Conscious Wisdom
1 Kings 2: 6 Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his grey head go down to the grave in peace.
Knowledge is that we know what to do and how to do it. Wisdom knows how to apply that knowledge in a timely and efficacious manner. I have often seen young people trying to copy wisdom or imitate wisdom from their mentors.
Let me add a significant statement. Insecure ones are the people who would try to copy or imitate wisdom to prove their worthiness.
It might work out for some time, but in the longer run, it will fall apart. I believe that is why King David emphasised his statement here, “according to your wisdom”.
The Lord is able and willing to give wisdom to anyone who seeks Him for it. He does not hold back. He gives it freely. That is what the Bible says.
The bigger question is, are we receptive and willing to accept where He leads?
My mentor Edmund Chan once said, “We must all press on with the conviction that God will never lead us where His grace cannot keep us.”
One of the anchoring ways that His grace keeps us is by giving us wisdom every minute and every hour of our journey. Yes. It is real. It is true.
Let me expand this and talk about seven ways we can gain wisdom in our daily walk.
1. We need to understand our strengths and weakness at face value (meaning, don't exaggerate them or undermine them. Just face value).
2. In this journey, we must learn to manage our expectations of others and others’ expectations of us.
3. We should NOT allow our ego to get in the way of our walk.
4. We need to be broken yet bold in our everyday lives.
5. We need to genuinely be interested in others around us and take time to listen, understand, know and learn.
6. We need to process every incident along the way and process them honestly and engagingly.
7. We need to be intentional with our time and activities in life.
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” — Albert Einstein.
Did you see what the great genius says? It is a lifelong attempt. Today everyone wants everything quick and fast. Short wisdom is dangerous and delayed understanding is useless. It is all about keeping in step day after, day after, day after day. It is the same push in the same direction over a long time, applying learnt lessons in a worthy manner that will give wisdom.
It is not so much about what I can do. It is all about what I should do.