This post was originally published on this site
Proverbs 3:13-18 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.
There is a lot of advantage from gaining good wisdom. A long time ago, and yes, I mean back in the 70’s! I was looking for a newer car. It was time to let my very cool, ‘67 Mustang go. I had rebuilt the engine, done some fun modifications, and it was super-fast. Too fast! Though I never received a speeding ticket from driving that car, it was constantly needing more attention and money to fix it up. That was fine when I was in high school, but now approaching college, working full-time, I needed something more reliable that would give me better gas milage. So, I found a great looking Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia. My friend was selling it. In my brief research, it was a good price, but he did say it just needed “a little work!”?! Well, I trusted in this friend and believed what he was saying. He seemed honest, and it would be helpful to him if I would purchase it. The car was sporty, and he kept saying I would look good in it. I looked over the engine, but I was not that familiar with Volkswagen engines. He assured me I did not need to worry about that, it was a good brand of car. He seemed to be knowledgeable, and I thought wise, because he was older than me. I was ready to make the deal. I knew I should ask someone who knew these types of cars. My uncle had recently restored an old Volkswagen Beetle, so I took the car over to him. He walked around the car and liked it a lot and then started to examine it. He inspected the interior, the tires, and then the engine. He went back and sat in the car and flipped on the ignition. He noticed a switch on the dash and asked me about it. I had asked my friend about the switch earlier, but he just said that was nothing and I believed him. Well, when my uncle flipped the switch, smoke started coming out the dashboard. My uncle asked how much was the price of the car? I told him and he said to me as he turned off and got out of the car, “Absolutely not, do not buy this car!” I was stunned and disappointed. He did say it was a nice car, but it would take me months to fix it up and cost me well over what it was worth. I started arguing with my uncle because I wanted the car and my friend said it was a great deal. Finally, I listened to my uncle and instead bought my first Honda car. Though I thought I had all the wisdom I needed to make the right decision, what I needed was to gain some good wisdom. I am so thankful I had an uncle who had that good wisdom. Good wisdom is worth gaining!
Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Now, it’s important where we get our wisdom. Good wisdom is that which has stood the test of time and is shown to be right, useful, and tested. Too much in our world we listen to people of influence, those popular people with a lot of fame and social status or followers on social media. It is empowering to have people listen and follow what you say, so they flex their words and give out their not-so-good wisdom. Why not get good wisdom from reliable sources, sources that are tried and tested, like God and His Word, the Bible.
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.
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Psalms 111:10 The fear (reverent respect) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
God and the Bible are great resources to get good wisdom. I know I have learned much and found incredible wisdom for life from them. What wisdom are you learning from the Lord? Gaining good wisdom from God is a worthwhile pursuit.
Church is a great place to get good, godly wisdom. If you do not already have a church you attend, we would like to invite you to view or visit Neighborhood Church. We are a fun, welcoming church that loves God and seeks to live life His way. Each Sunday we study the Bible and have a great time together. We would love for you to join us. Our website has all the information you need for times and locations of all our gatherings. You can also find us online at neighborhoodchurch.com. As well, if you would like to view any of our past worship gatherings or videos, visit our YouTube channel, or just search Neighborhood Church Cypress or Neighborhood Church Los Alamitos on their YouTube site.
Seeking to gain good, godly wisdom with you,
Mike McKay, Lead Pastor, Neighborhood Church
