“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God…and it will be given to you.” James 1:4
Human beings at Smith Mountain Lake and the world over need so much more than just intelligence, we need wisdom. Intelligence might enable you to hire a job applicant who has the most education and qualifications in your desired field. Wisdom could enable you to look ahead and see that another applicant with innate ability, passion for the work, and some experience might be even more valuable.
But what is wisdom? From a practical perspective, part of the definition would be choosing now what you will be happy and content with much farther down the road. It means you choose the path which may not look the most enjoyable now, because you see that later on it will pay off. On a neat little website called ‘Weekly Wisdom’, I found this blurb:
For example, say you want to eat a snack, but you aren’t hungry. You might say to yourself, “Well I know I shouldn’t eat this, but … .” And then you decide to keep eating even though you are full. Your actions followed your feelings instead of wisdom, and it’s a decision that may lead to results you’re not happy with later.
A wise person looks at the results instead of focusing only on his or her immediate circumstances. In short, wisdom is to do now what you will be satisfied with later.
So pursue greater wisdom this year since, as Proverbs 19:8 says, “He who gains wisdom loves his soul, and he who cherishes understanding will prosper.”