“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps."
- Jeremiah 10:23
In the past few years, it has become clear to me that there are so many paths a man can take in life. Life places so many options before us that we may never be able to exhaust even in a thousand lifetimes.
Interestingly, we each have only one shot at life. And God expects us to make the best of it. How can we manage this? How can we possibly live with the assurance that we’re doing the best we can with all the resources God has given us?
It’s a tough one really!
Man wasn’t created to live without instruction. It may be unpopular to say this nowadays. But life has a manual. A laid-out set of rules that work together so variably that if one isn’t paying enough attention, you would almost think they do not exist.
But if we’re going to be honest, nearly all Christians everywhere would agree that living life God’s way isn’t a walk in the park. At certain crossroads, we even begin to wonder whether living by the wisdom of God is worth the sacrifice.
Maybe this is where we admit that we need God and His infinite wisdom. Can relying on the wisdom of God help us live our best lives?
Let’s probe a little!
Understanding the Gift Called Wisdom
Before we proceed any further in this discourse, it is important to note that the wisdom we speak of here is a rare virtue. It is a gift from God that no man can access by his own doing. It is a superior approach to life that God bestows upon men who search for it frantically.
As Job puts it in Job 28:7-11, the way of wisdom is “That path no bird knows, Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.” He then quizzes later on, “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” To answer this, Job tells us in verse 23, “God understands its way,
And He knows its place.”
And this is a good place to kick things off: the realization that the wisdom we need to live our best lives can only come from God. As a gift! Unmerited, undeserved, and impossible to boast of! And that wisdom can be sought within the Word of God.
The Bible presents the wisest perspective in all matters. It is a compendium of the wisdom of God. Within the pages of this book, we must search and understand the keys responsible for activating our desired outcomes in life. Everything begins here.
The wisdom of God is the executive empowerment God gives His children for the fulfillment of destiny. It is the gift of God that helps us apply knowledge skillfully in a manner that leads to good success. For every divine purpose, there’s a dimension of divine wisdom required to execute it. When we seek it with all diligence, God gives us this wisdom to do all He’s committed into our hands. Exodus 31:6
Life always asks us so many tough questions and tests us in different ways. It is risky to not know how to respond to life-threatening challenges. This is why it is important to subscribe to God’s school of thought in order to be assured of victory, no matter the circumstance.
The Wisdom of God vs. the Philosophies of Men
The initial error of man began when Adam and Eve sought wisdom outside God. Satan’s offer to Eve was simple: “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like Him, knowing both good and evil.” Genesis 3:5. Whenever we try to be wise in our own eyes, things always end in disaster. There’s proof of this all through history.
No doubt, God made us the smartest and most intelligent of His creation. But it’s high time we admitted that without Him, we’re experts at making terrible decisions. This is why human history is rife with governments and thought leaders who ruined great civilizations because of philosophies that outright rejected the wisdom of God.
Sadly, it seems even Christians don’t recognize the limitations of the philosophies of men. We espouse so many alluring ideologies all in the name of intellectualism and progressivism.
Our generation reverences knowledge so much at the expense of wisdom. But knowledge only makes a difference when wisdom is at its foundation. Proverbs 24:3-4. A life built solely on acquired knowledge is like a house without a foundation. It’ll crumble quickly when the winds of life come to test it.
Indeed, true wisdom comes from God alone. And He gives it freely to the righteous—that’s you and me! Proverbs 2:6-8. Every other form of human wisdom and learning is very limited. Whenever human wisdom negates divine wisdom, then it counts for nothing!
If we want to live a truly fulfilling and glorious life, we must apply ourselves to divine instruction that is uncommon to this world. And there are innumerable benefits to doing this. James 3:17. For every enticing philosophy of man, God’s ideology holds a thousand better promises.
But because God’s wisdom conflicts with human ideas, living with wisdom will always attract persecution and criticism. This is why we also need to rely on God for strength and courage to live with His wisdom. Not sure whether waiting on God for His wisdom is worth it? In the next release in this series, I’ll be sharing 5 reasons you may want to take a look at.
Are you yet to make a decision for Jesus Christ? I encourage you to surrender your life to Him today by saying this prayer.
You can also take things a step further by joining a tribe of Bible-believing brothers and sisters. The Supernatural Life Church is a haven of love where you can fan your flames as you grow in the knowledge of Christ.
