Mensa Otabil - The Voice of Wisdom
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We’re continuing our teaching on wisdom. We’ve talked about what wisdom is, and we’ve talked about where to find wisdom. So how do you know whether what you’ve found is wisdom or not? What does wisdom say? Proverbs 8:6 and 7 tell us, «Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things. For my mouth will speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.»
So wisdom says, «Listen! Pay attention! I’m going to speak.» How do we know that this voice is a voice of wisdom? If somebody gives us advice, how do we know that it is wise advice? How do you know that the choice you’re making is a wise choice? This passage gives us some clues for identifying the voice of wisdom.
The first thing it says is that wisdom speaks excellent things. Wisdom will always talk about things that are high and above. Wisdom doesn’t talk about things that bring you down; it talks about things that lift you up. Wisdom always challenges us to excel. The voice that tells you, «Well, everybody is doing it; this is how it is,» is not a voice of wisdom. The voice of wisdom will say, «Everybody is doing it, but you can do better.» The voice of wisdom will say, «You are down, but you can rise up.» Wisdom always calls us to excellence.
So if you want to evaluate whose advice is giving you wisdom, or whose voice is calling you to excellence- to excel, to be better, to improve-consider whose voice is telling you to just settle for what it is and do whatever you feel like doing. That voice that says, «Do whatever you feel like doing» is not a voice of wisdom, because wisdom’s voice is a voice of excellence.
That’s one way to determine if something you’re hearing is wise. The second thing is that wisdom says, «From the opening of my lips will come right things.» Wisdom calls us to do what is orderly and what is straight-the right things. Wisdom tells us to be orderly; it would not call us to disorder and chaos. If you were drinking a bottle of water and you finished consuming it, the voice that tells you to throw that container anywhere is not wisdom. Wisdom tells us to do the right thing. Wisdom tells you to be orderly. Wisdom instructs you to live your life better. Wisdom directs you to manage your life, your marriage, and everything in a better way, because wisdom speaks of right things. Wisdom is not hazardous; wisdom is not disorderly.
So just check your life. If you are living it disorderly, throwing things wherever you want to throw them, that is not wisdom, my friend. It may be your behavior; it may be your pattern, but it is far from wisdom. Wisdom will call us to excellence and to do the right thing.
The third thing about wisdom is that it tells us the truth. It calls us to what is trustworthy and dependable. Wisdom stands on solid ground. Wisdom is not shallow; it is deep. Wisdom does not take whatever is on the surface; it digs for the truth. That is why, when you’re operating in wisdom, you don’t hear one side of a story and just believe it without hearing the other side. Wisdom calls us to truth. If someone says, «Believe you me,» it’s good for them to say that, but check out the rest of the story. Does it work out well? Is it coherent? Does it make sense all around? For all of us, when you hear something, don’t rush to judgment; don’t condemn something you don’t understand. Get the full picture.
Wisdom calls us to truth, so you want to know whether what you’re doing is wise or not: Is it excellent? Is it right? Is it true? These are the voices of wisdom. Wisdom will tell you not to follow shortcuts. It will tell you the truth: that life sometimes is hard; it can be bitter, but the sweet will come later. Wisdom will not sugarcoat life for you, because wisdom leads us to the truth, to what is right, and to what is excellent. You wonder whether you’re wise? Check the standard.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, You are a God of excellence. Teach me to only approve of things that are excellent. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»