Whatever You Do, Get Wisdom
by Heather Perrin
Have you ever seen those shows where contestants race to complete oversized, ridiculous obstacle courses? Not impressive feats of athleticism like “American Ninja Warrior,” more like the ones designed for the people to fail in hilarious ways, aptly called “Wipeout. “
Lately, life has felt a little like that.
Just when I hop across a swinging bridge of parenting a 3-year-old, a giant red ball of grief from a friend’s pain comes swinging to knock me into the water. Then I stand back up and manage to navigate a difficult relationship with a measure of grace, and a wobbly platform of my own fear and insecurity gives way to a meltdown. I’m back in the water again, drenched and wondering if the hits will ever stop coming.
You get it. Life is hard.
There are so many areas of life that I feel like I am just floundering and failing over and over again, and I just don’t know what to do. Because I’ve been feeling this way, I’ve felt desperate for wisdom and so I turned to the book of Proverbs, hungry for help.
Whatever You Do, Get Wisdom
The book of Proverbs is one of several books described as “wisdom literature” in the Bible. While the whole Bible is intended to make the reader wise as we read and understand who God is, these books in particular focus on the difference between walking in wisdom and foolishness, and apply the principles to the daily circumstances of life. The early chapters of Proverbs basically reiterate its relevance over and over:
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. (Proverbs 3:13-18)
The writer personifies wisdom as a woman, calling out to people:
Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you. (Proverbs 1:20-23)
So here I am, answering, “Yes! Please! I am desperate and needy, I feel like I can’t see my hand in front of my face. I want wisdom!”
My cry is so often, “Lord, please tell me what to do. I don’t know how to discipline this child. I don’t know how to navigate this broken relationship. I don’t know how to love this friend in her grief.”
These are good questions, and the Lord is kind and does promise to give us wisdom when we ask (James 1:5). But what I want is step-by-step. Just tell me what to do, Solomon. And sometimes that doesn’t come.
Where To Start
Proverbs does give a lot (hundreds?) of practical principles on walking well, things I can and should try to implement by God’s grace:
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
but righteousness delivers from death. (10:2)Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. (10:17)A man who is kind benefits himself,
but a cruel man hurts himself. (11:17)Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. (12:11)
But what surprised me was not the practical wisdom, but the place wisdom begins. Over and over, Proverbs is clear that wisdom is more than reading and obeying this list of principles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; (1:7)
My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God. (2:1-5)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (9:10)
I really want instructions, but the author of Proverbs, inspired by the Spirit of God, wants to give me something else first.
What is the Fear of the Lord?
The fear of the Lord is a phrase used over and over in the Bible, and it describes a reverent awe of God. My impulse is to water it down, but “fear” here really means fear. It means when a person stands before the awesome and mighty God of the universe, fear is a natural and right response.
But for the people of God, the fear of the Lord is accompanied by the assurance of His love. In the Old Testament, God’s people were confident in the covenant love God had shown to them and promised to keep, so fear was married to great love. For the Christian, this fear is wrapped up in the perfect peace that I am in Christ. While I stand in awe of the majesty and greatness of God and my insufficiency in comparison, I am fully secure in His love for me because I have been united to His Son in faith.
The fear of the Lord is living in the reality of the character of God: a humble, worshipful, reverent awe of the God who holds the stars and who loves me.
I want answers. I want steps. I want point A to point B.
But God in His goodness and perfect wisdom wants another way. He wants us to fix our eyes on who He is, on His character, His love, His salvation in Christ, His promises made and kept. He knows I need help, and He promises to give it. But He does not want to give it apart from Himself.
I want the gifts (wisdom), He wants to give me Himself.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you, (2:6-11)
Mostly, I still feel like I’m in that game, getting knocked around by comically huge red obstacles. But rather than ask for the answer key, I am going to orient my gaze on the one who loves me and gave himself for me, trusting that He will give me what I need.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight. (4:7)