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Dedication To late Mrs Mary Aina, my beloved mother. Thank you for showing me the secret to gaining wisdom, by teaching me to fear the Lord and to lead a principled and a disciplined life even at a very tender age. To young people all over the world who have decided to enroll themselves in the school of wisdom. Keep digging deep into this special treasure.
Acknowledgement Through wisdom is a house built, but I would also like to say that through quality relationship is a project such as this book constructed and completed. I am forever grateful to my Lord Jesus Christ for giving me the inspiration to write this book and for connecting me with the right people at the right time. Secondly, I want to say thank you to my brother and my mentor, Mr. Ola Aina for leading us with wisdom as the first son of the family. To my cousin Mr. Adebayo John, thank you for taking out time to teach me how to read and write, this is probably the most important gift you can give to anyone in the twenty first century. Thirdly, To pastor Emmanuel Stephen and Mr. Nicholas Alifa thank you for choosing to lead by inspiration rather than manipulation. To Mr. Joshua Omajali and Mr. James Sunday Eneojile, thank you for taking out time to proofread and edit this book. To my friend Amuzat Dimeji CEO DD Clothing Nigeria, thank you for your unfeigned support. To Matthew Emmanuel and David Abayomi, and every other person that made this book to become a reality, God bless you.
Foreword The Universal Currency Knowledge is the twenty first century‟s universal currency. Like any currency, it can depreciate in value with time if nothing is done to maintain the worth or not wisely invested. The more of it you invest, the more you make. Another feature of this currency is the fact that the impact is not felt unless it is put to use. I mean of what value is a million dollar in your bank account when you are living under the bridge or cannot meet the basic need? Sadly, one of the un-intending consequences of the information age is lack of knowledge. With large volume of information readily available and accessible, we no longer spend time to acquire knowledge. What we do most of the time is to simply skim through the information. Having the ability to know a thing, a proper understanding of that thing and applying the knowledge is what makes the difference between successful people and mediocre. This is exactly why you need to read this book. In this book, Mr. Aina, intelligently presented us with practical and trusted ways to acquire enough of this currency (knowledge) as well as how to accumulate the capacity to make more without the risk of depreciation. He did not just present us with one of the regular books about knowledge, wisdom and understanding but he took his time to explain the differences between this trio, how they relate and how to leverage on them to become the best of you. If you are looking for those books that can give you a quick fix on how to become an authority in a subject matter, then this book is not for you. This is not a quick fix, but a trusted and proven principle that will help you to be at the top of your game. Like every lasting solution, your determination and commitment is required to make the most of this book, particularly the content therein. I am happy to strongly recommend this book for everyone. This is not a book that will just tell you how to acquire knowledge, get understanding and be wise, but the one that also propel you to settle for nothing less than your best. Nicholas Alifa Entrepreneur || Orange program scholar || Agribusiness Enthusiast
Preface Growing up, I had always wondered why adults pray for young people to host wisdom, knowledge and understanding, as they sought to pursue academic excellence and live morally in the society. But as I advanced in age, I came to discover that wisdom knowledge and understanding are the three most important treasures on earth and that it is costly to live without them. Sunday school teachers pray for these graces upon their students. School teachers and college lecturers desire for these three dimensions to be at work in the life of learners. Mentors seek and pray that these threefold cord would tie their mentees. Parents covet and crave desperately for wisdom upon their children. Pastors hunger and desire for understanding for their members. Companies and cooperate organizations seek to give knowledge to their employees by taking them through some already laid down rules and regulations, explaining the codes of conducts of their new environment to them when employed. They also get their clients informed about their product through quality advert either on air, online or on a one on one approach. What they seek to communicate in one word is information: the mother of knowledge. Everyone desires the result that wisdom produces. However, the fruits of wisdom come as a result of wise decisions and not “wise wishing” People love to see intelligence on display, but not everyone is ready to gather and piece together the relevant knowledge that is responsible for gaining wisdom. The Bible clearly states that a house is built through wisdom and established by understanding, by knowledge shall its rooms be filled with precious and pleasant riches. It is on this account that we must treasure these commodities because they are ultimately responsible for the establishment of our career, home, our relationship with others et cetera Whether you intend to build your vision, career, home, business brand or church, you will never succeed in doing these things while ignoring these three intertwined elements. What then is wisdom, knowledge and understanding? Where can we get them? What should we do to get them? How can we engage them to produce our desired results? How can we know when we have them? How can we discern their absence? Maybe you are at that point in your life when you really seek to get answers to these mind boggling questions…… This book is just perfect for you. You only have to do just one thing. Read on!
