Explaining the Title (Part Two: "Wise")

To reiterate, the title of this blog is taken from The Message version of Proverbs 17:2, which says,

A wise servant takes charge of an unruly child
and is honored as one of the family.

In my last entry, I expounded on why I view myself as a servant, without qualm or hesitation.  I'm sure the concept will unfold more over time, but want to first bring the adjective into the spotlight.

I pray daily for wisdom.  I'm not wise yet, though I must say I've grown noticeably wiser over the past half-year.  My mother would chalk it up to that point we reach in adulthood where things in our brain just seem to "sync up" and thoughts lose that hazy cloud they seem to reside in during the years of our youth.  And she's going to be right.  (Don't tell her I said that.)  But that increased wisdom can absolutely be attributed to other factors, as well.

One of the more well-known stories in the Old Testament is that of the events surrounding King Solomon's acquisition of wisdom, and how he went on to later write the book of Proverbs, which is arguably the most respected written collection of wisdom available to man.  Like his father, King David, Solomon wasn't perfect.  But God was obviously quite pleased with his request.  He could have asked for longevity or money or revenge - but it seems even just a smidgen of wisdom would tell you that wisdom is more valuable than any of those things.

And what did Solomon write later, in this famed book of Proverbs?

For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
(Proverbs 3:14-15, NLT)

And yet wisdom brings with it all of the things that so many others seek.  The very next line reads:

She offers you long life in her right hand,
and riches and honor in her left.
(Proverbs 3:16, NLT)

Every morning, I read a chapter of Proverbs.  There are 31 in all, so it makes sense to just read the chapter that aligns with the date.  (For example, as today is the 22nd of the month, I read Chapter 22.)

Lying in bed the other morning, meditating on that concept of wisdom, I started also thinking about intelligence.  I realized that intelligence is a person's capacity for understanding facts and stringing them together.  Understanding facts and correlating them is what we call knowledge.  Wisdom is the application of knowledge to one's own life, and we're able to pass on that wisdom to others.

So I asked God that morning to increase my capacity for knowledge, and to help me apply that knowledge to my life.  I asked Him to teach me to weigh and discern between what knowledge is good and true and worth holding onto, and what should be passed by.  I wish to grow in wisdom, in order to live a life that honors Him and serves others.

This was the heart of King Solomon, a wise servant.