Seeking Wisdom in How We Think

I felt the need to write this based on many interactions that I've had currently and in the past. I have come to realize the importance of knowing that emotional responses to a subject are dangerous. Our actions and reactions to a subject or issue in today's society should always be with love and thoughtfulness of the person we respond to and through wisdom and understanding. We should seek knowledge and knowledge should always be filtered through our faith in Christ Jesus.  I have seen too many Christians respond and react based on prior biases without a full understanding. I myself is to blame. I'm writing this for myself as well as for anyone who is reading this blog post. These conclusions have come through personal experiences and what God has taught me.

Proverbs 3:13-20
"Happy is a man who finds wisdom
and who acquires understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver,
and her revenue is better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left, riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant,
and all her paths, peaceful.
She is a tree of life to those
who embrace her,
and those who hold on to her are happy.
The lord founded the earth by wisdom
and established the heavens
by understanding.
By His knowledge the watery depths
broke open,
and the clouds dripped with dew."


1) Seek Wisdom and Understanding prior to making a judgement on an issue.  
Proverbs 8:14 says that wisdom posses good advice and competence. It has understanding and strength.  9:6 says, "Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue His way of understanding."

So where does wisdom come from? Wisdom ultimately comes from God and we should continuously pray for Wisdom. Pray that God can help you find answers to questions and to break any wrong ideas or thoughts that we have on a subject or issue that isn't Christ-like. We should be finding it from listening to others, asking questions, and reading sources that helps us understand a given subject.  Media today gives us a false perception of reality. It is warped by the need to get an increased audience and keep people entertained. Also, meme's or pictures with words on it are no source of knowledge. Be careful what you choose to post or comment to others to illicit a reaction.

Know what sources are out there for a topic and that are greatly respected among scholars.  A Christian should read books on an issue, look at research papers, and seek information from those who have studied the topic or subject.  Can an issue ever truly be unbiased? Probably not, it would be very hard to find it. Though, one great way to look at something is to gain full understanding of the opposite side of an issue. Seek to know first so that any response you make is based on a good background on a topic. Even if you end up in disagreement, the other person should come to respect you, see your wisdom, your knowledge on the topic, careful and tactful responses, and your love for them.  

2) Do not react out of ignorance or through an emotional response

Proverbs 9:7-8, "The one who corrects a mocker will bring dishonor on himself; the one who rebukes a wicked man will get hurt. Don't rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you."

When you correct someone who is wise, they will not lash out, but seek to learn and will love you for bringing a different point of view to the discussion.  I think this speaks more to how, as a Christian, we should be careful about our reactions. Are we seeking to learn or to force our ignorant point down the throat of others? Are we looking to make an argument? Defending a point of view that lacks any basis of facts behind it? The more knowledge you gain, the more you can see ignorant comments for what they are. It is foolish to post or react based on a lack of understanding. You will gain respect from others from your knowledge on a subject or be seen as a fool if you do not.

3) It is better to correct someone in secret than in public

When you try to correct someone, even if it's out of love, you can get a hurtful reaction. Proverbs 9:7-8 speaks on this as well.  Though, as a Christian, i believe we should help each other with being careful what we say and how it is portrayed. We are to seek wisdom, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."(Proverbs. 9:10). "The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction."(Proverbs 10:14).  We should be helping each other gain wisdom.  How we can do this though, is through three ways.  First is to do so with a loving heart. We come with the knowledge that we make mistakes as well and that we should look to bring our fellow brothers and sisters closer to Christ. How we portray ourselves to the world is how people see Christ and we might be the only Christian that someone has an interaction with.  Secondly, do so in private. Do not put your fellow believer down in public if at all possible.  I'm not perfect on this myself.  To see bickering between believers is never edifying to anyone. Thirdly, do not mock the person who you are talking to. Proverbs 9:12, "if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences".

4) Pray to God for Wisdom and study the Bible

It is important to understand that we cannot let culture control our thinking. We are to view the world through the lens of the Word of God. If we aren't reading the Bible and aren't praying, how can we guarantee that our thinking and conclusions on a subject aren't first in line with the Bible?  Ask that God will reveal his purpose and thoughts prior to drawing a conclusion. How a Christian in the U.S. views government is different than a Christian in Europe, or Africa, or in Asia. Does that mean that any system of government or social program is correct? No, we cannot draw this conclusion without having any extensive research background on the subject.  Can we have different views on an issue? Yes, we can. And we should seek to better understand if our views are founded on solid ground or not. We should ask God to bring us an understanding that surpasses that of what the world is trying to say. To look at issues beyond our own capacities and limited understanding.



We are living in a time where people in the world will choose to see us based on our actions and words more closely than before. Are we viewing issues in the way that is correct? Are people seeing us as emotional, bigoted, and ignorant? If so, we should look closer at how we are seeking wisdom. Folly leads to destruction. To be a Christian is to get away from the influences of the world and to cleanse ourselves through the renewing of our mind. I am no different and cannot claim to have found  full wisdom or knowledge. To be continuously challenged and open to different opinions is how we can grow in wisdom and to love God and others.

Psalm 107 - Let the Redeemed Tell Their Story

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story
How He brought them to safety and into His glory
Gathering them from different nations far and wide
Protecting them from harm as their enemies collide

The stories are many and different through time
Each one unique with a God given sign
The people who spoke had a common theme that was told
That they all needed saving from Satan's deceiving hold

Some wandered in deserts of their own making
Caught in their sin, slowly falling without waking
They were hungry and thirsty as their lives ebbed away
Denying the bread that the Lord was providing each day

Some became fools and trusted in their pride
Laying all wisdom and knowledge to the side
They suffered from their choices that they made
Refusing the God who could see their life begin to fade

Some traveled to get away from their past
Finding happiness in places that did not last
They saw the nature that God created for all
But lost courage and ran as it turned on their call

God blessed those he saved from Satan's chains
Filling them with His love in their every veins
Let those who are seeking God find Him
Before the light in their soul becomes too dim