Episode 22: What is Wisdom Worth? Can you put a price on it?
For your listening enjoyment, go to JesusRx Prescription for life podcast.
Is wisdom something you can buy? I would say no. Can a person benefit from someone else's wisdom? Yes, of course! This is the beauty of wisdom applied. It benefits not only the wise person but also those around them. Of course, this does not happen all the time because wisdom is not always recognized or appreciated. Have you ever heard, “The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:13-18)
We NEED wisdom in dealing with the world's problems. Heck, let's not even talk about the world's problems but the problems you may be facing in your own life right now. You may have so many things you are dealing with right now that you can’t believe I would even mention the “world's problems”. Perhaps what you are dealing with is a result of the world's problems. Let's talk for one second about the rising prices of food. We all need to eat; it can be very expensive to put healthy food on our tables. Eating healthy costs more than not eating healthy, or so we think. You will likely feel better and experience fewer doctor visits in the long run. So, how can I apply wisdom to these rising prices and continue to eat healthily? I would budget and watch sales and coupons. If it got to a point where I couldn’t pay bills, I would seek out a food giveaway place. I know that in the town I live in, several churches give out food. Some of it is healthy. I would utilize that for a time so the money I would spend on food could go towards my lights/heat, etc. Does that make sense? We do have a prescription for finance in the JesusRx Prescription for Life workbook, available on Amazon or at evapopek.com to check availability.
NEWS FLASH: AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IN THIS LIFE WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS; now, only if we all had the wisdom from heaven to deal with those problems. I mentioned in a previous podcast that God says to ask for wisdom if you need wisdom. If you are seeking wisdom to bring glory and wealth to yourself, you may be asking for the wrong motive. CAUTION: Having wisdom will not guarantee that someone will achieve wealth or glory on this side of heaven. It will bring things no amount of money can buy…peace and contentment.
Working and obtaining wealth is not bad. The Prescription for finances has helped me see that money and wealth are not bad. I know I still have some messed up thoughts about being wealthy as far as money is concerned. I hate the name it and claim it messages on money. I get sick of seeing all the ads about how to make money and emphasizing 6- and 7-figure incomes. Why is this? I will cover that in our Prescription for Finance episodes. You don’t have to wait for those episodes if you want to purchase the book and start the prescription now.
Let’s review what the wisdom from heaven is like: (James 3:17)
First, it’s pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Before I ask the next question, I do want to say that God sent Jesus to die for ALL of us. He didn’t die for us because we are “good enough”. As Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (Mark 10:18) It is amazing to me that the perfect Jesus even knew His place before God the Father. My question is, do you think a wise person on this earth is due honor, is valuable and deserving and worthy? Like I said, in God’s eyes, we were all valuable enough for Him to send Jesus. You are useful in the sight of God. He cares for you and about you. He cares enough to offer you wisdom if you ask, but you will need to apply it.
To have wisdom is to know that God is worthy. This world holds wise people up and gives them honor, but do you know the foolishness of God ( which refers to the world's perception of the message preached) is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength? So, the next time you hear of how wise someone is, stop and consider that the “foolishness of God is yet wiser”. God is worthy and deserving of honor. (I Corinthians 1:25)
There’s a story of a Pearl of great price. (Matthew 13:45-46) There was a merchant who found a pearl and was willing to sell everything he had to obtain it. It is showing a wise person willing to sacrifice everything to gain what is most valuable…the kingdom of heaven. It teaches us to recognize and prioritize the incomparable worth of the Kingdom of God and to count the cost of our discipleship. It is wise to know the true value of something. Certain things are more valuable to one person than they are to another. An example would be marriage. Marriage is valuable to some and not to others. Some hold marriage as something very sacred and believe their marriage is worth much. The wisdom that comes from heaven in how to have a successful marriage will come into play. We have a Prescription for Marriage in the JesusRx Prescription for life workbook.
Job is described by God as a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. Job was wise. He feared God. He knew the value of wisdom. He said
But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, It is not in me, and the sea says, It is not with me. It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Neither gold or crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
As I was reading this, something hit me. Again not where I was going to go. But I got to thinking about the pledge of allegiance. I substitute teach, and every morning at every school I go to, the pledge is said first thing and then a moment of silence. As I get into the upper grades, there may only be a couple of students who say the pledge. I wonder why? Are they too cool? Do they not know how lives were given in war to give them the freedom to go to school and get an education in the United States of America? We know it is not like this in some countries. The children have no schools in some countries or cannot get to one easily on a bus because there is no bus. I don’t know the reason the students don’t say the pledge. Maybe they don’t realize how valuable our freedom in the United States is and the sacrifices made for those freedoms. I think of wisdom and how we have been told to ask God for that wisdom. Isn’t he supposed to give us wisdom because we’ve asked? Do I totally understand and appreciate the wisdom of God? What if I am given that wisdom but don’t use it accordingly? Just as we have been given freedom in the United States, we don’t use it accordingly. What happens? A lot can happen when we misuse what we are given.
I want the wisdom given to me from heaven to increase the place it came from. There is no price we can put on wisdom; its value is far beyond our imagination. In the next episode, I will try to cover the Wisdom of God.
Wisdom is not just knowledge but a way of life.
Until next time, may you walk in the way of wisdom, being guided by our maker. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is no walk, or device, or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
Get out your Bible, open it, read it, and apply it, and you will become wise beyond this world's understanding! God Bless!
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