Whenever we want to learn a new skill, we must sacrifice. Athletes must take time to practice individually and with teammates to hone their abilities. As a musician, practicing scales and determining intonation are important if I am to improve. Similarly, chefs need to spend time reading recipes and sampling their dishes, all of which take time and effort. In short, if we want to improve in life, it will involve some sacrifice on our part.
The same is true of wisdom. One becomes wise not by osmosis (simply sitting somewhere and absorbing the atmosphere) but by study, practice, reflection, discussion, and experimentation. Wisdom, like any skill, is acquired by deliberate action.
There are different kinds of wisdom: “book smarts,” “street smarts,” “reading” people, emotional wisdom, empathetic wisdom, and the like. But for those of us who are Christian, we want to acquire God’s wisdom, which involves sacrifices of time and self. We must ask ourselves: What am I willing to give up as a human in order to grow in God’s wisdom?
In many ways, we need to give up our own opinions, wants, needs, and desires and literally “die to self” to achieve God’s wisdom. His wisdom does not merely come from books or memorizing facts and figures; it involves putting ourselves at the service of God and neighbor so that Christ shines through us.
God’s wisdom sometimes calls us to be countercultural—to go against the grain of commonly held beliefs. Occasionally, we are invited to fight for the rights of those whom the world considers “nobodies.” God’s wisdom challenges us to view the world through the eyes of faith and see potential in others by looking beyond the obvious. Ultimately, growing in God’s wisdom means becoming a person of service and going above and beyond—not just doing the bare minimum.
This week, ask the Lord what you need to give up in order to grow in God’s wisdom.
