The Sorrow of Wisdom
Café Menu for Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Today’s Special is: The Weight of Wisdom
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Wilma Linhart
Main Ingredient:
The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1:18 NLT
Entrée:
Wisdom is looking beyond the surface, seeing things from an eternal perspective, thinking beyond instant gratification and asking yourself will this decision provide a good tomorrow for me or my loved ones.
From my own life, I have seen wisdom when I take time to gather all the information before I react with a solution. Wisdom knows there is more to a situation than what meets the eye. Praying for wisdom before we respond to anyone is wise.
Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and the Lord was pleased that he asked for wisdom. However, in Ecclesiastes, Solomon says more wisdom brings more sorrow (1:18). As I read through the wisdom chapters of Ecclesiastes I see how Solomon finds wisdom and knowledge and it leads to more grief. He also alludes to the fact that just pursing wisdom in the end will be meaningless.
I hear Solomon saying,
Look I pursued wisdom. Yes, it’s great to have, but once you learn too much you’re sad. Pursing wisdom just so you can brag about being wise is meaningless and will bring no satisfaction.
So, should we still pursue wisdom if it’s going to make us sad? Absolutely! We pursue wisdom with a proper motive: to bring Glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We gain wisdom from life experiences and of course from the Holy Spirit. In first Kings, God gave Solomon wisdom (1 Kings 4:29). In Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). We want wisdom because we are fools without it.
Worldly wisdom looks through the eyes of what the sin nature wants. Godly wisdom looks at life through an eternal perspective. Is this decision pleasing to the Lord and His Spirit, or is it pleasing to me and my sin nature.
Worldly wisdom wants to look good to others; Godly wisdom wants an audience of one: The Lord.
Solomon was an example of a man of wisdom in the Bible (1Kings 3:16-28). Two women came to Solomon fighting over whose child had died and whose child was alive. Solomon, in his wisdom, said let’s cut the child in half, knowing that the real mother of the child would never let this happen. I think this is brilliant!
Solomon thought beyond the surface and with one sentence revealed the true mother. I believe this kind of wisdom has to come from the Lord. We can pray that the Lord will give us this kind of wisdom for all our circumstances. But we must remember where wisdom comes from so we don’t get puffed up with pride, which in the end leaves us empty and unfulfilled.
Take Out:
Ask yourself, do I want wisdom in order to look good to others, or do I want wisdom so I can bring Glory to my Lord?
Pray for God’s wisdom along with the proper motive.
Dessert:
Lord Jesus help me to gain wisdom in my life where You think I need wisdom in order to glorify You. I want to have the right motive to please You and want what Your Spirit wants. I don’t want to get puffed up with pride which will lead to emptiness. I want to have wisdom so I can make You look good, not me. Show me where I have wrong motives and cleanse me with Your Spirit.
© 2014 by Wilma Linhart. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Tuesday, 11 November 2014.
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