What Is Wisdom?

Wisdom isn't a word we hear much about these days.  It seems to be synonymous with age and grey hair: the thought of being young and wise is an anomaly.

The only link to younger people and wisdom is teeth.

People talk about being wise beyond your years, as though wisdom is something you achieve only once all your hairs are grey and you have lived a long and interesting life.  It is something that you can only gain through experience.

But the Bible has plenty to say about wisdom and its benefits and blessings and it doesn't suggest that the benefits are linked to age: 

       "Wisdom is more precious than rubies,

       and nothing you can desire can compare with her."

       [Proverbs 8:11 NIV]

and

       "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,

       the man who gains understanding."

       [Proverbs 3:13 NIV]

Wisdom, it is clear, is something we should eagerly desire. and pursue

But what is wisdom?

I've always thought of wisdom as being the ability to give really good advice.  Really good advice which comes from a place of experience and understanding.  I always thought wisdom was the ability to understand how and why people behave the way they do, so that you can predict the future.

But I read this today in a story,

"Wisdom is knowing how things are, not how things will be."

Wisdom is knowing how things are right now, not guessing or predicting what they might be like in the future.

True wisdom, then, is not about age or grey hairs or experience.  It's not about giving good or sound advice because you've been there yourself.  It's not about guessing or predicting the future.  It's not about being really clever, or always doing the right thing.

Wisdom is knowing who you really are and who God really is.   It is knowing the true state of your heart and your mind and your life and being bold enough to be honest.  It is knowing that when life is difficult, it is not over.  It is knowing that when you hurt, you are not alone.  It is knowing that when you are in the middle of the night, the morning will come.

Wisdom is having the courage and the insight to see things as they really are and the boldness to say how they really are.