This is the first in a series of five articles I wrote for our local newspaper. I have been a columnist for over 25 years and write a weekly inspirational column.

Welcome to 2022! Did you know that the ball drop at midnight on New Year’s Eve in Times Square this year was called “The Gift of Wisdom”? New York City’s 6 ton crystal ball was right on schedule for the brave folks that attended in person as well as those watching on line. I think most everyone was breathing a sigh of relief that 2021 was finally over and we can start fresh with a new year hopefully with the kind of wisdom that will move us and our country back in the right direction.

However, the definition of foolish is to keep doing and thinking the same way and expecting different results. That will be the fate of many people instead. Why? Not everyone seeks after the right kind of wisdom.

There is a wisdom that James talks about that is not going to bring good results. James 3:14-16 describes this kind of “wisdom”. “If you have bitter envy (jealousy) and self-seeking (competition) in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. For this wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” James goes on to describe wisdom that is “from above” as “pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17) Certainly we need the gift of the kind of wisdom that comes from God (above).

The book of Proverbs is called the book of Wisdom for a reason. It is full of advice on wisdom in every single chapter – what it is, how to obtain it and the results you can expect from seeking after this kind of wisdom. I am going through the book of Proverbs again, a chapter a day (one chapter for the day of the month) looking for fresh insights. As I have stated in the past, I have read these proverbs many, many times, but reading them is not enough. They have to be acted upon. They contain words to live by, words that will cause us to prosper in every area of our life as we apply the principles stated in those 31 chapters. Wisdom is defined as applied knowledge. It is not intellectual pursuit but a living understanding that produces good results.

Did you know that you can grow in wisdom? James 1 says to ask God for wisdom and He will give it – liberally! That means abundant, more than enough, overflowing. This is a life-long pursuit. We don’t ever “arrive”. Solomon, who wrote these wise sayings and was considered the wisest man to live (Other than Jesus), was a failure at the end of his life because he did not apply some of the very words and principles he wrote about to his own life. His many wives and concubines caused him to follow other gods and make many mistakes that would not have been a temptation or a problem if he had wholly followed the Lord God Jehovah that gave him that wisdom to begin with.

Just a word of wisdom for you – look at every verse that mentions a “fool”. See if they apply to you because “know it all’s” will not gain wisdom. If you can’t receive correction, you cannot become wise. In fact, the better you can receive correction, the wiser you can become. Be humble and easy to receive instruction.

Solomon was also the wealthiest man on the planet – he would be considered a trillionaire by today’s standards. Wisdom attracts wealth. But it is more valuable than gold or silver or rubies according to several different verses in the proverbs. When you value wisdom you are promised long life, wealth, promotion, wholeness and untold blessings. (Proverbs 3:16-18) We are also promised sleep, rest, glory and honor when we follow after wisdom. (Proverbs 3:23-26)

Maybe you feel like it is too late – that you have already messed your life up too badly for things to turn around and for the above promises become a reality in your life. According to Proverbs 4 there are two roads you can travel down each day. So that means you can have a “reset” if you mess things up today. Tomorrow you can choose the road or highway of light. Sometimes our greatest failures can actually qualify us to begin to demonstrate and move towards the opposite. That sure has been true in my case! When you learn from your mistakes and failures, you are not likely to repeat them.

Several quotes that I think are appropriate here and will give you something to ponder this week: “Wisdom is a gift from God – it is the master key to open up every door. It will accelerate you towards your destiny.” “If we had more wisdom, we would need fewer miracles!” (Example: eating and exercising properly would cause you to live a healthier lifestyle without sickness and disease caused by abusing or neglecting your body).

“The person of Jesus, who is Wisdom, prepares you for salvation; the principles of Jesus prepare you to have success and victory now.” We need Him for every aspect of our life. I want to challenge you to get to know Wisdom just like you get to know another person. Interact with Him through His Word. His Word can be read for information, it can be meditated on (feeding/nourishing) for inspiration, but then it needs to be put into action. One of the ways to do that is by personalizing the verses and declaring them over yourself (out-loud). The more time you spend doing that, the more the Word comes alive to you and actually begins to change you – the way you think and act. What better time to begin than at the beginning of a brand new year!

