Why Wisdom Is Important (Read Required) to be Blessed

“How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver” Proverbs16: 16.

We’ve all heard of the lottery winners who ended up destitute and sometimes dead because of their seemingly good fortune. Wisdom is required to be blessed, even when you’re given the opportunities and resources to be blessed. To read the rest of the chapter, click here.

My Children Didn’t Know Why Wisdom Is Important

My four children received an inheritance from their grandfather when they were young adults, and one was still a teenager. But it was not a great blessing to two of the four because they were young and lacked wisdom.

Who wouldn’t make a better life for themselves if they received 326k? You’d think this would enable anyone to improve their lot in life. But guess what? Not if you lack wisdom.

One of them blew it all in short order, became depressed and proceeded to drown his sorrows in alcohol and drugs. He drank before he received the inheritance. But the money made it worse. Enabling him to buy fancy drugs he couldn’t afford before. He was definitely no better off. And more depressed than ever.

Another one made what seemed to be a wise investment, purchasing a four-plex at a good price. (This was during the housing market crash of 09).

But eventually she felt overwhelmed and sold most of it to an unscrupulous huckster who was supposed to pay her rents every month. She hasn’t seen a cent in years. (This child refused help or advice to have her own lawyer present at the closing).

Children A Blessing. . . Or Curse

Or take having children for example. They are a great blessing. But if you don’t have the wisdom to raise them right, they’ll be a curse instead. They will bring heartache, grief and trouble.

“A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother” Proverbs 10:1. Oh, how I wish I didn’t speak from experience on this front!

Education is another example. This should be a great blessing, enabling you to get a degree, a good job and have a good standard of living.

But there a plenty of young people who have been given this great opportunity but flunk out, never finish or get the degree but not the knowledge. And they’re left with a huge debt and very little to show for it.

“Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools” Proverbs 26: 9. In other words, that which should bring blessing, profit and benefit only brings pain to the fool.

Blessing Must Be Mixed with Wisdom

Even blessings must be mixed with wisdom in order to benefit from them. Hence, a fool is not able to benefit from blessings, opportunities and resources.

She [wisdom] is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her” Proverbs 3: 15. And again “how much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver” Proverbs16: 16.

Wisdom is better than gold because without wisdom the gold will soon be lost.

The child I spoke of earlier who blew his 326k inheritance on drugs and alcohol didn’t even own a winter jacket a year and a half later. And we live in Minnesota. But it was actually a good thing that he had run out of money to buy liquor, drugs and even cigarettes, all things that would destroy him.

The things in life that are meant to be the greatest blessing (and are to the wise) such as marriage, children, money, long life, power are actually the greatest curse to the foolish.

These things bring only pain, misery and heartache to the foolish. Even though they were meant to bring joy and gratitude.

No Blessings Without Wisdom

This is why “no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84: 11. And why wisdom is the most valuable blessing of all. Money will not benefit you but will instead bring a curse without wisdom. Neither will children or marriage or long life or honor.

That’s why these are the rewards of wisdom. . . “Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor” Proverbs 3: 16.

A fool hates his wretched life and sometimes even wishes he would die.

A fool with fame only embarrasses himself before the whole world.

And a fool with wealth only uses it to destroy himself drugs, alcohol, wild living etc.

And a fool with a child, the greatest blessing of all is not able to “train him up in the way he should go” Proverbs 22: 6. He will bring her pain, heartache and grief.

Fear of God the Beginning of Wisdom

That’s why it’s foolish and futile to chase after the rewards of wisdom rather than wisdom itself. And wisdom is obtained by the fear of God (Proverbs 9: 10).

Wicked people will do whatever it takes, right or wrong, to obtain the rewards of wisdom. In fact, this is the lure of sin. But because they are foolish, these blessing will not benefit them. And will bring them pain and misery instead.

That’s why wisdom must come first.

This is what Adam and Eve did in the garden. And this is why these blessings only brought pain and misery (Genesis 3: 1-7). And the reason God reserves these blessing for the mature.

The Promise of Wisdom without the Work

Sin promises the rewards of wisdom without having to go through all the discipline and waiting required to be wise. Sin promises instant gratification, but all those blessings will only bring heartache. You cannot be truly blessed without wisdom. No matter how many good things you might obtain.

If you are wise, you have all you need to be blessed. If you are foolish, you have nothing, no matter what you may have in your hand at the moment.

“To everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” Mathew 25: 29. This scripture was never truer than when speaking of wisdom and foolishness.

The Devil Robbing Us When Convincing Us to Take the Blessing

The devil is actually robbing us of every blessing he tries to get us to take by sin.

Because if we take it by sin, we’re not fearing God.

And if we don’t fear God, we won’t become wise.

And if we don’t become wise, the blessing will only bring suffering.

I had my first child too early, before I had wisdom. I love him dearly, every bit as much as my other children. But he brings me grief and distress rather than joy and gratitude.

He obtained his inheritance before he had wisdom. Consequently, he used it to destroy himself with drugs and alcohol. Although he is finally making better choices after years of misery.

I got my inheritance on the other hand in my forties after I had attained some degree of wisdom. And it has been a great blessing to me.

This underscores the idea that it’s not what we have but who we are that determines the character of our life.

To read another post related to see Elijah and Fire from Heaven: The Cost of Discipleship.