A Wisdom-Filled Heart

A Christian’s Heart

“A Wisdom-Filled Heart”

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Years ago, I read two proverbs that resonated so much within me that I have lived my life and conducted my responsibilities as a teacher of God’s word based a lot upon them.

“Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23 NKJV)

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV)

What I know, and what I have learned is that I will never be able to get enough wisdom. Therefore, I search out from others the wisdom they’ve found from their journeys of faith, and time spent in God’s word. And while I may not fully agree with some of their conclusions, it has kept me sharp and open to learning more about God’s word, along with His will and way for my life, and the world in which we live.

And while such a search for wisdom is good, as pointed out by Solomon when he said, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV), the true wisdom we need to navigate this journey of faith, and to have a heart that is wise, comes only from God.

One of the businesses I owned in Las Vegas sat on the corner of Fourth and Charleston. It was considered one of the worst intersections in Las Vegas. Now Fourth Street isn’t a major thoroughfare, like Charleston and Las Vegas Boulevard South, or the Strip, which was just one short block away. But that is exactly what made it one of the worst intersections. People would see the green light at the Charleston and Strip intersection and gun it, not realizing that the light at the Fourth Street intersection was red.

As we drive down the road of life we come to these sorts of dangerous intersections. We refer to them as “forks in the road.” They are those moments when decisions need to be made on the best course of action we are to undertake. Do we stop or go. Turn right or left. Go ahead or turn back. Perhaps you are at such an intersection in your life right now.

The Bible speaks about a divine resource we can utilize when we come to these intersections of life. It is called wisdom. But how are we to gain such wisdom? How do we gain the wisdom to deal with life? How do we deal with the obvious shortage of wisdom in our world today? In short, how can we gain a heart that is filled with wisdom?

Does God just open our heads and pour wisdom into them when needed?

What I have found when wisdom is needed, is to follow the KISS methodology, which is an anagram for “Keep It Simple Saint.” Now, some like to use the word “stupid” for the last “S”. But most people aren’t stupid, they just haven’t had the right training, or they haven’t been told how to do something.

So, in keeping with this KISS anagram, I want to use a simple method to help us gain a wisdom-filled heart. It comes from one of the Bible’s most recognizable passages found in the book of Proverbs.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs. 3:5-6 NKJV)

Life creates a demand for wisdom, which God supplies when His conditions are met.

But what is wisdom?

There are various definitions of wisdom. Webster defines it as the ability to make right use of knowledge. One person defined it as the ability to make the right use of knowledge knowing that while a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.

Wisdom is the ability to discern what is true or right. One theological dictionary defines wisdom as “prudent, considered, experienced, and competent action to master the various problems of life.”

Wisdom, therefore, has both moral implications, discerning what’s right; and intellectual implications, discerning what’s true. Wisdom, therefore, involves the practical use of knowledge that enables a person to make right choices that honor God.

Someone said that wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive the true nature of a matter and to implement the will of God in that matter.

The Hebrew word translated "wisdom" usually refers to a skill or ability that has been given by God, especially as it was used of the wisdom God gave people so that His tabernacle and temple could be built. Wisdom, therefore, is having the skills to live life according to God’s plan.

The wise person is someone that patterns his or her finances, goals, relationships, and every aspect of life according to the specifications revealed in God’s Word. And what God’s word reveals is that all true wisdom begins with and comes from God.