Training Your Wisdom Muscles

The Virture of Wisdom

In Proverbs chapter 9, we see two distinct opportunities. We are all students trying to pursue a journey of wisdom. The choices we make will determine if we end up with the virtue of wisdom or the vice of folly.

The teacher in Proverbs personifies the virtue of wisdom and vice of folly. Much like we personify liberty as Lady Liberty, here the writer is personifying wisdom and folly. We need to identify with these passages as students of the patterns being described. The woman of wisdom is described in verses 1-6:

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.” — Proverbs 9:1-6

Now let’s look at the woman of folly described in verses 13-18:

The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. “Let all who are simple come in here!” she says to those who lack judgment. “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave. — Proverbs 9:13-18

Isn’t it interesting that though these women are vastly different, they have some similarities?

They are in the same location — the highest point in the city. They both have the same goal — to get people to come into their houses to eat and drink with them.
They both say the same thing at first — “Let all who are simple come in here!”

But what they have to offer is vastly different. Wisdom has put in the preparation time. She has done the work and she has something legitimate to show for it. Folly has not. She was lazy. She has not done the work, therefore she either has nothing to offer or can only offer stolen goods.

As I look at the descriptions of each of these women, I’m struck by the words that characterize their lives. The woman of wisdom builds and hews out pillars, which tells me she cares about and pays attention to the details. She is prepared and organized and gets others to help her. Her ways lead to life and understanding. But the woman of folly is loud, undisciplined, and lacks knowledge. She sits around and doesn’t make progress. Therefore, she doesn’t have much to offer because she isn’t prepared. Her offerings are stolen. Her ways lead to death.

Wisdom Requires Work

Remember, a Best Yes is a wise yes. Therefore, if we are going to be able to discern what a Best Yes is, we’ve got to have wisdom. And wisdom requires work. If I want to be able to exercise wisdom, I’ve got to be practicing it in my everyday life. I’ve got to show up to practice.

How do we do that? Well, first the Bible tells us if we lack wisdom to ask for it (James 1:5). God will give us wisdom just as He gives us muscles but we’ve got to train our wisdom muscles to be strong and capable so when we need them most, we’ll know how to use wisdom. We’ve already talked about knowledge, insight, and discernment and how these help us apply wisdom to our decisions.

Proverbs 2:1-11 gives us clear instruction on the way to have wisdom, use wisdom, and be protected by wisdom:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding — indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

I can have wisdom. I can use wisdom. I can be protected by wisdom.

You can have wisdom. You can use wisdom. You can be protected by wisdom.

But we’ve got to show up to practice.

Excerpted from The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst