One of my favorite Youtube channels is “Smarter Every Day” by Destin Sandlin. He’s a mechanical engineer who films himself learning something cool and then shares the videos with his audience.
Obviously, Destin didn’t invent the idea of getting smarter. It’s an idea first proposed by God and it’s found all over the Bible. Of course, when God speaks about smarts He’s talking about more than just knowing facts and information—God is talking about wisdom.
Wisdom is similar to intelligence, but it’s also the ability to apply knowledge properly in every situation. Wisdom is a key factor when making important decisions.
Don’t you want to be wise? I sure do, and I looked around the Bible to see if there was an easy way to get wiser.
Guess what? There is!
Here are 4 surefire ways for you to get wiser now.
Just Ask For It
King Solomon has been regarded as the wisest man in history. In 2 Chronicles God told Solomon he could ask for whatever he wanted and it would be given to him. Rather than ask for riches or fame, Solomon requested wisdom and understanding.
God was so pleased with his response that he responded by saying, “wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like” (2 Chronicles 1:12).
Does God still give out wisdom just like he did back then? According to James, the brother of Jesus, the answer is yes, he does. Here’s what he wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
When was the last time you prayed for wisdom? If it’s been a while then let me remind you that the door is wide open—God is giving it away for free. So, what are you waiting for? Start asking God for wisdom today.
Seek It
Every time I see one of those guys on the beach with a metal detector I always wonder if they find anything good. I see them digging and walking, then digging again, but I’ve never heard one of them jump up from their sand hole shouting, “eureka, I’ve found it!”
Though God gave wisdom to Solomon, Solomon worried about the direction his sons were heading in so he began to record his thoughts in a collection of writings called The Proverbs. In the 2nd chapter, he encouraged his boys to look for wisdom as if it was “a hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:4).
Solomon goes on to say that wisdom is better than silver and gold and more precious than rubies (Proverbs 3:14-15). Lastly he says that nothing in the world compares to having wisdom.
Surely, anything that valuable is something we should be searching for, right? But where do you look? For starters, in the Bible. God’s word is jam-packed with priceless gems of wisdom concerning finances, relationships, sex, business, and spirituality.
You can also search for wisdom from the people in your life that have already been to where you are going. If you’re not sure what to do about your children’s temper tantrums, ask someone that has a teen. If you don’t know whether or not to open your own business, find a successful, older individual that’s willing to share their experience over coffee. Don’t pretend you know everything. Rely on the wisdom that years of experience have granted the older people in your life.
Learn from Your Mistakes
If you fail to ask older, yet wiser people for guidance there is a good chance you’ll have to learn from your mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with that—it just takes longer to gain wisdom that way.
Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal fashion and the author of #Girlboss said, “The best wisdom is earned through experience, particularly mistakes.” However, in order to learn from your
When you take responsibilities for your shortcomings you will begin to build intuition. Intuition isn’t magic. It’s not something that a few gifted people are born with. Intuition is the ability to size up a situation quickly and then act accordingly. It comes after years of making decisions, both good and bad, and then adjusting according to what works and what doesn’t.
Don’t allow mistakes to become regret. Instead, see them as an opportunity to figure out where things went wrong, and then plan to do better next time.
Share It
Give it away? Yes! Wisdom is not a finite commodity, that is, unless you try to hoard it. This is because wisdom thrives in the company of others. Proverbs 11:14 (also written by Solomon) says, “in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Rather than keeping smart ideas to yourself, share them with other people freely.
When the Apostle Paul wrote to his proteges Timothy and Titus, he charged them to encourage the older men and women in their churches to share their collective knowledge with the next generation (1 Timothy 5:1; Titus 2:4-5).
We have a shortage of this kind of interaction today, probably because technology continues to widen the gap between generations. Even so, this is a critical part of the process to gain wisdom.
Whether you are young or old, make sure you’re passing your knowledge and experience on to others. You’re sure to become wiser in the process as well.
Final Thoughts
Where do you stand when it comes to wisdom?
Do you want more?
If so, are you willing to takes steps to gain wisdom?
Comment below or send me an email to let me know what holds you back or how it’s working for you
As an Early Childhood Educator, sharing wisdom is apart of the job. Beyond the obvious of teaching the children those of us with several years of experience pass our wisdom down to teachers who are just starting out in the field. The first piece of wisdom I usually pass down to them is to keep spare work clothes in their car. Sooner or later a baby is going to spit up(or worse)on them and they’re not going to want to wear those clothes all day. This was a mistake that I made early on and I can spare them from experiencing it for themselves.
Of course I would like to gain more wisdom and I’m definitely willing to work to gain it. For example one thing I’ve learned as a teacher is that when you’ve been working in the same field for several years it can become easy to get into a routine and get stuck in it. I’ve found it beneficial to attend teaching conferences that allows me the opportunity to not only gain wisdom from teachers with more experience than myself but to also gain fresh insights from newer teachers who are more likely to think outside of the box. Being willing to learn from both more experienced teachers as well as from newer teachers keeps me from becoming stuck in one way of doing things which would in turn keep me from growing as and becoming a better teacher.
Izzy,
I always appreciate your comments and insights! I love the fact that you are actively seeking to learn more and also help others that come behind you. I can tell you are passionate about your calling to teach children. Thanks again for your support and thanks for commenting!
Phil
I did really understand about the Lord and wisdom until later in life.
I am thankful for the joy and wisdom and knowledge the Lord gives us all when we ask.
The proverbs are wonderful for myself, our marriage and my perspective on my relationship with the Lord and others.
Thank you Lord and thank you for Phil.
Hi Alan,
Thanks for reading and commenting!