The Principal Thing – Part 2 – Wisdom Calls
I find a rather troubling condition to exist among many Christians these days. It has two symptoms. First, we tend to use certain “spiritual” terms without really knowing what they are or what they mean. Like grace, for example. Or even faith. Or the Kingdom of God.
Or wisdom.
But second, we don’t seem to be troubled about this troubling condition. So we can’t put things into precise words or concise definitions. So what? We know what we mean.
But do we?
Nowhere is this condition more to be taken as a matter of concern than in the question of wisdom. Wisdom, we have seen, is the principal thing. The main thing any believer in God and follower of Jesus can acquire. It is our privilege and calling to be wise, like Solomon, only without all the folly.
Do we understand what wisdom is? What it looks like? Where to seek it? What difference it might make? Is wisdom the principal thing for us, or just one more of the many “Christian” ideas we bandy about amongst our tribe?
How can we know wisdom? Actually, Wisdom helps us out here. According to Solomon, Wisdom calls us. Wisdom is looking for us harder than we are looking for it. Here’s what Solomon reports (Prov 8.1-11):
Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
Now to begin with, let’s not become distracted by the fact that Wisdom is referred to here in female terms. In the Hebrew language, many abstract nouns—like Wisdom—are feminine in nature, but that has nothing whatsoever to do with gender as we know it. Kudos to our NKJV translators for being accurate; a footnote might have been helpful, though, to avoid confusion.
So to be brief, consider the good news: Wisdom is calling to you, crying out to you, lifting up her voice to you, standing on a high hill above you and along the way in your daily path. Wisdom cries out at the gates of your city and probably your home, as well. Wisdom cries out in a clear voice and promises understanding, prudence, excellence, truth, and right things. Wisdom insists that she should be the top priority—even above all our getting and spending and other diversions. Nothing we might desire, Wisdom tells us, compares with Wisdom.
Well. Are we listening? The principal thing is beckoning to us, gesturing to us, slipping us notes, dropping hints, standing in our path, and passing out precious and very great promises like leaflets. The problem is not that Wisdom is difficult to find. We don’t have to scale a high mountain to consult with Wisdom. The problem is in our heart, as we previously observed. When we want Wisdom, want the principal thing that can make our lives consistently meaningful, significant, and joyful, we will learn to listen for it.
And if we listen long enough and follow Wisdom carefully, we may find that we have become one of Wisdom’s children, justifying to all the world that Wisdom exists, and we don’t have to live like fools.
Ah, but there is still more to explore here concerning this Wisdom Who calls us. Today, make it your prayer to ask the Lord to open your heart to hear Wisdom calling, and thank Him any time you do.