Mensa Otabil - When Wisdom Rules
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We are talking about wisdom and focusing on Proverbs chapter 8. Today we read verses 14 to 16, and it says: «Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding; I have strength. By me, kings rule, and rulers decree justice. By me, princes rule, and nobles, and all the judges of the earth.» Wisdom rules, and it is quite clear from this passage that wisdom plays a very significant role in rulership, in leadership, in governance, and in anything that brings us into influence with other people. If we’re going to influence people, we have to be men and women of wisdom.
So wisdom says that by me, kings rule. Wisdom makes us leaders, and how does that happen? Because wisdom helps us to do our work; wisdom is related to problem -solving. When we solve problems, people gain confidence in us, they trust us, and they give us more opportunity to guide and to lead. Wisdom helps us in our work; wisdom helps us to rise up in leadership. A person who is wise will always shine among the learned, and wisdom helps us to lead other people.
The reason wisdom is able to do that is because it has five qualities. It has counsel. Wisdom is the ability to hear and discern good advice. Everyone who influences others in any form of leadership will come into contact with a lot of opinions. How do you determine which of those opinions is the right one? That is where wisdom comes in. Wisdom has counsel; it is able to discern. That is what Solomon had to be able to determine which of the two women was the parent of a dead child. That is counsel; that is wisdom that helps us to discern properly which is the right way from the wrong way.
Secondly, wisdom says it has sound wisdom, and the word «sound» means that it is not perverted; it is not crooked. Wisdom is not trying to manipulate people, control people, or get your own way. Wisdom is not perverted, and the kind of leadership wisdom we are talking about here is not one that controls people, pretends to serve them, but is actually lording it over them. That is perverted. Wisdom is not perverted.
Wisdom says it has understanding-the ability to know the why and the how of life. Anyone who can explain the why and the how of any situation will be made a leader. If people are confounded somewhere and they’re looking for a way out, and somebody comes and explains this way, that way, and takes it that way, and their explanation makes sense, they implement it and see good results. Obviously, they’re going to make that person a leader or confer some level of importance on that person, and that’s how wisdom helps us to rule.
Because wisdom has understanding, it also has strength-the ability to get things done. When we operate in wisdom, we get things done; we don’t just talk about things, but we get things done. That’s why you can see a person’s wisdom by what they do. Wisdom manifests in our actions-the strength, the ability to get things done.
Then wisdom says that it also has justice; it does right at all times. Wisdom is fair. Wisdom shows equity. When you have all of these qualities happening in your life: counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, strength, and justice, then you will be made a leader. People will look up to you, people will trust you, and people will believe in your choices because you have shown through wisdom that what you do comes with good counsel. It’s sound, it has understanding, it has strength, and it offers justice.
May the Lord help each one of us-whether as parents, teachers in the classroom, older brothers, older sisters, class prefects, or wherever we are in leadership. May God help us to be men and women who exhibit wisdom. Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, make me a wise leader. Help me to treat those I lead with honor and fairness. In Jesus' name, Amen.»