Dealing With It

By William R. Cunningham
February 20,2000

You go home and you hear the sound of running water. You then nervously seek out the cause of the sound and discover that a pipe has burst and water is spilling all over your basement carpet. What do you do? You discover that another company has bought out your company and that there will be downsizing that will accompany the re-organization. What do you do? You go home, check your mail and discover that you have been awarded $20,000, as a settlement of a class action suit that you had no idea would get anywhere. What do you do? Your boss calls you into his or her office and informs you that you have been awarded a promotion that will give you an increase in salary of about $10,000 per year. What do you do?

We all face various types of situations during a day, week, month, and lifetime. There is no getting away from the fact that we will have to deal with something as long as we are alive on this earth and in this world. Even if we were to move to the wilderness we would find that there would also be a variety of situations, both good and bad, that we would have to deal with. So it's a fact. We will deal with things but the question is really how we will cope with the many situations that we deal with. How do you know what to do? What do you use to make decisions in the many situations that you face? What determines whether you go left or right or whether you seek this job or that job? The answer to these questions and those like it is the subject of this lesson.

We are going to discuss the importance of the wisdom of God to help us to deal with situations in our lives. This wisdom, we will find, is all part of doing things according to God's way and it is crucial to living according to God's Kingdom. How do you react when trouble comes or when good times come? Do you act in wisdom or foolishness, emotion or knowledge? Let's discuss the art of dealing with it (the situations in our lives) and the part that wisdom has to help us live a generally happy and prosperous life.

Before we can discuss the use of wisdom, we must establish the realm in which we operate since wisdom is associated with the realm that you are in. For example, there is wisdom of the world, wisdom of the streets (street smarts), and the wisdom of God. The realm in which they reside characterizes the concept of wisdom in each of these. Consider the following scripture.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 3:19 (NKJV) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God...

Let's focus on two particular realms, namely the world and the Kingdom of God. Both of these realms operate via a specific "way." This "way" characterizes the moral conduct, ethics, and general guidelines for living in the respective realm. We see from the former verse that the world does not comprehend the WAY of God because it is foolishness to the world. We see in the later verse that the world's wisdom is foolishness to God. Consider what Jesus said to Nicodemus.

John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Here Jesus says that unless a person is born again, that is to receive God's Spirit in the process of redemption, he or she cannot comprehend the ways of God's Kingdom. They just won't "get it."

So when I speak of wisdom, I am referring to the wisdom that comes from God. This means that there are other things that are necessary to understand pertaining to wisdom in the realm of God's Kingdom. First you need to know what the Kingdom of God is and you therefore need to understand God's WAY. These are beyond the scope of this lesson and are covered in other study guides.

Let's review Proverbs 3:13-26 to begin or discussion. However, we are going to focus on only a few key verses.

Proverbs 3:13-15 (NKJV) Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

The word happy implies a state of blessing such as that given in Matthew 5:3-12 (the Beatitudes). Remember that we are talking about a state of happiness in the Kingdom of God and not in the world. Happiness in the Kingdom of God transcends the acquisition of things. There are two things that we should concern ourselves with in the previous scripture.

1. The acquisition (seeking) of wisdom

2. The acquisition of understanding

3. The true value of wisdom above all else

So seeking and acquiring wisdom and understanding in the context of the Kingdom of God can result in happiness.

Proverbs 3:21-24 (NKJV) My son, let them not depart from your eyes-Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

Here is an admonition to keep wisdom and discretion. Wisdom will bring life to the soul and it will be like an ornament of beauty around the neck. Keeping wisdom before you will provide safety in your way and you will not stumble in your way. You will be safe and not be anxious at any time.

Now, do not be afraid of sudden terror (or fear) or any trouble from the wicked when it comes. Why? Because you are operating according to the wisdom of God that provides safety and guidance due to the sound discretion that you will have.

We now know that we shouldn't worry and that we should trust God. We know that we should be familiar with the way that the Kingdom of God operates so that we can operate within its boundaries. However, how do I take that information and apply it to my everyday life? How should I deal with sudden situations in such a way that I give honor to God, and resolve the "problem?" The answer is simply the implementation of wisdom.

We think that exercising great faith will generate the results that we desire in our lives. We are taught that practicing trust in God will afford us the great things in life. However, we can do nothing without the wisdom of God operating in our lives. Great faith alone can do very little for us. However, great faith under the control of godly wisdom can accomplish what we want and need and get us through the situations that we encounter. Consider the following scripture as an example.

James 1:2 through James 1:5 (NCV) My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. 5But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so he will give you wisdom.

It is important to understand the context of this scripture in order to extract the intended message. The early Christians were mostly Jewish and were faced with many kinds of troubles that originated primarily from fellow Jews. The wisdom necessary here is so that the people would effectively deal with the troubles that the faced for being a Christian. Wisdom enabled the Christians to respond effectively to the troubles that surrounded them. The story of Daniel and his three friends while under the care of King Nebuchadnezzar is a great example of the use of wisdom in a situation. See Daniel 1:3-15. Notice the wisdom that Daniel used in dealing with the implementation of the conviction that he had.

Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly (effectively) and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding. Wisdom is the ability to effectively discern. Now we already discussed the importance of considering the realm that we are referring to because each realm (kingdom) has its own concept of wisdom. The wisdom that we are interested comes from God. See James 1:5-6.

Wisdom has many implications that we should be aware of. Consider the following scripture.

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Psalm 111:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

 

Wisdom requires knowledge and understanding and the fear (respect, reverence) of the LORD is the key to all. Do you truly revere God or is he just a Sunday morning responsibility? Knowledge begins with a sincere respect for the almighty God.

First there is knowledge, that is, the acquisition of information and then there is understanding, which is the comprehension of those facts and how it relates to us. So do you attempt to get information and understand that information when you are faced with a situation? Do you have a built in trust in God that is automatically activated when you don't have time or simply can't go through the normal procedures of implementing wisdom?

Learn to revere God in all of his glory. Begin to seek for the wisdom of God and get understand. You will then be able to more effectively deal with the various situations that you face daily. Note that these situations do not necessarily have to be bad. Anything that requires a decision necessitates some form of wisdom.

What job should you pursue? What church should you attend? What house or car should you purchase? Whom should I marry? These all require a decision on your part and therefore require the use of discernment. In order to operate in the wisdom of God, we must first possess the wisdom of God by asking God for it if we don't have it already.

The kingdom of God operates in a way such that judgment is done at the "end." We therefore have an opportunity to gather information, understand that information, and then make a decision by using the wisdom of God that we have. Simply weighing the plusses and the minuses does not constitute an effective decision. Sometimes appearance is deceiving. Applying wisdom to everyday experiences means that we have to learn how to use it. This comes with gradual steps in using wisdom and examining how others use it. This can be done by reading about the lives of men and women of God in the Bible.

Wisdom will enable us to discern according to God's WAY. It will provide us a mechanism that we can use to ensure that we are doing God's will because if we are operating according to his way then we must be doing his will. Wisdom is the glue that can hold all the knowledge and understanding that we have together in one unit. It is the foundation on which decisions are made.

The Wisdom that comes from God is crucial to overcoming the many obstacles in our lives. It is also crucial for getting us over the "good" things that come our way. Sometimes the so-called good things can make us stumble if we are careless. Instead of fretting about something do something about it. Instead of complaining use that energy to take action in the power of God. Start now because the Kingdom of God operates on the seed principle.

You now know that you need the knowledge of God operating in you in order for you to overcome the problems that come your way. Don't make your decisions based on emotions, pride, or spite. Make your decisions and overcome your obstacles by practicing the wisdom of God.