Wisdom 5: What is Wisdom?

Father,
As we wrap this series up, come and be with us. Open our hearts and minds to you, that we may receive all that you have for us this morning. Help us to be humble and submit to your voice as we finish this brief look at what you tell us about wisdom in your word. Holy Spirit, you are welcome to do whatever you like in me today. I submit to you. Bring wisdom and insight. Help me to be and stay in step with you, rather than trying to do my own thing.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

So for the last month, we have been talking about wisdom, and I feel that it is time to let that marinate in us, so we will move on to a different study next week. This has been a very high level survey, and is as far from being exhaustive as East is from West. I wanted to introduce us to or remind us of these concepts, not teach something which I am not qualified to teach on. I certainly have prideful moments, sometimes they are more than moments, though. I used to be a generalized atsel fool, with shades of the keciyl for good measure, as it were. I was cocky, lazy, and while I might occasionally seek advice from elders and whatnot, I rarely put it into action. I knew what was right for me, and probably for others, too. It was often cloaked in false humility, so that I would fit in with the good little churchians I hung out with. What did it look like? I would work hard at what I cared about, but more or less ignore that which I didn’t or found that I was less proficient at doing. I would do reasonably well in school, and my parents used that as a club to browbeat my younger siblings from time to time. I also had a gift of wisdom, so people would approach me with questions which I had no business having any clue how to answer. I would give them good answers, so I eventually got cocky. I figured that I would become a therapist, so I studied psychology and applied for a few different MFT programs. I did not get into any of them. You may be wondering where the false humility came into the picture... Wonder no more.
I knew all the religious language and ritual actions to make it appear as though I was teachable, but while I would take in the information, I rarely applied it. I would confront those who did not believe as I thought right, in very entitled and bratty ways. But then when I would get called onto the carpet for one thing or another, I would make a great show of being contrite, and it would usually get whichever authority off of my back and net me a lighter punishment. So I learned to feign repentance and keep the rules most of the time, being obedient when it was necessary, helping behind the scenes, when I wanted to be front and center. Oh, I would trip hard if someone actually put me where I thought I should be, freeze, stutter, etc. I would demure if anyone complimented me, deflecting most of their praise, but really soaking in it. But I was really lazy. I was prideful, never really trying as hard as I could because I knew I was smart, but didn’t really want to test how smart. I didn’t want to find my real limits, so I would coast through most things. I was afraid that if I found them, I wouldn’t be as smart or valuable to others. I still have elements of those things, but adulthood has beaten much of that out of me, and I have had very good mentors over the years. Is my life perfect? No, not even close. Am I wise? Don’t ask me hard questions. Ok, I’m joking. I have places where I feel strong, and places which I know are blind spots for me.
I do not claim to be wise. I am working toward that, one step, one day at a time. I make some really bad choices, as anyone who knows me will attest to. Sometimes, entire seasons are subsumed with folly, and others are better. As I said last week, I want wisdom, but struggle to walk that path. I see the path of wisdom as almost synonymous with sanctification or even deification. Choosing the path of wisdom could be equated with allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you in all things, as He is the Spirit of Wisdom. Let me recap the last 4 weeks, though:

Our first week, I talked about what humility is, then I talked about what wisdom is and how it relates to humility. Then I talked about the nature of being simple in the Bible, and how it could either be negative, neutral, or positive. Finally, I covered the types of fools we see in the Old Testament wisdom literature. Today, I gave an example from my own life about how I have been both foolish and wise.