3 Ways to Become Wiser, No Matter Your Age

Becoming a wise person is the desire of every believer. Yet wisdom does not come on its own. Proverbs 2:3-4 explains that to attain wisdom we need to cry out, seek, and pursue it. Therefore, let us see how important a character of wisdom is, and how to have it.

What Is a Wise Person Like?

“So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” – 1 Kings 3:9

To be wise means having understanding to distinguish what is good and evil, and applying it rightly. Today, many things lie in a gray area. For example, lying for a good cause. But is there anything written in the Bible about lying for a good cause? There is not. Sin is sin. 

To become a wise person, we need to learn from the source of wisdom itself, namely God. Today, we do not hear God's voice directly as in Old Testament times. Yet we can hear His voice through the Word of God. Through the Bible, we can know clearly what is right and what is wrong.

So, what things do we need to have in order to become wise?

Keys to Becoming Wise

Pray Before You Act

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city, spend a year there, trade, and make a profit," though you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance, and all such boasting is evil.” – James 4:13-16

A wise person realizes how short this life is, and therefore he needs God's presence. By praying, we acknowledge God's power and that only He is in control of all things. We admit that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Praying before acting is our way of involving God in every plan we make. 

Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. – Psalm 55:17

Have you involved God, the source of all wisdom, in all your planning? Do you ask for wisdom and guidance before deciding anything? If not, let us begin to include God in our lives through prayer. 

Seek and Receive Counsel

For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and victory depends on many counselors. – Proverbs 24:6

A wise person knows he has limitations and how human beings have blind spots, where there are things he cannot see. Therefore, he does not hesitate to ask for the opinions of others. He does not rely only on his own experience, so that he does not take a wrong step. 

An important thing we need to pay attention to is to whom we ask for counsel. If we seek counsel from the wrong person, instead of becoming wiser, we may end up falling apart, even going astray. Therefore, we need to have a positive community, that is able to direct us to become wise people and upright in the Lord.

Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good habits. – 1 Corinthians 15:33

If you would like to join a spiritual community whose members can support one another, you can contact us through the information listed at the end of the article. We have groups for teenagers, singles (people who are already working and not yet married), married couples, and seniors. 

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. – Hebrews 10:24

Responsive, Not Reactive

In 1 Kings 3:16-28, we see Solomon's wisdom when he faced two women who both claimed to be the mother of a baby. 

The king said, “Cut the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other.”

Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart was moved with compassion for her son, “Oh, my lord! Give her the living baby; by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; cut him in two!”

But the king answered, “Give the living baby to her. By no means kill him; she is his mother.” – 1 Kings 3:25-27

If Solomon had been reactive, perhaps he would have shouted in anger, panicked, or even driven the women away with words like, “You handle your own problem. I am the king. I do not want to deal with trivial things like this.” Instead of reacting that way, Solomon responded to their problem with calm. And, with God's wisdom, he was able to solve that problem wisely.

When problems come, what attitude do we often show? Anger? Fear? Losing patience? Those are signs of a reactive person. We need to have a responsive attitude. That means we are not indifferent or whatever, but also not provoked by emotion or swayed by circumstances. Learn from Solomon, who remained calm when facing problems. That does not mean we stay silent only, but rather think, seek solutions, and resolve them wisely. 

Solomon's wisdom was not obtained just like that, but because he asked God for it (1 Kings 3:9). Letting ourselves be ruled by emotion is contrary to what God wants. For that reason, we need to practice controlling our emotions and submitting to His will. The way we respond to problems will affect those around us. If we are reactive, others will not be inspired by our lives as children of God. 

Wise Because of God

There are many ways we can become wise. Among them are by praying, involving God in every plan we make, asking for advice from trustworthy people, and being responsive, not reactive. Do not forget to keep asking Him for wisdom, the Source of Wisdom itself. Keep going!

- 

Related Articles:

• Wisdom: How Do We Get It?
• Use Social Media Wisely with These 4 Tips
• Is Strategy in Prayer Necessary?

-