LGC - Helping You Succeed Part 1

Helping You Succeed

Rhordan Wicks

INTRODUCTION

We face decisions every day. How can we determine the best choices to make? Not every decision is a choice of good versus evil. In moral situations (should I steal or cheat?), we don’t really need wisdom because there is clarity from God’s law and Word regarding what we should do in those circumstances. However, many of our daily decisions are not about choices we have to make between a moral or an immoral choice. Most of our choices present themselves with many ‘good’ options. Should I take job offer A or job offer B? Should I do course A or course B in school? For these, we need wisdom.

God’s world is created by His wisdom and this wisdom generates patterns and purposes in our world. Biblical wisdom recognises this divine order or patterns ordained by God. We awaken in the morning to the sun’s diurnal pattern; our bodies function and malfunction in patterns suggested by our DNA. There are patterns that govern relationships, raising children, finances, work-life and spiritual life. And if we have learned to see these patterns designed by God and submit to them, we are walking on the path of wisdom.

The book of Proverbs teaches us how to stay on the path of wisdom. It is the path that will lead to a deep, meaningful and fulfilling life. Wisdom will help you succeed.

DISCUSSION

Share an example of an interesting or important decision you made in your recent past. Highlight the alternative choices that were presented to you.

How did you arrive at that decision? What was driving that choice? For example, was it driven by feelings, past experiences, what advice you got from other people or was it a prompting from God?
Read Proverbs 4:1-19. God is not explicitly mentioned in Proverbs 4, but his presence is woven throughout as a wise Father continues to exhort his son to pursue wisdom.

(a) How important is wisdom? Let’s discover from these scriptures. Share your thoughts.

• Proverbs 3:13
• Proverbs 4:5-7
• Proverbs 16:16
• Proverbs 24:13-24
• Proverbs 19:8
• Proverbs 8:32-36

(b) What is the difference between the path of the just and the path of the wicked?
Popular belief suggests we gain wisdom through life experience. However, you may have gone through life by making a series of unwise decisions and still have not gained wisdom. What do these verses say about biblical wisdom?

a. Proverbs 8:14
b. Proverbs 9:10
c. James 3:13-17
Wisdom is a capacity of the mind that allows us to understand life from God’s perspective and to see the divine patterns He has ordained. Life is not always black and white. In Ecclesiastes 7:23–24 Solomon also makes clear that getting wisdom is a challenging process: “‘I am determined to be wise’ — but this was beyond me. Whatever exists is far off and most profound — who can discover it?”

How would you describe your attitude towards wisdom? Would you say that you don’t think about it at all, or would you say that you seek to become a wise person? Why do you think you have this particular attitude towards wisdom?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO

The message of Proverbs 4 is simple; will you pursue the way of wisdom or the way of wickedness? The decision, while simple, is not an easy one. How do we pursue wisdom? It’s not a matter of just trying harder, but a matter of heart and conviction. It’s a matter of being faithful and making wise choices daily. Fall in love with wisdom and you will follow the path of wisdom. As Solomon says, we must “look for it (wisdom) as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure” – Proverbs 2:4.

Ask yourself daily, what is the wise thing to do? Wisdom will come when we walk on the path of wisdom.

How can you pursue wisdom?

MEMORY VERSE

“Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths”. ~ Proverbs 4:10-11 (NIV)