Wisdom is only truly wisdom when it is applied to life. We can know a great many things but wisdom is
walking in light of what we know. The
writer sought wisdom with the intention of living in accordance with it. That is actually the hard part isn't it. Wisdom can be found throughout the entire
Bible but if we don't put it into practice, if we only read the word for the
purpose of knowing it in our minds, we fail to have true wisdom. The Holy Spirit was given to us to assist us
in the work of application and practice.
To grow in wisdom actually requires us to walk in what we already know,
to act based on belief or revealed truth.
The philosopher William James called this precursive faith, "We
need to move forward with an openness of mind, and even the first glimmerings
of a positive conviction, in order to discover some truths.... Sometimes
something like the positive state of belief, however tentative, helps to create
a situation in which evidence is more likely to be forthcoming." When we take the step of faith, moving from
knowledge to action, we open ourselves to the revelation of greater truth and
wisdom but we must always keep walking in what we know to receive more.
What is the reward you're seeking? The master went out and hired a group of
people who believed that a denarius, a day's wages in the first century Roman
empire, was a reward worth spending the day working to receive. At the end of the day, however, having seen
the master hire other workers who spent less time working than they and
receiving the same denarius, no longer believed it to be sufficient. All who accept Jesus get the same reward,
eternal life, whether they accept Him at the last minute or early in life. Everything else is benefit not reward. Some receive earthly blessings of one sort or
another and along the way, some are jealous of those people because they have
served and not received those benefits and blessings. That attitude reveals a certain painful
truth, that He is not our greatest good.
It is a sure sign we have lost our first love.
Paul speaks into the issue of the spiritual gifts in the
church in Corinth. I have certainly seen
this problem in the church where those who speak in tongues have set that gift
on a pedestal as the highest of the gifts.
Paul corrects that idea on the basis that it builds up the one who has
the gift, not the church. He is not
rejecting the gift but placing the edification of the whole above the
edification of the part. The gift of
prophecy has a place for building up the church as its message is intelligible
and can give guidance, comfort and encouragement to the church. I have also had experience with prophets who,
having received some encouragement in their gifting also turn it to the
building up of themselves as prophets, all good things can become a place for
pride in our lives. The admonition to
walk humbly in all things is the best advice.
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