Aina T. Joseph August 2019.
Table of Contents SECTION ONE Chapter one
What is Knowledge?
Chapter two
Go for Knowledge
Chapter three
The Dynamics of Knowledge
Chapter four
Knowledge is Infinite
Chapter five
Knowledge is not Enough
SECTION TWO Chapter six
What is Understanding?
Chapter seven
The Four Children of Understanding
Chapter eight
The Laws of Understanding
Chapter nine
The Reward of Understanding
SECTION THREE Chapter ten
What is Wisdom?
Chapter eleven
The Four Kinds of Wisdom
Chapter twelve
How to Become Wise
Chapter thirteen
The Reward of Wisdom
Section One
Chapter One
What is Knowledge? For many years these tripartite words; wisdom, knowledge, and understanding has been a bone of contention for many people who seek to know their meaning. This has left many people debilitated as they seem not to grasp the dynamics and the operational system of these all important elements because of their intertwined nature. For many, knowledge is the awareness of something. For others it is cognizance, the condition of knowing something with familiarity that is gained through experience or association. Whereas none of these affirmations are wrong in themselves, they are incomplete. Knowledge is the information, science or skill that you get from education or experience. It is the body of truth, information and principles acquired by human. Knowledge is concerned with the facts and ideas that are acquired by study, investigation, observation or experience. The beauty of these definitions is in the key words such as; information, skill, education, experience, principles, facts and ideas that are being used to spice it up. Without these key words, knowledge will be reduced to mere information which is incomplete.
Information + Education = Knowledge The equation of knowledge is such that information plus education equals knowledge. Information without education is incomplete knowledge. Information is merely a fact or data about a subject. Education is the action or process of teaching someone.
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For instance, informing a child about the various rooms in a house is not enough, it is equally important to go the extra mile by explaining the functions and the uses of each room. Getting the child to become aware of the rooms is information, while explaining the functionality of those rooms is education. This is complete knowledge.
Where is Knowledge Found? Knowledge is broad. Knowledge is infinite. Knowledge is wide. Knowledge is relative. For the scientist, knowledge could mean knowing what chemicals to mix together to yield a desired result. For the banker, knowledge is accuracy and precision in counting money and keeping financial records. For a lawyer, knowledge is having a vast grasp of the law and knowing how to onion it well enough to defend, prosecute or/and execute justice. For the doctor, knowledge is knowing what to do in the front of an epileptic patient or a woman convulsing. However, knowledge is generally found on the tongue of the wise. It is found on the mind of the prudent and in the ears of the discreet. This is the abode of knowledge. Knowledge is not found on the lips of the foolish neither can you ever trace it to the mind of the ignorant. It is too much a precious commodity for the mind of a fool to comprehend.
Intelligences In his book, Frames of the mind; the theory of multiple intelligences, Dr. Howard Gardner taught that there are nine different kinds of intelligences.
