What Is Wisdom

Wisdom is valuable and elusive, but what is it? Is it just combined experience and knowledge resulting in understanding such that it leads to living a successful life? In a worldly sense, that definition would be appropriate and sufficient. However, wisdom from a Christian perspective is something more.

Godly wisdom is linking experience, knowledge, and God’s Word in order to discern God’s will for one’s life. How do you get godly wisdom? Ultimately, it is a remarkable gift from God. If you trust in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior and accept His gift of forgiveness and salvation, you demonstrate much wisdom which opens your life to God’s will. Without a relationship with Christ Jesus, a person cannot ultimately be in pursuit of God’s will for their life. Once you are a Christian, God gives wisdom abundantly through prayer, His Word, and worship.

God tells us in James 1:5 that “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Thus, if you ask God for wisdom, He will grant it. In Colossians 3:16, Paul teaches us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” That verse reminds the Christian that God’s Word, the Bible, is packed with wisdom, and that worship trains our hearts in wise conduct.

A person with godly wisdom is a person who seeks God’s will through a relationship with Christ Jesus plus prayer, Bible study, and worship. We Christians pursue godly wisdom (Proverbs 4:7) and His will (Colossians 1:9) as we mature in our relationship with Christ Jesus. It helps us have insight and discernment of God’s will for our lives such that we can navigate life's complexities, making righteous choices along the way, distinguishing between right and wrong, truth and falsehood.