PART TWO

I am continuing to read and meditate on the Proverbs this month. I just saw a notebook that a friend of mine compiled a few years ago from his study of the book of Proverbs and it is almost 400 pages of understanding and insights! I have written out my insights from my own studies in times past and it was not anywhere close to the thoroughness that he did! He is the most successful and prosperous person that I know personally. He has a wonderful family that also lives by these principles and all have prospered.

I have already written (last week) about how much the book has to say about Wisdom but there are so many other insights that are written about more than once in those 31 chapters. For instance, the opposite – foolishness or being a fool is mentioned 15 times, wicked people are mentioned 22 times and strife is mentioned 13 times. Along with the warnings for being foolish and wicked are many other verses about the Fear of God (12 times), prudence (9 times), wealth (12 times) and family life (13 times). That is why the book starts out with, “Here are kingdom revelations, words to live by, and words of wisdom to empower you to reign in life…” Verse 2 goes on to say, “Within these sayings will be found the revelation of wisdom and the impartation of spiritual understanding. Use them as keys to unlock the treasures of true knowledge.”

I have been indirectly mentored by many amazing men and women of God – not one on one but through their writings and teachings that they have applied to their own lives. Every one of them has a story to tell about how they got to have the great influence that they demonstrate and teach. Without exception, the book of Proverbs has played an important role – they not only read and understood the content, but applied it to their own lives and ministry. You will find that many great leaders who are not believers follow many of the principles outlined in the scriptures but do not give God the glory or credit. Nevertheless they are prospering – because the principles work for anyone who will apply them.

Those of you that have children can help them to find their calling and destiny by teaching them from this book. Verse 4 (chapter one) says, “These proverbs will give you great skill to teach the immature and make them wise, to give youth the understanding of their design and destiny.” I would imagine everyone who has a child or children want them to succeed and prosper, to excel even past what you have been able to accomplish thus far. A daily dose of wisdom from the book of Proverbs can certainly help them, especially in their young and formative years. If they pay heed to what you are teaching them, they will never be called a fool and if they act foolishly, their heart will instruct them and get them back on track very quickly. “Pay close attention, my child, to your father’s wise words and never forget your mother’s instructions. For their insights will bring you success, adorning you with grace-filled thoughts and giving you reins to guide your decisions.” (Proverbs 1:8-9) You can grow in wisdom!

Someone stated that James is the New Testament book of proverbs! I would agree. The Passion Translation calls it a “wisdom letter” - practical truths that can be applied to our life. I quoted from chapter three last week differentiating between the wisdom from above contrasted with the wisdom from below. James chapter one begins by exhorting the reader to seek to be wise, to ask God for wisdom. He says plainly, when you do, God will give it to you! I have prayed the prayer Paul gives us in Ephesians 1:16-19 (NKJV) for many years. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you (me) the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your (my) understanding being enlightened, that you (I) may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…”

The scriptures not only describe the spiritual aspects of our lives but have many practical applications that when applied to our lives will insure that we are able to live to our fullest potential while here on this earth. If the Kingdom of God is described as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, doesn’t that describe the kind of life you would like to manifest? It is not only possible and it is not the exception but it is available to every single believer. I can personally testify to the truth of that declaration which is the result of seeking first His Kingdom. Even with the challenges of life, and I have had a few in the last few years, I can honestly say that I have stayed in peace with the joy of the Lord manifesting most of the time. Whenever I lose the peace or the joy, it is usually because I have moved out of that place of righteousness. If it is sin, I am very quick to repent. If it is buying into a lie about who I am, then I also as soon as I recognize it, stop and adjust my thinking and my confession. It should not take us long to be restored into right relationship once we understand who we are.

The health of the church overall here in America is not very good. Certainly the last two years has challenged most of us in ways we were not expecting and maybe not prepared for. However most of us have had that time to reflect on our true state because we had a lot less to distract us, if we chose to use our time wisely. Are you prepared or are you preparing for the season ahead? None of us know for sure what that could look like. I think I have heard more ideas about what could be than I can even process, but I personally have just been pressing into my relationship with the Lord, knowing that no matter what happens this year in our world and to me in particular, my trust and my faith need to be strongly anchored in the Lord. As you take some time to read through the book of Proverbs, ask the Lord to speak to you personally. He wants to make your path forward plain and His wisdom will help you navigate through all of the possible scenarios. “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, growing brighter and brighter until the noonday.”