Logical – mathematical Linguistic Bodily- kinesthetic Musical Spatial Interpersonal Intrapersonal
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Natural Existential 1. Logical-Mathematical: this type of intelligence deals majorly with the ability to quantify things. It involves making hypothesis and using numbers appropriately. Occupations that fit into this kind of intelligence include scientist, accountants and engineers. 2. Linguistic: whereas logical intelligence is concerned with numbers, linguistic is concerned with the ability to use words correctly. It is communicating effectively or finding the right words to express yourself in such a way that others can understand what you mean. Generally, speakers and journalists belong here. 3. Bodily-Kinesthetic: bodily intelligence deals with the ability to coordinate your mind with your body. You certainly must have seen someone on TV doing a sign language in order to communicate and interpret what is been said to those that have problems with their ear drum. Some people love to learn via activities and engaging their body while learning. Examples of professionals that belong to this group include athletes and actors. 4. Musical: this has a lot to do with rhythm, pitch, and the ability to discern sounds. It is how skillful an individual is performing, composing and appreciating music and musical patterns. Musicians, songwriters and composers fit into this category. 5. Spatial: it is the human computational capacity that provides the ability or mental skill to solve spatial problems of navigation, visualization of objects from different angles and space, faces or scenes, and recognition. 6. Interpersonal: interpersonal intelligence deals with the ability to sense feelings of other people. It is also the ability to discern the motive behind the actions of other people. Sales people and counselors are skilled with this particular type of intelligence. 7. Intrapersonal: intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to understand yourself, what you feel and what you want. It is the ability to control your emotions. It has a
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lot to do with taking risks and exploring new things hence entrepreneurs display this kind of intelligence flawlessly. 8. Naturalist: this particular intelligence involves how sensitive an individual is to nature and the world. People who excel in this kind of intelligence typically are interested in growing plants and taking care of animals. 9. Existential: finally, the existential intelligence involves an individual‟s ability to use collective values and intuition to understand others and the world around them. People who thrive here are able to see the big picture such as theologians and philosophers.
Chapter Two
Go for Knowledge Knowledge is power. Those in possession of it control their spheres of influence. People that are financially informed control the world of finance. Academically excellent people control the academia. Name it; those in charge or control of any sphere are those that are adequately and sufficiently informed. You are always above what you know. The more informed you are the more chances you have to make wise and intelligent decisions. Poor decision making is a product of an empty mind. On the contrary, what you do not know is above you. It is literarily impossible to act beyond your knowledge. Your last action step is the limit to which you are informed. Action ceases when knowledge is exhausted. Any man that is void of knowledge will live an empty and a frustrated life. Ignorance is costly. It can cost you more time, energy, money, and even your life. People tend to waste time and resources when knowledge is lacking. When I went to the university for the first time to write an entrance exam, I needed to go to a particular faculty in order to get something done. I decided to take a motorbike since I wasn‟t familiar with my new environment. The motorbike driver ended up taking me round the school unknowingly to me that where I wanted to go to was just opposite my initial location. A journey of three minutes took about fifteen minutes. You see, his aim was to charge me extra money since I was ignorant of the geography of the place. Ignorance is dangerous. The Bible in Ecclesiastes says that more energy is needed when the axe is dull, but wisdom helps a man to succeed. If you are ignorant you will have to dissipate more energy on a thing. Many people lose money and other resource because they invest in businesses that they know little or nothing about. Knowledge averts wastage. This is why knowledge is priceless and must be chosen over rubies.
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Information alone is not complete knowledge. But gathering information is the first step to becoming knowledgeable, and reading is the cheapest way to gather information. Reading is a learned skill; nobody came with it from the womb. So quit telling people that you don‟t like reading or you can‟t read. If you want to, you can learn it. You have to choose to go for knowledge. The first step to take when you are going for knowledge is to gather relevant information either through reading, listening, watching and observing, or by carrying out activities. Then you can begin to sort those information that you have gathered into similar slots and that will take us to the next point.
Sorting Information This is the next step to take after information has been gathered. You sort them into different classes and parts, order and genre. Sorting is the act of separating information and putting them in part. If you don‟t do this, then confusion will set in. This is the major reason why kids have different books for recording notes in the class, because each subject represents a unique idea and different approach is required for teaching each subject. The method for teaching mathematics differs from that of basic science. Don‟t confuse yourself by absorbing every bit of information that comes your way without sorting them into different strains of like manner. The action steps that you can take when trying to sort out the information that you have gathered include; getting different books to record different subject matters in an arrayed format, you can study many books by different authors on a particular subject matter per time. Also, ensure to master or understand whatever it is that you are learning before attempting to dive into other areas of interest. Take things one after the other and you will enjoy the reward and ease that focus will give you. After you have successfully sorted the information that you have gathered, the next step is to create a pathway in your brain by storing those information in the subconscious part of your brain.
