur my grandchildren have no knowledge of) and continued to be self-taught throughout my married life. I discovered cooking shows, bought DVDs, and even attended a cooking class. Throughout all of that, some of my best lessons were mistakes, dare I say disasters, I had in my own kitchen. I have spent time in the kitchen with several of my grandchildren, and have had the opportunity to mentor and teach young moms in outreach ministry at our church. Many times I relayed my errors to both groups. I have said, "You will learn the most from mistakes. It is always easier to learn from someone else's mistakes than from your own." 

When it is just cooking, no big deal. But when the issues are your marriage, or raising your children, or your financial future; the stakes are so much higher. In these times we desperately need to have a source of wisdom to go to, someone who has been there. A person who has gained the perspective and stands on the other side, a voice guiding us through the minefield; helping us to avoid those costly mistakes. What a treasure that person can be in your life.

The ultimate source of wisdom, however, is not our own life experience, nor the wisdom of others. 

Proverbs 2: 1-6

My son, if you receive my words and  treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

True wisdom, wisdom that will gain us understanding, knowledge and insight, comes only from God. It comes from being in His word, and from being in His presence.

I particularly like where the psalmist says to seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures. A person I know had his father pass away. His stepmother still lived in their home. Her daughter warned the siblings that when the time came, not to get rid of any of the hundreds of books in the house without thumbing through them when the time came. Their parents had stashed both cash and savings bonds in them. She had already found several thousand dollars of savings bonds, and there was sure to be many thousands of dollars more. You can bet that there will be a very thorough search one day through all of those books.

That is how God wants us to seek wisdom. Constantly and diligently. As if it were of great value.

Because it is. Without it we are stumbling in the dark, with just our limited sight. Often, in this case, we will stand still, out of fear of taking the wrong step. For me, standing still can sometimes be just as bad as taking the wrong step. As I have stood, indecisive, I have remembered my grandmother saying, "Oh for pity's sake, do SOMETHING, even if it's wrong." That memory has compelled me more than once to just step forward, hoping and praying, seeking the wisdom of God. (It's why you are reading my blog today.)

Where in your life are you in the most need of wisdom? Do you have a mentor, or support, to offer you experiential wisdom?