WISDOM

Seeing and responding to life situations from a perspective

that transcends my current circumstances

vs. Foolishness

I will Listen to my parents and teachers (those in authority over me).

Learn from correction.

Choose my friends carefully.

Remember there are consequences to all my actions.

Ask, “What is the right thing to do?”

Used with permission of Character Training Institute

www.characterfirst.com

Wisdom is…

seeing the hand of God in every experience of life. (Power for True Success)

making practical applications of truth in daily decisions. (Achieving True Success)

seeing and responding to life situations from God’s frame of reference.

Character Clues

JESUS, THE PERFECT EXAMPLE: When we belong to Christ and become like Him, our character is molded to be like His. Read Romans 8:28, but don’t stop there – go on to see that God’s goal in this is to make us like His Son. The Phillips translation renders it “bear the family likeness of His Son.” The more we become like Jesus, the more we will be able to “see and respond to life situations” from (God’s) perspective, which helps me “transcend current circumstances.” Be encouraged by the following scriptures about Jesus’ wisdom:

Isaiah 11:2-3 (prophecy about Jesus) What describes this Spirit that rests on Jesus? (wisdom,
understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, fear of the Lord) If we are given this same Spirit,

how will this affect how we respond to life situations?

            Luke 2:39-52 Although his ministry was not yet public, his wisdom was already evident as a child.
           Matthew 13:53-58 Why do people often fail to accept the wisdom of those we already know but
                 accept the wisdom of those who are strangers to us?
            I Corinthians 1:24 Why is it important that we see Jesus as the wisdom and power of God?

            Colossians 2:2-4   Where are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge found?   What
                 implications does this have for Christians in the areas of education, raising Kingdom families,
                 helping the needy, advancing cultures, etc.? Do we as Christians really believe this
                  scripture? Also see Romans 11:33-36.

IS THAT WISE? We often ask our children and ourselves this question. Usually our natural inclinations are just the opposite of God’s wisdom. Read James 3:13-18 and write out two lists of characteristics: Heavenly Wisdom and Earthly wisdom. Read the passage from a number of translations to get a fuller understanding and synonyms for the various attributes. Think of a situation where the world thinks it is wise to respond one way but Biblical wisdom is the opposite. Make it a cell project or a family project to memorize this passage, especially verse 17, and then use it to judge if an action or response is wise.

I Corinthians 1:18-2:16: read this lengthy comparison of the world’s wisdom and the wisdom found in Christ, and as you read look for insights into Godly wisdom and how we can walk in it. In II Corinthians 1:12, what did Paul use in ministry rather than worldly wisdom? Do we ever do God’s work with worldly wisdom rather than with God’s grace?

PICTURES OF WISDOM: The “wise old owl” is used as a nature example in the bulletin. Go over the ways he is wise, then go to Proverbs 30:24-38 and see four other animals that God says are wise. What shows their wisdom and how can we apply that in our lives? Matthew 7:24-27 gives another picture of a wise person; how was he wise? How can we be wise like him? How is our wisdom gauged -- by what we hear and know or by how practice them?

WISE SAYINGS: The book of Proverbs is truly a book of wise sayings, most of them from the wisest man in the world, King Solomon. Families can build wisdom by reading a chapter a day, which would take a month. Or begin with this list and for each write down an ending to: A wise person…. Write out each on a long slip of paper and put around the house or in large, colorful letters and put around the church building.

(example: Proverbs1:5 – A wise person listens to others in order to learn)

Proverbs 1:5

Proverbs 2:12-16

Proverbs 3:13-18

Proverbs 3:35

Proverbs 4:7

Proverbs 6:6

Proverbs 8:11

Proverbs 9:8-10

Proverbs 10:1

Proverbs 10:8

Proverbs 10:19

Proverbs 11:30

Proverbs 12:15

Proverbs 13:1

Proverbs 13:20

Proverbs 14:1

Proverbs 14:16

Proverbs 15:2 Proverbs 15:7

Proverbs 16:14 Proverbs 16:23

Proverbs 17:2

Proverbs 24:5

Proverbs 24:14

Proverbs 27:11

Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs 3:35

Proverbs 10:8,10

Proverbs 10:18

Proverbs 10:23

Proverbs 11:29

Proverbs 12:15

Proverbs 12:16

Proverbs 13:16

Proverbs 14:16

Proverbs 17:24

Proverbs 18:2

Proverbs 19:1

Proverbs 20:3

Proverbs 23:9

Proverbs 26:6

Proverbs 26:10-11

Proverbs 27:22

Proverbs 28:26

Proverbs 29:11

Proverbs 30:21,22

The five kinds of fools is very helpful as well, both for personal application and in understanding how to respond to types of people; see Power for True Success, p. 189.