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Storing Information Storing information entails that you retain the vital and the most important part of the information that you have gathered and sorted. This may require that you go over what you have learned and carefully review them in order to gain mastery. Generally we recall things that we have studied more than once easily. The more you review what you already are aware of, the more they will stick with you. The goal is to get the information into your subconscious mind. Once this is achieved, it becomes impossible to forget what you have learned. Studies shows that about 70% of what we learn are soon forgotten within two weeks, including this book you are reading right now. Repetition is the key; you would need to go over what you have read again in order to register it in your mind. Then you can use the information whenever necessary without stress because a sufficient level of imprint has been created on your mind.
Add Education to Your Information As you increase your quest for absorbing information, it is equally important to know and understand what you are learning. You can ask yourself „why am I learning this? How can I apply this information? Is this information relevant or obsolete? To what end am I learning this?‟ When you are able to answer these questions successfully, then, you can be sure that the information you acquire is more than “mere” information but it has become knowledge. Until you are able to do this, understanding and wisdom cannot find expression because they can only ride on the wings of knowledge.
Blend With the Trend It is amazing to know that information increases at a very high speed in the twenty first century. There is absolutely nothing you want to know that you cannot know right now. Search engine such as goggle has made research and knowledge very easy to access. You can type whatever it is that you want to know about on the
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internet and within seconds a result (video, images, documents…) is out for you to see. Information travels at nanoseconds and at the speed of light in this our generation. The wise thing to do therefore is to blend with the trend. Go for the information that is with this century. I don‟t mean to say that you should not learn things from the previous generations, but don‟t be in the twenty first century with a nineteenth century mindset. You must be updated if you want to be relevant in this generation. You‟ve got to blend with the trend.
Chapter Three
The Dynamics of Knowledge Shallow Knowledge Knowledge is dynamic in its operation. Having information alone about something or a subject matter is not enough. Facts without details give birth to shallow knowledge. The concept of shallow knowledge is the reason why many people never become experts in an area or a chosen field. Whilst I am in support of learning new stuffs and being flexible by exposing yourself to new ideas, I would also advice that you pay attention to whatever it is that you have decided to learn. Shallowness is the major reason why many students seem to write exams and after which they cannot recall what they wrote in the hall. They tend to cram for exams, and once they are done, they dump the “knowledge” they have acquired. It is said that expertise is accomplished in not less than 10,000 hours of practice. This means that in order to really become an expert in a thing or a career, you must of necessity have to invest not less than 10,000 hours into it. Be it speaking, dancing, writing et cetera You may not know everything about everything, but is possible to know almost everything about something. We are limited by time and space as humans, and so, we may not be able to accumulate the details of everything that we come across, but we certainly can become experts in an area. We will need to pay a close attention to certain things than we do to others as we will see shortly. The major assignment is to find out those things that deserve more of our attention and those that deserves less of our attention and then begin to invest more time on the important stuff and less time in the less important stuff. For a student, attending classes, writing notes and doing assignment might be a top priority, while less time is invested in playing video games, watching soccer
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training, and watching a movie. Whereas for a soccer player attending a soccer training, playing a video game and going on an early morning jogging exercise might be his top priority, while less time would be invested in reading books, writing and doing assignments. My point is that, whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, but there are moments that we have to be strategic in our approach by investing more time to things that depicts value to us.
In-Depth Knowledge In-depth is the key to mastery. It opens the door for understanding to brood. No one becomes great by scrapping the surface in a particular field or sphere of influence. Athletes would tell you that, in order to win a hundred meter race, you would need to do a lot of personal assignments. I wish becoming a heavy-weight champion was easy, but, boxers can explain the rigorous trainings you would have to go through. You will not only need to know how to throw punches, you would need to understand the entire psychology and anatomy of the human face. Where to focus your target and where not to focus on, which part gives more point than other parts? Striving for in-depth knowledge will require that you give a rapt attention to every detail communicated. It will require that you understand the pros and cons, the highs and the lows, surface and the deep of a subject matter. To gain in-depth knowledge, you would need a lot of determination. You must open yourself up to an unquenchable and an insatiable hunger to know more. You must learn not to be satisfied with mediocrity and little knowledge. To do this however, you must engage yourself in serious repetitive study and continuous practice. I‟ve heard people say often “But I don‟t like reading” great! At least you have been able to identify a problem that you have, but first you must understand that reading is a learned skill, it is not inherent. You can cultivate the habit of reading and you see, the more you read, the faster you become and the more skillful you will also become. Dr. Ben Carson didn‟t start his career with a passion for reading, his reading life turned around when his mother made him to read two books every week, and by the time he went to medical school, he was using sixteen hours to study every day.
