CENTRAL THOUGHT
A believer should comport himself wisely in his daily life.
HYMN: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD
TEXT: Matt. 6:25-34,
Luke 12:22-36
INTRODUCTION
THE Word of God declares “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7). There is no doubt that everyone needs wisdom in our day-to-day assignments or engagements. Today’s world appears so complex that we need to exercise a lot of wisdom in making our choices, maintaining relationships, applying ourselves to our jobs, facing the challenges of life etc. The lack of wisdom and/or perhaps the lack of the expression of it have resulted in broken marriages, loss of jobs, and ruined ministries etc. Therefore, wisdom and its application in our daily living is very important. The aim of this lesson is to encourage the believer to have wisdom and apply it in the course of daily living.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
1. Knowing what true wisdom is, it’s source and how it can be obtained.
2. Understanding how this wisdom can be applied in daily living.
3. To appropriate the virtue of contentment that comes through the wisdom of not worrying about tomorrow.
BIBLE TRUTH
Q1. WHAT IS WISDOM?
Wisdom is defined in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as “The ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have”. Dake’s Annotated Bible Commentary defined wisdom as “that which enables men to judge what are the best ends and the best means of attaining them. Prudence is practical wisdom applied in the best time and manner to secure the best ends”… Thus, man was created to be wise but when he fell as recorded in Gen. 3:1-7, his wisdom became corrupted, so man today in various situations may use his wisdom to achieve selfish, disastrous and evil ends. True wisdom therefore is one that is controlled by the HOLY SPIRIT, who dwells in every believer. GOD Himself is the SOURCE of this wisdom and its expression begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7). This wisdom is given to anyone who surrenders his/her life to CHRIST and promises to live for HIM all the days of his/her life. It is part of the package of the new life experience (2 Cor. 5:17). However, the believer must learn to be sensitive to the guidance/leading of the HOLY SPIRIT for the full expression of this wisdom in daily life.
Q2. HOW IS THE WISDOM TO BE APPLIED IN THE DAILY OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS?
Luke 1:74-75, Acts 17:11, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 86:3, 88:9, Luke 9:23, Heb. 3:12-13, Matt. 6:11
The Christian has several obligations (spiritual and physical) in life. These obligations constitute his daily life, and must include praying and studying the Bible, attending fellowships, going to work/school/business place, staying with the family etc. With such an array of activities/obligations, the believer needs a lot of wisdom to ensure that there is no conflict while adhering to the “bottom line” of it all i.e. that of taking up the cross and following/serving the Lord daily.
When as a student one has an assignment, it may be a mark of wisdom to get the assignment done before the date due for submission so that one’s failure will not bring reproach to God’s name. Also, when family challenges arise, it may be wise to have them sorted out so that the ministry will not be hindered/blamed.
There are some hints that can help a believer cope with the challenges of daily living. The believer should be wise enough to avoid procrastination (often described as the thief of time). The time to pray and/or study the Bible should not be postponed or deferred and the time to do our secular assignment should also not be postponed or deferred. It is such postponements/deferments that result in subsequent conflicts. We need to depend on the HOLY SPIRIT to give us wisdom to manage our time properly. For without Him we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5).
True wisdom also demands that the believer sees himself/herself as relating to God in every area of his/her life including the obligations listed above. Therefore he/she needs to seek God’s glory in every area of his life. Hence it is important to view what we are involved in as a ministry given to us by God to reach the world for Him. Thus, it becomes imperative that we seek to glorify Him in all areas of our life.
Finally, the believer must put God first in everything he/she does. When we have this mindset, coping with life’s obligations will not be a burden. The scripture remains true. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). This should be our approach to life issues.
Q3. HOW CAN A BELIEVER APPLY WISDOM IN HANDLING THE ISSUES OF LIFE?
The issues of life are numerous and include worries/anxiety about what to eat, what to wear, what car to ride, what house to build, etc. The complexities of “modern society” have brought additional worries like “when will my child marry?”, “why is that person doing better than me?”, “why the spiritual decline in the churches?” etc.
It is important to state that it is not out of place for a Christian to express genuine concern for his/her situation. Such concern is different from worry/anxiety. While concern drives the individual to prayers; worry and anxiety only increases fear and continued feeing of failure. The risk of impoverished health is high for the individual who is prone to worry.
We are admonished in scripture to quit worrying (Matt. 6:25-34 and Phil. 4:6, 19). God knows our needs and He will meet them on a daily basis. We may not accumulate wealth or property but we will not lack anything.
The believer who is wise should also learn to be diligent. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” (Prov. 22:29). The LORD has promised to bless and prosper our labor as we put our trust in HIM. He giveth power to make wealth (Deut. 8:18). Being wise also entails learning to be
contented for “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). The implication of this counsel is that while we trust God and wait for Him for a better tomorrow, we learn to be contented today.
Q4. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF APPLYING WISDOM IN OUR DAILY LIVING?
The benefits are too numerous to list or mention. A major benefit is that we experience the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit even in “small” matters. Our dependence on God grows and our worries diminish when we apply wisdom in our daily living. We enjoy tremendous peace and also our health blossoms. We also enjoy a cordial relationship with God and our fellow men.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION
The Lord’s injunction to us is that we should be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16). We ought to apply the wisdom God has given us in our day-to-day life. We must realize that without God we can do nothing (John 15:5) for HE is our Source. We must daily live our lives to please HIM. We must also do away with worries and depend on HIM for provision, protection and others life’s needs.
MEMORY VERSE
Matthew 6:34
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Monday: Pray always.
1 Thess. 5:17
Tuesday: Study the scripture.
2 Tim. 2:15, 1 Pet. 2:2, Joshua 1:8
Wednesday: Live by the fear of God.
Psalm 25:14, Prov 1:7
Thursday: Do not be anxious Phil. 4:6, 19
Friday: Seek HIS kingdom first.
Matt. 6:25-34
Saturday: The Lord is your Source.
John 15:5, Phil. 4:13,19