BUILD IT! Wisdom builds, but foolishness tears down (Proverbs 14:1). Proverbs 9:1 gives a picture of wisdom building a house. This picture is further developed in Proverbs 24:3,4: wisdom builds the house, understanding establishes it, and knowledge fills its rooms with rare and beautiful treasures.

Why are all three important elements to build into our lives? What happens if the order is reversed and we get a lot of knowledge before we have wisdom? What if we have knowledge but no character to understand it or how to use it? God used these same three elements in building the world (Proverbs 3:19,20).

WISDOM IN THE STREETS: Proverbs 9 gives two pictures: one of wisdom calling out in public arenas and inviting people to come to her (v. 1-12) and Folly (or foolishness) also calling out for people to come to her (v. 13-18) Read these passages and see both the benefits wisdom gives and the consequences for not accepting the invitation. What similar promises does foolishness give? What are the consequences? Does foolishness ever look like wisdom? How can you tell the difference? Proverbs 1:20-33 and Proverbs 8 give the same picture of wisdom calling out in public places. Proverbs 7:6-27 also paints a picture of a foolish woman and the simpleton that responds to her invitation.

WHAT IS YOUR WORLDVIEW? Our perspective and decisions are based on our world view, even if we do not realize it. Read page 2 of the bulletin to learn about the importance of your worldview. Josh McDowell says it is a “framework through which we can interpret life and see meaning in it.” Probe Ministries explains, “Worldviews act somewhat like eye glasses or contact lenses. That is, a worldview should provide the correct "prescription" for making sense of the world just as wearing the correct prescription for your eyes brings things into focus.”

Use a plumb line as a visual aid (p. 2); what is its purpose? In Amos 7:7-9, how did God use a plumb line to declare judgment on Israel? How is a worldview like a plumb line in our lives?

Many different worldviews vie for our acceptance, each claiming to have truth. Even many Christians do not have a Biblical worldview – see life as God sees it. There are many good worldview studies and curriculums and it is important that Christian parents train their children in this area. How would these worldviews affect how we see and respond to life situations? (These are not a complete explanation of each.)

Evolution: time and chance, random processes, survival of the fittest, no intelligent design, etc.

Humanism: man is God, reason is utmost, each person does what he feels is right, you are the master of
your destiny, etc.

Atheism: material is all there is, no God, miracles are impossible, man and culture determine morality,

Eastern religions: many impersonal gods, appease the gods for favor, the universe is only reality, ethics are relative, reincarnation, history is purposeless and cyclical, “heaven” is annihilation.

Christian: God is sovereign and eternal, creator (intelligent design), purpose, eternal truth, man in God’s image, God is revealed through His infallible Word and His divine Son, sin and redemption through Jesus, heaven and hell, etc.

Keys to Wisdom, page 3 Use the scriptures that give further truth to the five keys to building wisdom.

Solomon: In I Kings 3, when God offers the new king, Solomon, whatever he asked for, what did he request (v. 6-9)? Why? How did God respond (v. 10-14)? What were evidences of his wisdom (3: 16-28; 4:29-34; see also Eccl. 12:9-12)? Why did the Queeen of Sheba visit Solomon and what was her conclusion (10:1-9)? Why would the wisest man in the world fail so much in other areas such as marrying foreign wives? Toward the end of his life, what were King Solomon’s conclusions about wisdom: Ecclesiastes 2:12-16; Eccl. 7:11-12; 19; 23-25; 9:13-18. Why would Solomon in the same writing recommend and be pessimistic about wisdom? How do you feel when wisdom is rejected?

Moses: Exodus 2:1-10 ,Acts 7:20-22, Hebrews 11:23-28. Where did Moses get his education? Is learning the same as wisdom? What wise choices did he make and why? Did his wisdom insure that people would listen and follow him?

Daniel: Royalty and nobility qualified a group of young Israelites to be brought into the palace of their captor, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Daniel 1:3-5 tells of their qualifications and of the education they were to receive. When they “graduated,” what did the king see in them (v. 17-20)? Did their Babylonian education give Daniel wisdom (v. 17)? Daniel’s wisdom was in such demand that he lasted through the governmental rules of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus.

WISE UP! Even in the Garden of Eden, the temptation included a shortcut to being wise (3:6). Often today, we think that more education will automatically give wisdom. Discuss these scriptures to see how we can gain true wisdom; also look for any rewards of wisdom. How can we begin to implement at least one of these?

II Timothy 3:14-17 –continue in the scriptures you have learned for they are able to make you completely equipped for every good work. Also see Colossians 3:16.

James 1:5-7 -- ask God and believe it without doubting; doubting makes you unstable.