This topic is adapted from the PursueGOD Sermonlink YouTube channel. This is part 2 of 5 in the What If? sermonlink series. See also the kids edition of this lesson, or go to our Proverb a Day reading plan on YouTube.
Most important aspects of life require a good plan to experience success. Whether it’s our health, retirement, education, or career, having an intentional plan will always yield better results than simply winging it. The Book of Proverbs tells us that the most important pursuit in our life is God and his wisdom, and it gives us an intentional plan for acquiring wisdom.
Information Does Not Mean Wisdom
Wisdom is far more than gaining knowledge – mere facts, figures and data. This may be helpful, but it is possible to know lots of facts and still live unwisely. Wisdom is the skill of actually living with God’s perspective in mind. This sort of wisdom can only come from God himself.
Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom.
The only way to really find wisdom is to be deeply connected to the source of wisdom, namely God. That is why it’s important not to just seek some handy steps in a plan, but to seek God himself. Here are some key attributes to seek if you want to truly discover God and his wisdom.
Wise People Remember God’s Love and Faithfulness
Proverbs reminds us that if we want to really live in wisdom, we must repeatedly focus on God’s continuous love and faithfulness to us rather than just getting caught up in the business of life.
Proverbs 3:3 (NIV) Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
God’s love for us is a loyal, committed, unchanging, unshakable love. The more we ground ourselves in this faithful love, the less likely it will be that we are undone or derailed by life’s challenges. We bind this love of God around our neck by continually communing with him in prayer, worship, reading of the Bible and intentionally helping other people pursue God. As we do these things, his love becomes increasingly imprinted on our hearts to keep us on track.
Wise People Are Extremely Aware of Their Potential for Foolishness
We all have a tendency to put more confidence than we ought in our own understanding about life. Yet the Bible warns us about how easily we can be deceived by ourselves and others.
Proverbs 3:5, 7 (NIV) … Lean not on your own understanding. Do not be wise in your own eyes…
Rather than fall into the trap of our own self-deception, it’s important that we turn our eyes to God. This involves an active choice to not simply trust our own understanding. Being wise is being in touch with reality, which means you understand who you are and who you are not. Wise people are honest about their limitations, shortcomings, vulnerabilities, temptation points, weaknesses and sins. They are extremely aware of their potential for foolishness, which keeps them continually turned toward God.
[Related: Biblical Knowledge Doesn’t Equal Spiritual Maturity]
Wise People Acknowledge Their Deep Need for Relationship
The pursuit of wisdom was never meant to be a solo journey – it should always be done in community.
Proverbs 15:22 (ESV) Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Many times and in many ways, Proverbs encourages us to seek out the counsel and guidance of others. This has a powerful way of leading us toward wise living. We need friends, mentors, disciplers, spiritual counselors, and family members to help you grow to your full potential in wisdom. That’s why mentoring relationships, small groups, and parents mentoring their kids are all so important.
[Related: God’s Invitation to Intimacy]
Wise People Are Intentionally Focused on Growing Spiritually
If you want to be wise then you’ve got to be continually and intentionally focused on growing spiritually.
Proverbs 3:1-2 My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.
A wise person doesn’t choose to forget God’s teaching, but that can so easily happen when we stop hearing, reading, studying and memorizing God’s Word. We will never become wise if we neglect that active, intentional, ongoing cultivation of our personal relationship with God. Remember that wisdom only comes as we’re connected to the source of wisdom, who is God.
The encouraging news is that God loves to make his wisdom available to his children. But if we’re going to truly walk in his wisdom, we have to continually embrace these four key ideas.
[Related: You Can’t Benefit From the Truth Unless You Apply It]
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Share an example of a plan in your life that just didn’t work out. What made it fall apart? Now share a plan that worked better than you hoped. Why did it go so well?
- What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Give an example of a situation where someone may have a lot of knowledge, but isn’t wise.
- Read Proverbs 3:3. Why do you think God needs to encourage us so strongly to remember his faithfulness? Why is it so easily forgotten?
- What makes God’s love for us so unique compared to other examples of love around us?
- What is your attitude toward God when you remember his love and faithfulness?
- Read Proverbs 3:5-7. Describe a time when you were convinced you were right, but turned out to be wrong.
- What are some of the dangerous consequences when we think too highly of our own understanding?
- Proverbs 15:22. What are some practical ways to surround yourself with wise counselors?
- Read Proverbs 3:1-2. Put the promise of this verse into your own words.
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
