Wisdom We Need Series

[The following sermon was given as a part of a church message series titled "What We Need" for Gracepoint Ministries (gracepointonline.org) in 2021]

INTRODUCTION

We’re now in the 21st century and we’ve increased in knowledge and understanding, from the intricate inner workings of the cell to even “Boldly go where no man has gone before” with the Mars helicopter! But when it comes to WISDOM (which is the ability to make RIGHT CHOICES in life), it seems like each generation needs a fresh dose of it. It’s as if FOLLY is common by default, even among the smartest and brightest.

Take for instance, Albert Einstein, who was an intellectual genius; but as I read his biography, he was rather foolish with poor decisions that estranged his family and relationships. Case in point, in a rash move to divorce his wife, he promised to give her the Nobel Prize money if he were to ever win that award—and sure enough, he won it (and lost it). Even a genius needs wisdom to make the right choices in life.

We all have made poor decisions in life, regrettable choices, those cringe moments of things we did to moments of “Why did I say that?” WE ALL NEED wisdom!

One passage from the Bible that gives us hope is:

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

It’s reassuring to know that God would give wisdom generously to those who ask, but you might be wondering: Exactly HOW does God give this wisdom and WHAT is that wisdom? Man, I want a booster shot of that!

For starters, God gave us Scripture and in particular, Wisdom Literature comprised of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. So let’s receive some of that wisdom! Spoiler Alert: Wisdom isn’t merely to attain a happy life.

BEGINNING OF WISDOM

The beginning of Proverbs starts us off with:

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

And Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

In these two verses, “the beginning of” is as in “the STARTING POINT”, much like the FIRST RUNG on a ladder, “the FIRST STEP” that one takes in obtaining wisdom. So the starting point of wisdom is “the Fear of the Lord.”

Now, "the Fear of the Lord" is NOT necessarily being terrified and afraid of God, but rather, having a REVERENT AWE as you encounter something far LARGER and GREATER. So the first step of gaining wisdom is SEEING GOD for WHO God is—ALMIGHTY CREATOR and SUSTAINER. One outcome of that basic tenet is that it RE-CALIBRATES our PERSPECTIVE, RESIZES the SCALE, and produces a posture of HUMILITY which also fosters wisdom.

It’s kinda like standing in front of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, 3000 ft high granite monolith that reminds us that we are rather small (not just a 5 ft 4 inch person like me but even if you’re 6 ft 4 inch, you’re quite small before El Capitan).

Astronauts experience it at another level when they see planet earth from outer space and researchers call it “The Overview Effect” (the BIG PICTURE effect) producing a cognitive shift in awareness as you realize how small and fragile earth is in the vastness of outerspace.

HUMILITY

The beginning step of wisdom happens when we clearly view God as Creator, that we are dependent on God and we need God for sustenance and guidance, no matter how independent we strive to be. That’s THE BIG paradigm shift required, like the Copernican Revolution where rightly placing the sun at the center makes sense of data and reality. We should be humble because objectively, there is so much to life that we DON’T KNOW.

It’s ironic, but after I got my Ph.D. in chemistry, I came to appreciate HOW LITTLE I KNOW. Yes, I knew enough about Carbon-60 buckyballs to write a dissertation, but it was only about how those little molecules interacted with a particular iridium complex in a specified environment in the crystalline form on a lucky day in the lab! Everything else, I don’t know. And such humbling recognition is not only discovered in a chemistry lab, it’s found in much of life—there’s A LOT that we don’t know.

Sadly, this is MOST ACUTELY realized when bad things happen to you, when setbacks, illness, unemployment, or loss hit you without much reason or explanation. And it’s such seasons of distress, when we’re in a crucible, that’s where we need wisdom the most. It’s not wisdom in how to get out of that mess, but how to make the right decisions while we endure.