PART THREE

“Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though is cost you all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:5-7 The Passion Translation states these verses – “So make wisdom your quest – search for the revelation of life’s meaning. Don’t let what I say go in one ear and out the other. Stick with wisdom and she will stick with you, protecting you throughout your days. She will rescue all those who passionately listen to her voice. Wisdom is the most valuable commodity – so buy it! Revelation knowledge is what you need – so invest in it!” The chapter goes on to encourage us to pursue wisdom and understanding so that we can live our lives to the fullest.

Wisdom is for reigning in life! It is becoming a disciple of one of the most comprehensive teachers or mentors that the Lord has made available to each one of us. The word in the Hebrew for Proverb is maskil and it means to rule, to take dominion and authority. The Lord has provided what the Amplified Bible calls understanding – spiritual discernment, mature comprehension and logical interpretation of life through becoming a disciple of Wisdom.

Wisdom is greater than knowledge. We can learn things through study and observation but without the ability to unlock that knowledge properly it becomes a tool that can be used for good or evil. Knowledge “puffs up” (makes one proud) so we need the ability to apply the knowledge properly. That is where wisdom and understanding become invaluable for a life to be fully able to unlock the potential that the Lord has placed inside each one of us.

I have recently “retired” or sold my last business venture and took about six months to just wait upon the Lord for further instructions. Because I am healthy and have what I need to live comfortably, it would be easy to just enjoy the remainder of my years doing what I want. However, as a believer, I do not believe “retirement” means becoming a “couch potato” or no longer engaged with helping others reach their potential. I am forever grateful for one of my local heroes who came to me in 2014 (I think) and challenged me to start to write a book. She had been reading my newspaper articles and felt like I had a book to write. She was in her late eighties/early nineties at the time and had never quit looking for opportunities to help others reach their potential. Her keen intellect and desire to make a difference continues to inspire me. (Dr. Neil is 97 now and still active – amazing. Thank you, dear friend.) I have now written four books and helped several other people write their book. Last year I started “ghost writing” for a friend. I took one of his books and wrote a simplified version which has been translated into three languages with several more in the works! It has a profound message that needs to be read and understood by all of humanity – Who Am I? When we know who we are we can then take the necessary steps to make our lives count.

One of the keys to growing in wisdom is obedience, particularly obedience to the Lord and to His written Word. There are words of wisdom in every book of the Bible that can be applied personally at some point in one’s life. That is why I encourage everyone to become a life-long student of the Word. Just the book of Proverbs has a treasure chest of wisdom on how to live life. Obedience to truth should be a joyful thing, not a burdensome thing where you stay in guilt and condemnation or fear. There is not one thing in scripture that is meant to restrict you or harm you. Fences or boundaries are there for a reason and if the scripture says “thou shalt not” there is good reason for that statement. When we really come to know the Author of the Book we will realize that all He has said is meant for our good and the good of humanity. Here is a quote from a man I highly respect. “You are currently moving (or growing) at the rate of your obedience.” That gives me the incentive to want to walk in obedience in any area that I may still be struggling with. I don’t know about you, but I still have lots of room to grow so that means there could be some opportunities or challenges ahead to choose disobedience rather than obedience. My opinions and desires should be submitted to the truth and principles of God’s Word. Confusion and even deception happens because we do not have a love for truth. Truth is not relative – He is a person. Jesus said He was Truth and He is also the living Word and the author of our written Word. The contradiction and confusion comes with the interpretation by humans that are less than perfect! You can “prove” most anything by taking scripture out of context. You can also have lack of clarity because of beliefs that have been a part of your life that would not line up with the truth. We probably all have a few areas that need the spotlight of Hoy Spirit to shine – areas that have caused us to believe lies because of our worldview where it deviates from a biblical worldview.

Some things are black and white in the Word and our conscience (unless it is seared) would convict us when we act or think differently. For instance, the scripture plainly states that you should not commit murder (or adultery or steal, etc.) and most of us just know intuitively that is wrong. And yet some forms of murder are not only acceptable today but have been made lawful. Why? Because we do not have a full revelation of the goodness and love of our God for all of humanity. Every single life is precious to Him and when we become more like Him we will begin to think and act more like Him.

