Christian Living

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The Wisdom Test
By Dan Langerock

What is wisdom? Where do you find it? Do I want wisdom in my life? These are all questions we must ask ourselves as we traverse the situations of life. How you answer them will help determine the quality of your existence.

What is wisdom?

Each person has an accumulation of experiences in their lives. What we have learned from each one adds to the wisdom we possess. If you choose not to learn from the mistakes you have made, the old adage says you must repeat them.

One way you can show wisdom in relationships is to think before you blame someone else for what happens. Don't be so eager to point the finger of blame, but be introspective and see what part you had in what transpired. Maturity is hinged on accepting responsibility for our own actions, right or wrong.

Use your intelligence to analyze what happened to you, then derive from that a new course of action for the future. When the astronauts are going to the moon in a shuttle, their instruments tell them when they are off-course. They make the necessary adjustments and get to their destination as planned. Life has many bumps that can make you go a different direction than you envisioned. Learn from what you have experienced, and use it for your benefit and others.

Where do I find wisdom?

Have you ever known someone who asked complete strangers for advice? I have! The better way is to find those who care about you, friends or relatives, and select a couple you can trust to give you the right advice when it is needed. Don't just unload on people but value them for who they are, your confidants.

Those who live what they believe are the ones you should be looking for. If you are looking for spiritual advice, this same requirement applies. Try to avoid "hanging on" the person you are using and smothering them with your problems. Ask for advice when it is really essential, but learn to think for yourself as you go along as well. Take that wisdom you have received and apply it so you can grow more as a person instead of just being a "sponge".

Make sure the person you choose has your best interest at heart. You would not go to an enemy for advice that would benefit you. Watch the lifestyle of the ones you choose and see if they encourage you on a consistent basis. Are they practicing what you need in your life? If not, look elsewhere.

God promises that when we ask for wisdom, He will not get mad at us. He loves to help us and be asked when we are facing a difficulty we cannot handle. Just as a parent loves it when a child comes to them with a question they can help with, God also is waiting for us to come to him when the answers of life elude us.

Do you want wisdom?

When you seek wisdom, a responsibility comes with it. Some people ask and ask but never carry out what they are told. It is like a "professional student" going to college all his life but never doing anything constructive with what he has learned. Are you planning to really use the wisdom you have acquired, or are you just collecting it because you are bored and have nothing better to do? Why waste your time and someone else's by not using the wisdom that is offered? What's the point!

Still other people keep asking because they have not heard what they are seeking to hear yet. They want someone to give them advice that agrees with what they want to do already. Why not just go ahead and do what you thought about instead of wasting all this time asking? You know what answer you wanted in the first place. If this is your attitude, you will not gain wisdom from life. You will just keep using people until they are worn out, and then you will wonder why you have few friends.

Wisdom is a worthwhile objective in life, but you must ask these questions of yourself first to get the right answers. Value the people in your life who are trying to help you by your standards. However, if you use them up and throw them away like so much rubbish, you will become a lonely, disgruntled person. Look for ways to help others as you have been helped. The Bible talks about comforting others with the comfort you have received. When you do this unselfishly, your life will be rewarding with many who value knowing you.

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