The Secret to Finding Direction and Purpose in Life: Wisdom

I never met my grandfather, but I heard he was a wise man. He left school after eighth grade to work as a carpenter, but he could do anything with his hands. He built houses, fixed cars, repaired watches, and even helped construct a church wing where I later attended Sunday school. He didn’t need instructions or blueprints. He just knew how things worked.

He also knew how life worked. He taught my father, who taught me, some valuable lessons from the book of Proverbs. One of them was from chapter 2, where King Solomon urges his son to seek wisdom as if it were silver or hidden treasure. Solomon says that if we do that, we will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

What does that mean? Well, I think it means that wisdom is not something we are born with or can acquire easily. It takes effort, dedication, and humility. It takes listening to those who have gone before us and learning from their mistakes and successes. It takes asking God for guidance and trusting him to lead us.

Why should we do that? Because wisdom has many benefits. Solomon says that wisdom will protect us, guard us, save us, and bless us. It will help us discern what is right and just and fair in every situation. It will keep us from falling into the traps of evil people or seductive temptations. It will enable us to walk in the ways of the good and the righteous.

Who doesn’t want that? I know I do. But I also know that it’s not easy. There are many distractions and diversions in this world that can lure us away from wisdom. There are many voices that can confuse us or deceive us. There are many times when we think we know better than God or those who love us.

That’s why we need to keep seeking wisdom every day. We need to read God’s word, pray, listen, learn, and apply what we hear. We need to treasure wisdom more than anything else in this world.

That’s what my grandfather did. And that’s what I want to do too.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and family. You never know who might need some wisdom today.