Christian Family Services Ministry

9-18-2018 – A Word to the Wise: More On Wisdom

Wisdom is a social gift. It is not given to be exercised on one’s self. It is a gift for the whole community. If a person truly believes, then that faith will be illuminated by the things she does. In the same way if one is wise, wisdom will be shown by her good deeds and wise behavior.

The best way to maintain wisdom is to guard diligently ones response to foolish statements. Silence is the second-most important quality of wisdom following the fear of the Lord. Silence alone may be mistaken for wisdom.

Arguing, in contrast is like trying to stop a flood of water. “If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.”

Perhaps my most famous reference comes from Proverbs 9:7-8. I recount this passage over and over to those I counsel:

HE WHO CORRECTS A SCOFFER, GETS HIMSELF ABUSE, AND HE WHO REPROVES A WICKED MAN INCURS INJURY. DO NOT REPROVE A SCOFFER, OR HE WILL HATE YOU, REPROVE A WISE MAN AND HE WILL LOVE YOU.

There has been many times that I would correct a person for opening their mouth, quote this passage, and have them turn and continue to rave on as if nothing was said. So, yes I too need to heed the passage.

So if silence is called for, what is to be heard?

What does one listen for? A person’s character is the sum total of all that he thinks. What a person thinks is exhibited in what he says and in what he does. The wise person listens to what flows from the mouth.

The purpose of silence is to listen. One cannot talk and listen at the same time. Silence is not withdrawal, nor is it inattentiveness.

Silence with no intent to speak intensifies the hearing process.

What a person says gives insight into what motivates that person to change. These jewels are useless if we do not hear them. There is a time to speak, but never before you have heard.

Silence must reign if one hopes to acquire wisdom. “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise,” a wise person must be silent.

Why is silence so important? Because the tongue is the source of foolishness, to restrain one’s words, to limit them to the bare necessity, is prudent for it limits one’s opportunities to speak inappropriately.

What does wise speech sound like? Look closely at how the Proverbs are written. Do you notice that they are short pithy statements, not paragraphs. The less spoken, the better chance it will be heard.

There are no long sermons here just a few words on each subject that get to the point.

We tend to think of wisdom as a thought process rather than a heart process, yet scripture plainly states that wisdom resides in the heart. Wisdom is not related to intelligence, for even the intellectually slow may be wise.

Finally, wisdom is the chief testimony for God’s existence and His intervention in the affairs of men. Solomon says obtaining wisdom surpasses any other goal one could hope to achieve. Ultimately, the wisdom received will glorify the Lord and not ourselves.