Wisdom For Life Series

Wisdom for Life

What Wisdom is not

Wisdom is not knowledge or age or wealth

What Wisdom is

Wisdom is the ability to discern what is true, right, or lasting, and act accordingly; the opposite of foolishness.

How do I Gain Wisdom for Life?

Understand the Value of Wisdom

Have a Healthy Fear of the Lord

Seek the Counsel of the Wise

Learn to be humble in Life

Slide 1

We are going to be taking a break from our series in Acts and introducing a new series called Real Life: Playing Your Part. We are introducing it today, but will begin it in 2 weeks after Mother’s Day.

We will be

talking about the different roles of life and

how we can live a godly life in the role we find ourselves in.

But to do that,

to live a godly, fulfilling life, will require great wisdom

so I want to kick off that series by first talking about how to have

Wisdom for Life.

If you would turn to Ephesians 5:15 (p.829)

Slide 2

In this series we are going to look at the roles given in Ephesians 5:22-6:9.

We will talk about how we can be living wisely in the role of Wife

Husband

Child

Parent

And in our

Work relationships.

But first, in the verses leading up to this passage talking about our roles, Paul talks about being children of the light and he gives

practical helps to show us

how we can have better relations with people whatever role we find ourselves in.

He talks of the things that come out of our mouths. The things that we say to others vitally affect every relationship we have with other people.

If the things we say tear people down, our relationships will be hindered and we will have difficulties in the roles that God has us in.

If the things we say are positive and used for helping others, then our relationships will be beneficial no matter what role we are in.

He also tells us to get rid of

bitterness,

rage and

anger

from our lives. These things will harm our relationships as well.

So, after giving these helpful hints, he says this beginning in

Ephesians 5:15-21

15 Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Paul introduces this upcoming section on

living real life in the real roles God has designed for us and

the relationships we have in those roles

by telling us to be wise.

You know, it takes great wisdom to live well in whatever role God has placed us in.

I don’t stand here before you as someone who has achieved great wisdom. I am still learning myself. I am in process just like you.

But I have learned a few things.

One is that to be wise, we must understand what wisdom is. And to know what wisdom is, I think it is first helpful to know what wisdom is not.

Slide 3

Wisdom is not Knowledge or Age or Wealth

We get confused sometimes. We see someone with

a lot of knowledge or

that has lives a lot of years or

has a lot of money and

we think they must be wise.

Now while it is possible that they could be wise, those things don’t necessarily imply it.

Each one of you probably know someone who had a lot of book smarts, or was older or was rich, who made some foolish choices.

If we stopped and thought for a moment, we could probably come up with quite few people who had a lot of money and then lost it all in foolish endeavors.

Money does not make a person wise nor does knowledge or age, though these things sometimes accompany wisdom.

Well if wisdom is not those things what is it?

Slide 4

Wisdom is the ability to discern what is true, right, or lasting, and act accordingly; the opposite of foolishness.

Discerning the right way and then going that way. That is what wisdom is.

Wisdom involves acting on right knowledge.

One of the greatest resources for practical, wise living is the book of proverbs.

The book of proverbs tells us its purpose at the very outset.

Slide 5

Proverbs 1:1-3