Let us pray for the Lord to help us pursue wisdom diligently. I am on a treasure hunt this year for nuggets of Wisdom which are more valuable than gold. I am full of expectation that He will help me find and fill up that treasure chest with insights and understanding for living my life as fully as He has already planned for me. I want to have an abundance so that I can share it with others who have yet to discover just how valuable His wisdom is. Our Father is generous and wants us to find those treasures – to benefit ourselves and all of humanity.

PART FOUR

Here we are almost at the end of the first month of 2022. Many are still struggling with the trauma of 2020-2021 but at some point each of us need to move on with our lives. That will most definitely look different for each one of us and will depend upon numerous factors. However if you have been following my articles this month, the one thing that I have been saying is that God’s wisdom, found in His Word, is one of the tools each of us has available to us to help us navigate this new year with the best possible outcomes.

I was listening to a New York Times best-selling author who is a believer. He speaks and trains Fortune 500 companies amongst other things. He started a personal challenge to write out five or six verses of the book of Proverbs each morning for his devotional time with the Lord, writing his own personal insights by the verses that really spoke to him. I have done something similar in the past. However, I have noticed how quickly I can forget the details of the insights I have received. Yes, I remember many general topics and principles, but these must be applied personally to our daily lives to really do any good.

I deviated from being diligent to follow what Proverbs was instructing me to do business-wise a number of years ago and it really set me back significantly from where I think the Lord wanted me to go. Hindsight is usually 20/20 and as I have read through the Proverbs in the last few years, I identified some of the areas where I had not followed Wisdom’s advice. Being a somewhat head-strong type A personality, my tendency was to jump ahead of the Lord, ignoring some of the basic wisdom I should have followed. My vision was good, my motives may even have been pure, but my lack of patience and impetuousness caused me to become presumptuous and make some strategic mistakes. I made a decision this year to slow down and learn how to wait on the Lord better than I have in the past.

As I have gone through the book of Proverbs this past month I have and am gaining much fresh insight as well as some direction for the next phase of my life. Although I don’t have the whole picture or many of the details, things are beginning to become clearer. I will give you one personal example from my own life. As I shared last week, I have been writing for a number of years now and have published a few books. The journey has continued as I have been able to help a few others along the way. I have never taken a course on writing but several years ago one of the ministries I highly respect offered a writers course. They have offered it every year for a number of years now and every year I would think I ought to sign up for it. Then life would get busy and I justified the costliness, the time (a trip to a different state for 4-5 days) and lack of real motivation to become a better writer. After a recent statement by another person I have come to respect, I knew that it was time to quit justifying and begin to press into an opportunity to become more excellent in something the Lord has blessed and gifted me with. So I did sign up, paid the fee and have put the time into my schedule. I expect to come back better equipped to not only write my next book but also to be better able to help others become more effective with their writing skills.

Is there an area of your life that you could identify as something the Lord has gifted you in or that you have a passion for? Could that area be improved upon? Could there be opportunities in the future to be a blessing to others as a result of you using and perhaps sharpening that skill or passion? These are the questions I asked myself at the end of last year in preparation for this year. I identified three areas that I wanted to pursue with writing being one of them.

Some people are so gifted that they may not see the need for further education or training, however many of the successful people I personally know have made it a habit to continue to become more excellent in the areas they are already skilled in or passionate about. The scripture that stuck out to me concerning this was part of my daily reading in Proverbs this month. Proverbs 22:29 NKJV contains an amazing statement for those who are gifted in an area of their lives. “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” The Passion Translation says it this way: “If you are uniquely gifted in your work, you will rise and be promoted. You won’t be held back – you’ll stand before kings!”

Does that mean you have to be the best in the world or nation? I don’t think so. I think just being able to increase your sphere of influence or your level of impact in whatever level you are at currently can come through applying yourself diligently to learning more about that area that you are gifted in and enjoy. For me, it is more about finding ways to bless others whether it is through weekly articles in my local newspaper or a book that will help others to become more like the Lord.

We have far too many negative influences we are exposed to every day – through family, peers, news media just to name a few. I want to be a positive influence whether it be feeding and clothing the poor here and abroad or finding a solution for someone to be healed from the toxic thinking they have “bought into”. All of us, me included, can be a blessing to others by improving areas in our own lives. Or we can continue to live for ourselves and selfishly ignore the tragic condition of humanity.

God offers us Wisdom from His word to help us be someone who represents His heart. If the Lord is speaking to you today about what you might be able to do, just listen, respond and obey Him.

