×

Title Here

Content Here

×

Title Here

Content Here

×

Title Here

Content Here

Let me begin this blog post by presenting you with a question: What are you doing to bring your dreams to fruition? Many times, Christians pray into their dreams and goals, but they don’t do anything to make them happen. Don’t get me wrong–prayer and faith are a crucial part of this journey—without God, we can’t do anything (John 15:5.) However, we must be faithful in doing our part, too. The good news is that there is a recipe—if there’s someone you’d like to be, or something you’d like to do, you can! The key is to press into knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

In this blog post, you will learn about the cycle of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Luckily, wisdom is a process—we don’t have to predict and plan our whole lives all at once. In fact, Jesus encourages us to “bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15). My hope is that God would reveal to you the next step (or half step) you need to take in your journey.

 

What is Biblical Wisdom?

Maybe ‘Who is Wisdom?’ is a better question to ask. Proverbs 8 personifies wisdom as someone who has been with God since the beginning of creation. It says, “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first acts of old.” The passage goes onto say that wisdom is “better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” So, we better do everything we can to attain something of such high value!

There is a Spirit of wisdom that we have access to as followers of Christ. As we come to grow in our faith and relationship with Christ, we grow in wisdom, too. It is important to note that God can give us the gift of wisdom and revelation at any time. Being old or experienced are not prerequisites to receiving wisdom.

However, oftentimes we need to take steps to cultivate wisdom. God wants us to seek Him out—wisdom usually doesn’t fall into your lap. That’s because wisdom isn’t just a mentality—it’s a physical reality with practical applications.

The Hebrew word for wisdom is chokmah. Chokmah refers to practical wisdom and skill that helps us in the art godly living. If wisdom is a tool—a skill—mastering it has to come with practice. That’s why the first step to obtaining wisdom is to get knowledge. The second step is to apply that knowledge to gain understanding.

Get Knowledge

I also call this step ‘investing in yourself.’ Think of it this way—the seeds you sow will grow, and the knowledge you invest in yourself will produce a return somewhere down the line. God gave us the creative power to cultivate the skills and character traits we want to see in ourselves. Whether we want to learn how to play piano, become a more patient person, or work as a CEO one day, the first step is to acquire the knowledge on how to do (or be) those things. So, pray and ask God where he’s leading you. What knowledge does he want you to search for? Who did he create you to be? What treasures does he have waiting for you?

In today’s day and age, getting knowledge is easy. There is such a wealth of information out there, so never let it be said that you didn’t find out. Go to school. Read several books. Subscribe to articles and podcasts. Find a mentor that has been where you want to be. Here’s the thing—you don’t know what you don’t know, so you need to position yourself to discover the knowledge that God has for you. At WealthBuilders, that’s why we write books and blogs, host conferences, and push out weekly podcasts. We want to give you every opportunity to get the knowledge you need to build wealth!

 

Gain Understanding

After you get the knowledge, the next step is to apply it. King Solomon is famous in the Bible for being Israel’s wisest king. He asked God for wisdom, and 1 Kings 4:29 says that “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people in the east and all the wisdom in Egypt.” The passage goes on to document that Solomon wrote 3,00o Proverbs and 1,005 songs, and he had extensive knowledge about the natural world as well. This indicates that Solomon went out and explored, and that he applied himself to sit down and write. The lesson is this—God does his part, and we do ours. It’s a partnership. We need to pray for wisdom and get knowledge, but we must apply ourselves as well.

This idea pairs with the law of risk. There is no true reward in any area of life without a willingness to take a risk. For example, in order to get understanding in the area of finance, you have to take risks. No true wealth was built by earning and saving. You have to get in the game and invest. Mistakes are cheaper the younger you are, too. It’s better to learn the laws of risk and reward when you’re investing a few hundred than when you’re investing tens of thousands. Over time, you’ll make fewer mistakes. Ecclesiastes 10:10 says, “Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.” That’s why we provide services like Real Estate coaching at WealthBuilders. We truly believe that experience is the best teacher!

[Related: 3 Business Lessons from The Parable of the Sower]

Exemplify Wisdom

 After you have gained understanding through prayer, application, mistakes, and victories, you will have the biblical wisdom—chokmah—the Proverbs talk about. The beauty in this is that the cycle of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom can repeat itself. Through your wisdom, others can gain knowledge and begin to apply the same processes you did to obtain your success. If you have biblical wisdom, ask God for opportunities to mentor and give back to your community. Sharing your wisdom is one of the most fulfilling and fruitful things you can do.

[Read Next: 20 Proverbs About Wealth]