Wisdom

1 Kings 3:9 - "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Being a maths whizz or writing a computer program that will abort a nuclear missile requires a superior intelligence. But such intelligence does not guarantee a fulfilling or productive life. Having success in relationships, raising godly children and growing in spiritual maturity are less dependent on intellect than on wisdom.

The Bible has an enormous amount to say about wisdom, the whole book of Proverbs is devoted to it, this because navigating through life requires so much of it.

Wisdom recognises that an all-powerful, all-knowing God has designed a moral universe with consequences for good or sinful choices. Wisdom begins with understanding your accountability to, and your full dependence on your Creator.

Wisdom from God helps you develop a godly outlook that penetrates the deceptive and distorted thoughts of the world. And wisdom is choosing to apply God's truth and principles to your daily life, helping you know the difference between good and bad, right and wrong.

2 Timothy 2:21 - "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made Holy, useful to the master and prepared to do any good work."

The key to being wise at a moment's notice is to prepare yourself by developing wisdom over time. This is done by keeping yourself 'pure', in other words by filling your mind more with God's words than the world's advice. You can't predict what will happen in a day, but when you are spiritually prepared, when you have developed wisdom, you know the right things to do in God's eyes. This gives you the courage to act swiftly and decisively when necessary because you have a large bank of wisdom to draw upon.