In today’s world, we’re constantly bombarded with information and opinions from all sides, making it challenging to find true wisdom amid the noise. While it’s easy to think that wisdom might naturally come with age or arise casually through everyday activities, the truth is that you won’t get much wisdom from watching TV or scrolling through social media. You don’t pick up wisdom casually or by accident.
Real wisdom requires intentional, focused effort.
If you want wisdom, pray and ask God for it (see James 1:5) and read the entire Book of Proverbs multiple times. And then do what Proverbs teaches. Do those things and you’re on your way.
Want a more detailed step-by-step plan? Well, the opening verses in Proverbs (while not a substitute for reading the entire book) come pretty close to delivering.
Here are the opening verses of Proverbs 1:
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
And then the rest of Proverbs 1 talks about the path of disappointment and destruction should you turn away from this wisdom and instead go with sinners and scoffers.
If you look closely at the above passage (Proverbs 1:1-10), you will see seven (7) steps toward wisdom.
In verses 2, 3, 4, and 6, Solomon describes wisdom. He then tells us the benefit of wisdom in verse 9. If you keep reading through Proverbs, you’ll see even more benefits. But how do we get it? He answers that in verses 5, 7, 8, and 10.
Here are the steps…
- Listen — “A wise man will hear…” That requires listening. That’s a practice which is increasingly not practiced. We want to hear ourselves talk. We want to express ourselves. We want to tell others what we think and how they should think or feel. We don’t listen very well. Wise people listen more than they speak. Wise people are always listening, and that leads to…
- Always be Learning — “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning” or (as it says in the NIV) “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” In a later chapter, Solomon says that the wise “lay up” or “store up” knowledge (Proverbs 10:14). You should be continually learning — reading books, taking courses, listening to informative lectures, watching (quality) documentaries, etc. Always be learning.
- Seek Wise Counsel — It isn’t enough that you accumulate knowledge, you must accumulate correct knowledge and helpful knowledge. This means reading the right authors and listening to the right people. As Solomon puts it: “…a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.” Not everyone is wise. Not everyone can give you wisdom. Of course, the greatest source of wisdom is God Himself. And you should ask Him for it. That’s what James tells us to do (see James 1:5) and it’s what Solomon did (see I Kings 3). And that leads us to…
- Worship and Revere God — The beginning of knowledge itself is “the fear of the Lord.” That’s your foundation. If you don’t believe in God, revere God, and follow God, then your quest for knowledge will be off to a bad start and your ability to process knowledge will be seriously compromised. God makes sense of the world. Apart from God, we lose our sense of reality. Don’t believe me? Look at what’s going on in our world today. I rest my case.
- Don’t Despise Wisdom or Instruction — My mom got my grandfather a mug one year as a joke gift. It read: “My mind’s made up. Don’t bother me with the facts.” Now, my grandfather could at times stray into stubborn territory, hence the gift. But my parents would agree that my grandfather was one of the smartest guys they knew. Why? Because he continually read and listened. He was always learning. And he knew he didn’t have all the answers. When you think you have all the answers, you are despising further wisdom and instruction. That is the path to foolishness and ruin.
- Listen to Your Parents (or Parental Figures) — God gave us parents for a reason. They know us well and they’ve lived life longer than we have. They have some wisdom to offer us. We are foolish if we reject it. This is why Solomon talks about a father’s instruction and a mother’s teaching in verse 8. Honor and listen to your parents. Can you parents sometimes be wrong? Of course. And you should obey God first and foremost, but don’t dismiss, despise, or devalue what your parents have to offer. And if you don’t have great parents? Well, ask David. Scriptural indications are he didn’t have that great of a relationship with his father, Jesse. And he had a tumultuous one with his father-in-law, Saul. But God gave him a father figure in Samuel (albeit briefly). Elisha had a father figure in Elijah. Timothy had one in Paul. And so forth. God can fill the gaps in your life. Whether it be via a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, boss, mentor, friend, take advantage of the parental wisdom God brings into your life.
- Stay Out of Trouble — There is so much devoted to the issue of trouble in Proverbs that we would be fools to ignore the warnings. The theme of staying out of trouble permeates this book so much that it’s right in the opening chapter. Indeed, it dominates the second half of the opening chapter. There will always be people who will try to lure you into sin and destructive behavior. Stay away from them! Stay away from that path. Keep your focus on pleasing God and becoming the person He wants you to be.
Being consistent in these practices is crucial. Treat wisdom not as a final goal but as a lifelong journey. There will be setbacks. You’re only human, but keep your eyes on the Lord and keep following Him.
After all, the Lord is the One who makes wisdom possible.
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