God's Plan: Wise Living

We have spent some time now, going through the book of Proverbs, studying its themes and understanding God’s perspectives on things such as relationships, money, foolishness, priorities, and work.

After all our study, it may be time for some self-examination: How are we doing in living in the way of wisdom? We all have far to go before we are truly wise, but, if the book of Proverbs has taught us anything, it is that wisdom is learned along the pathway.

As long as we have life in our bodies, it’s not too late to begin following the path of wisdom. If we have taken a wrong turn, we can get back on track, we can foster our relationship with God, and commit to knowing and following wisdom as revealed in his written word.

The book of Proverbs is not magic. Following the way of wisdom requires commitment, discipline, submission to God, and continual searching for direction in the Bible. There may seem to be easier ways to live, but there are none that are more fulfilling and meaningful. In this post, we will offer a few of the reasons for that.

Wisdom is God’s plan for our living in his world.

We can’t have true wisdom without God, and we can’t have a growing relationship with God without partaking in his truth and wisdom. When we communicate with God, we are given heavenly perspective for living because he is the source of all wisdom. How do we know this?

The Bible tells us where wisdom comes from: “The Lord brought me (wisdom) forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old” (Proverbs 8:22). Wisdom is part of the created order, foundational to the planning and formation of the world. As such, it is foundational to living life well. It flows form the very character of God and informs our decisions and our lifestyles so we can live in ways that are consistent with God’s order – the way things really work.

Remember how we defined wisdom at the beginning of this course? Biblical wisdom is all about skill in living our lives. It involves technical, creative, and artistic abilities. It involves discernment and understanding, and it involves knowing how to function appropriately in society and in relationships with other people. If we are following the way of wisdom, we are maximizing our opportunities to live full, purposeful, and satisfying lives.

God works through wisdom.

“The Lord works out everything for his own ends – even the wicked for a day of disaster” (Proverbs 16:4). The way of wisdom is God’s plan for life and will be forever. His wisdom is eternal, and he holds us responsible for learning it and living by it. Even when we don’t practice wisdom in this world, he does. His plan will always be accomplished. I would rather be working in coordination with God than against him. I would rather be partnering with him and living in sync with the wisdom plan he has instituted than trying to buck the system and choose my own way instead of his. His way will win out in the end.

It is a choice, though. We can choose to go our own way, or we can submit to the loving God of the Bible and living in accordance with his revelation of true wisdom. Choosing wisdom is choosing to be on the winning side.