There’s a way for us to become wiser than we are. We often incline to use our mental power at hand to deal with the things we face. However, there are things in this world that surely need more than just common sense and worldly wisdom to be dealt with. Lack of such substance in men and the subsequent actions create troubles and sorrows. That substance is the higher wisdom, which is found only with God. Only believers are privy to it. There is definitely a need to become wiser than we are to beat failure and heartache. As often as we grow in wisdom the better, because we overcome the things we cannot handle within God’s time; we even show courage to walk into the unknowns. A believer’s success in life is always depended on the relativity between God’s wisdom in him and His timing.
God always has plans to help us grow in wisdom. He not only gives us wisdom but also allows various circumstances enter our life so that His wisdom can work in and for us. Without those circumstances we cannot take part in or fathom His undefeatable wisdom. It is weakness to panic when those circumstances arise, but if we stop and accept them as from God for His glorious will toward us, we save ourselves. People that depend on common sense and worldly wisdom panic; for they exhausted all their strength. They have neither known the infinitely wise God nor have they seen His working nature. Contrarily, people that are willing to fathom His wisdom receive it as added strength. To become wise we must first follow the principle of becoming ignorant. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians stresses on an important factor for it. “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise” (1 Cor. 3:18).
Worldly wisdom gained through knowledge and common sense to some extent forces man to deceive himself; common sense too is not above God’s wisdom. It is always difficult for him to see them as lesser than higher wisdom. It is one the reasons he made gods for himself. If we begin to think we are wise in this age, referring to worldly wisdom, we go on to make mistakes and yield from them. On the other hand, if we quickly consider ourselves foolish just when we think we are wise, we save ourselves. To consider in this manner allows us to seek the infinitely wise God. What we have done by this is shed all the additional scales on us in the form of various desires. At this juncture, the thing which we meant to do we do in a much better and peaceable manner or refrain from it altogether bringing glory to God and honor to ourselves. All Paul is instructing us is to stop and consider God’s will in everything we do, because we have His Spirit through baptism. In doing so, we escape many heartaches and sorrows and reach many joys. Alternatively, if we disregard the Word, we further inflict ourselves by provoking God to anger. For every unwise action or acting apart from God will never bring about profit and cheer. The Word is clear regarding what we have become apart from our doing. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).
If it is by grace and not of ourselves then it is obvious by the wisdom of the Spirit that our mental power is weak and in many cases useless. If by mental prowess one assumes joy, he or she has not been privy to the insurmountable joy. They have not yet made themselves foolish in this age. We have seen what it is to become foolish, but what happens after it is life changing. By becoming foolish we empty ourselves for God to fill us with profound wisdom. Profound wisdom has absolute way and unwavering strength for achievements. No one or thing can effectively deter us from going forward. If we have stopped for some reason, it is only a delay or pause and not the end. At that time profound wisdom gives the thought to trust God and wait for Him to clear the way. Thus, we do not panic as well as not become an obstacle to others. And with the following we persist in standing firm in the Lord. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phile. 1:3).
How important are these two gifts of God! We can run, determine and establish our course by them. Wisdom is sustained in us by grace by helping us trust God. It helps us see where others are blind. Subsequently, peace appears keeping us from panicking. In grace we find all things needed to detach ourselves from this age; for though others do not understand, we do. In all suffering, righteous anger, pain and waiting it gives us the peace necessary to withstand each day. When the appropriate time comes God uses it to turn events and interrupt the attitudes and mannerisms of men. As often as we turn ourselves foolish, i.e. seek God as and when a situation or event arises, we become wise. We go on from wisdom to wisdom creating opportunity for God to glorify Himself through us. So, we have made way for establishing the following. “In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev. 1:16).
The holding of seven stars, the angels (v. 20), in His right hand is the sign of His control over the church. The sharp two-edged sword is His cutting edge power. His face like the sun shining in its strength denotes His glory. All this is of and is carried on in His infinite wisdom. We have such a great God in Christ that it is impossible for us to lose. What man or people can survive such God? And if we on our part are able to make ourselves foolish for His sake, we can thoroughly and often enjoy victories. Remember who God is when discouragement encompasses you. “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate” (1 Tim. 6:13). When all seems dead, keep hope in faith; for God in Christ is the one who gives life to what seemingly became dead due to the work of the enemy.
One of the things Satan does to make us weak is inflict temptation on us that we digress from the higher wisdom. If he is successful, we act very foolishly so much so that all will wonder at our demonstrating ourselves. So, the Spirit advises us saying, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom. 13:14). If wisdom must have its success and if it should bring a reward, listen to the Spirit. Victory is from putting on wisdom, which is Jesus. So, to become foolish is to humble ourselves before Him. But if we sin, wisdom stalls until we have put on Christ again.
And if you wonder how you may know the appearance of God’s wisdom in you or if you are seeking to overcome fear to realize His wisdom, the answer lies in the following. “They said to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). This Satan cannot do. The wisdom of the Scriptures is only with the Christ of God. As we delve the Word, He burns our hearts for belief and joy and not for disbelief leading to doubt, confusion and hastiness.