PART FIVE:

I have been debating all week – do I continue to share more on Wisdom or move to another topic? I have plenty of other topics that are on my radar right now but I think we are going to need all of the wisdom we can get to navigate through this year so let me bring out a few more “wisdom nuggets” for you to ponder this week.

We are in unusual times where “knowledge” is bombarding our minds from many different sources, some of which may have appeared legitimate but then you find out one or more were not. Or maybe you still believe that the sources you have trusted in the past are giving you accurate information. Stay alert because there is so much misinformation available to anyone who has a smart phone or a computer, let alone all of the other sources like word of mouth which may or may not be accurate. I have passed on what appeared to be legitimate information only to find out it was not. It is not only embarrassing but could have a negative ripple effect if those you shared with continue to share that information because they trusted you. You can lose your voice and possibly harm others by passing on false information.

Wisdom is knowledge that can be applied to your life to produce positive results. It is not just knowledge for the sake of knowing something. Libraries are full of every imaginable topic. The internet has millions of pieces of information but to make it beneficial to you it must be applied. A third step in that process is called understanding where you can take that knowledge that you applied to yourself and begin to help others. It gives me and I think the Lord great pleasure when something I have learned and applied can then be used to bless others.

Applied knowledge can be on a very practical level. I am not a trained plumber and the few experiences I have had trying to unstop a drain or fix something is not something I would want to do for a living. So I use wisdom and hire someone who is trained and experienced at repairing a plumbing problem. They have the experience and know how to accomplish the task that needs to be addressed. All of us should want to find trustworthy people in every area who will do what they say they can do.

I have had several opportunities this week to use some of my knowledge to speak to another person about their situation where I could offer some wisdom to them. Whether they receive my wisdom or not is totally up to them. In fact, unsolicited advice is not usually received if the person you are talking to does not have a trusted relationship with you. Even if they do, they may not be in a place to receive that advice. That is where wisdom with discernment comes in. If you just can’t wait to share your advice, you may be operating out of presumption or even a judgmental spirit.

Learning to receive correction is one of the wisest things you can do. The better you can receive correction, the wiser you can become. Humility is the major key to growing in wisdom. Be humble and easy to correct. It is the “fool” that is mentioned many times in scripture that keeps a person from excelling in life and fulfilling their God-given assignment and destiny. Stubborn “know it alls” will not gain wisdom!

Here is a quote for you to ponder: “If you are growing outwardly (in your gift mix) faster than you are growing internally in wisdom, you will be set up for failure”. I have certainly seen some very gifted individuals never really reach their potential because they had an area or areas that they were not willing to submit to the wisdom of God. He has placed within each of us far more potential than most of us have tapped into.

Here is another good quote: “wisdom will make you be at the right place, at the right time with the right people”. Wisdom will further favor and promotion in your life. Think about Daniel in the scriptures. He was forcefully taken out of his homeland and made a slave in a foreign land (Babylon). He had to learn a new language and adjust to a whole new culture that was not conducive to his previous life. Because he moved in wisdom from a very early age, he was elevated into a place of great authority and influence which lasted over the reign of four kings. He began by approaching the eunuch that was placed over him as a young man and appealed to him to be able to continue his own diet rather than the rich diet of the Babylonians. He approached the man in humility and gave him a ten day window to see if what he proposed would work without jeopardizing the eunuch’s job or even his life. Daniel remained faithful to his God throughout his whole life and yet had the respect of those in authority who were serving others gods.

This is a quote from last week that reaffirms what I just stated above. Proverbs 22:29 NKJV contains an amazing statement for those who are gifted in an area of their lives. “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” The Passion Translation says it this way: “If you are uniquely gifted in your work, you will rise and be promoted. You won’t be held back – you’ll stand before kings!” Not just Daniel but Joseph and others who excelled in their calling did so because they used the wisdom that God had given them to do what they were designed to do.

Jesus Himself said, “I can do nothing of myself” – He looked to His Father for direction and wisdom every day. The scriptures state that “Jesus grew (increased) in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man”. (Luke 2:52) How is that possible for the perfect Son of God, the spotless Lamb slain for us to grow and increase in wisdom and favor? He was an obedient Son, doing nothing from His own initiative. He even submitted Himself to His mother and father. He walked in perfect humility. If you can’t find favor with man, how will you find favor with God? He wants to bless you and He usually does it through people!