One of the greatest attributes any person can have is wisdom. And let me be quick to point out that there is a vast difference between wisdom and education. A person can have tons of education and still be almost completely devoid of wisdom.
What is wisdom? The dictionary says it is “good practical judgment, common sense.” Now that we have that settled, we can proceed. The next question is, if wisdom is so important, how do we get it? From my own personal experience of 50-plus years, the Bible has the answer, and it can be found in James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.”
The Bible contains three books that are called Wisdom Literature, which means these books are chock full of examples of how individuals have used their wisdom for a better, more successful life. These books are Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. They are part of the Old Testament and are distinguished from other books by their emphasis on the value of wisdom about God, humanity, creation, and the nature of good and evil.
You know, fate has a lot to do with our own success. From time to time, I think back to an encounter with another person who has made a real difference in my life. As you may know, I am the founder of the Conway Bookcase Project, and one year we had former Arkansas Razorback football coach Ken Hatfield come to Conway and speak for our Awards Ceremony. This is when we give the bookcases and some books to 50 Head Start (low-income) children.
Prior to this meeting my friend Cliff Garrison and I took Ken to lunch. While we were eating, Ken said something that has had a great impact on me. We were talking about reading, which was the subject for the day, and Ken said, “To really get a book, we have to read it seven times.” This is because, as we read, our mind tunes out and we think about what we have just read. The next time we read the same book, we tune it out in different places. You can see how reading the book seven times will enable us to get it all. I have used that knowledge many, many times since our lunch date with Coach Hatfield.
The place where I get my wisdom is from the book of Proverbs. We are studying this book in our Sunday School class, and when we started, our teacher Mike gave everyone a book by Dr. Warren Wiersbe titled “Be Skillful.” Would you believe that I am now on my sixth time reading his book all the way through? I read a portion each morning as part of my devotion. Another great way to study Proverbs is to read a chapter a day, since there are 31 chapters in the book.
Before I am out of space, let me say that a great definition of wisdom is to always know what to do next. Wouldn’t we be a lot better off if we could do that? If we ask God, He will tell us. To close, here is my favorite verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not onto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct our paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)