Raise your hand if you need more wisdom—insight into life and ways of dealing with problems? Me, too.
The best way to conceive of wisdom is that quality of the Lord Jesus’ that enabled Him to see the world rightly and live in it in a way that pleased the Father. We could say that Jesus is the personification if wisdom. It’s very easy to desire wisdom because it will make our lives easier. Certainly, it will. A grander, higher reason to desire wisdom it that it is a reflection of the character of Christ. The wiser we become, the more we are like Jesus.
The good news is that God says wonderful things to those who desire wisdom:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom…if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom…he stores up sound wisdom for the upright… Proverbs 2:1-7
God desires to give to all those who desire it this mind of Christ. However, in isolation, the verses above may lead us to believe that if we simply seek wisdom by praying for it, God will simply plant it in our hearts and minds without using means. That is, we may expect to wake up tomorrow or the next day or next week miraculously wiser.
Certainly, such a feat is not beyond God’s power, and it does appear that in Solomon’s case this may have been what God did (1 Kings 3:1-12). Yet, Solomon himself—who wrote most of the book of Proverbs—teaches us to expect God to use means, or tools, to impart wisdom to us.
Prominent among those means, particularly in the book of Proverbs, is the tool of correction—someone or something saying to us, “hey, you messed up there. Do it this way next time.” There are numerous near-synonyms for correction in the book of Proverbs—reproof, instruction, and discipline. Proverbs connects all of these words to growth in wisdom, beginning in the opening verses of the book:
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice…“If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.” Proverbs 1:20-23
This is crucial. Coming under correction alone will not make us wise. Rather, a right response to correction will lead to wisdom. Everyone, even fools, receive correction. The critical question for each of us is, “what will I do with that correction?” Pride would move each of us to bristle under correction and reject it. Guess what Proverbs calls those who do that? Stupid (12:1). Scoffers (13:1). Disgraceful (13:18). Fools (15:5). Self-loathers (15:32).
Proverbs repeated tells us that eagerly receiving correction leads to wisdom. It is the way of life preserving us from evil (6:23-24). Given that wisdom is more valuable to silver, gold, and jewels (8:10-11), it makes sense that “the LORD reproves him whom He loves” (3:12). Therefore, what does Proverbs call those who humble themselves and “turn” at wisdom’s reproof? Lovers of knowledge (12:1). Honored (13:18). Prudent (15:5). Intelligent (15:32). Wise (8:33, 9:8-9).
There are three main ways that correction comes to us. It would behoove us to be aware of them and prepare our hearts to glean all that we can from them.
First, correction comes through faithful Bible intake. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches that All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. We should read the Word, listen to teaching, and discuss the Word with others with an eye and ear for its correcting voice. All Scripture is profitable for this, therefore, all Scripture is valuable to help us grow in wisdom…if we heed its correction.
Second, correction comes through circumstances. This takes place every time we make a mistake in life and recognize it. Even a fool can see when he has made an error of any kind. Will he learn from it? Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly (26:11). A wise person is not someone who has never made mistakes. Rather, he has made many, but has purposed to learn from them and never repeat them.
Third, correction comes from other people. This doesn’t necessarily have to come from someone who loves us. Even mean-spirited, unloving, and inaccurate correction can be useful to us. There is always something to learn. Proverbs makes it clear that the wise man loves correction and those who correct him. Does he love correction because he is wise? Or is he wise because he loves correction? Yes! He became wise through correction, he knows this, and so he wisely loves correction that he might become wiser still (9:8-9).
If we would be wise, we must love correction. When it comes, we should mine it as if it contained gold, asking ourselves, “in what way is this showing me how I do not think and live like the Lord Jesus? How can I turn in response to this reproof?” The more we pray for wisdom, the more likely we are to receive correction. Let’s pray that God will give us a godly appetite for it and a growing affection for Jesus.
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