Week 3: How can I become wise?
You probably have schoolbooks that give you information on subjects like math, science, and history. Lots of books can help to make you smart, but only God’s Word can make you wise. Having wisdom means seeing the world and your life through God’s eyes and doing as He says to do. But how can we do this?
Be ready to read the following passages:
Let’s start it.
Ask members of your family to tell about something they have learned from reading a book.
Let’s learn it.
The Old Testament tells us about a king named Solomon. He is often called the wisest man who ever lived. Many of the thoughts that God gave to Solomon are found in the book of Proverbs. Pause here and read Proverbs 1:1-7 aloud.
Proverbs is like an instruction manual for becoming wise and living to please God. It encourages us to do what is right, warns us not to do what is wrong, and teaches us to have self-control. Solomon’s father, King David, taught him to turn to God’s Word for guidance. What did David say about Scripture in Psalm 119:97-105? The Bible gives us wisdom and understanding because the One who gave it to us also created the entire world, including us. That doesn’t mean, though, that you become wise by simply opening the Bible and casually reading the words.
When you love someone, you want to hear what he or she has to say. The psalmist loved God, so he also loved God’s Word. He spent time reading God’s laws and then meditated on them by thinking about what each one meant. He went over them again and again in his thoughts. When you meditate on what God’s Word says, the Holy Spirit will help you to understand what it means.
Knowing facts about the Bible still doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be wise. True wisdom comes from choosing to obey what God says – not because you have to, but because you love what is right and hate what is wrong. When you’re not sure what to do, God uses His Word to guide you. It’s like a bright light shining on a dark path so you can see where you’re going. You can become wiser than the smartest people you know, simply by following God’s instructions. You see, there’s a difference between being “smart” and being “wise.” Information from books gives you knowledge, and we all need knowledge; but godly wisdom is knowing how to use that information in the right way every day.
Let’s discuss it.
- Share something you’ve learned from the Bible, and name ways you can wisely use that information in your life this week.
- Do you have a problem with a friend or a situation at school that you don’t know what to do about? What warning, promise, or command from the Bible guides you and helps you know what to do?
Let’s do it.
Wisdom comes from spending time in God’s Word and then following the instructions you find there. We learned today that the book of Proverbs is especially helpful when you need wisdom. How many chapters are in Proverbs?
Try reading one chapter of Proverbs each day for a month. Each chapter is packed with ideas you can put into action each day. Write down the things you learn so you can remember to use them at school, at church, and in your neighborhood. Don’t just read about wisdom this week – pray for God to make you wise. Then practice doing what He shows you!