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Reading is not the only way that we learn. Whereas some people learn by auditory (listening skill), some prefer discussion or interactive study groups, still some would learn best with learning tools such as lists and flashcard, while others can only learn through kinesthetic learning (activity). Whichever way you achieve your own learning; you would need to initiative to be able to maximize in-depth knowledge. To do this, you can combine two or more of these learning skills to achieve in-depth learning Generally, I prefer reading and listening to a tape and I believe that anyone can learn it except for those suffering from dyslexia. If the blind and the deaf can learn, why the do you believe and convince yourself that you can‟t?
Divided Attention Vs Undivided Attention A divided attention is the reason why many people don‟t always get the full benefit out of what they are engaged in. It is not enough to be aware of something. Mastery cannot be gained by mere awareness. A person with a divided mind cannot focus and concentrate on one thing at a time. His mind is always wavering and moving To and Fro like a pendulum. On the contrary, the person with an undivided mind is focused and unperturbed regardless of any system of distraction that is around him. Undivided attention gives rise to in-depth understanding. You see, for you to understand a thing, you need to give it your full attention, focus and time. You don‟t walk on a bushy grass once and expect to create or map out a road, NO. You will have to walk on the grass more than once to make a traceable impact. The more you do this, the clearer the road becomes. This is similar to how we learn and retain knowledge. The more you pay close attention to what you are learning, the more the nerves and pathway that carries that information in and out of our brain are reinforced, and the easier it becomes to recall when we need them. But here is one caution for you; don‟t be so focused on your goals that you run your race, eyes always straight ahead like a horse with blinder on, unable to see
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other direction. Be wide eyed and flexible enough to see where your learning can take you.
Chapter Four
Knowledge is Infinite In chapter two, I wrote on the danger of lack of knowledge and the disaster that not being informed can cause. Let us take it a step further. In the bible God declared that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. This is interesting. His people are not destroyed because the enemies were so strong that they can‟t stand against them nor are they destroyed because they lack vision or passion. But they are destroyed primarily because they lack knowledge. Knowledge is the antidote to wastage and destruction. Destruction of all kinds can be traced down to lack of knowledge. Knowledge can enhance the quality of the life that you lead. Knowledge can remove stress. Knowledge dictates whether a man will become a master or a servant, a leader or a follower. Have you ever wondered why a managing director who seems to never stay under the sun receives more salary than the gatekeeper of the same cooperation? The answer is simple; “The quality of their brain set” there is what the general manager knows that the gatekeeper is not aware of. There is a difference between “Brain work” and “Muscle work” and the major difference is the ability to make wise decisions from a well-informed mind.
Knowledge Increases Strength The bible revealed another amazing truth about knowledge in chapter twenty four and verse five of Proverbs “A man with knowledge increases strength” This implies that the more you know, the more powerful you become. This is great! On the contrary, the less you know, the less powerful you will become. Have you noticed that nations with superior military intelligence win more battles? They achieve this easily because they have strategies and sophisticated weapons for every battle. Other nations with inferior weapons and strategies tend to use
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physical energy to fight. Nations with higher intelligence don‟t stress themselves; they allow their weapons to do the fighting. Knowledge increases strength. However, here again we have to take caution in our quest to become knowledgeable not to accumulate useless knowledge. We must be careful to avoid the bad effect that information overload creates because knowledge is infinite, you can amass as much as you want.
Information Overload Our generation is known as the information age. A generation where it is those that have the right information at the right time that reign and rule. The rate at which any and every kind of information is accessible is mind blowing. Accessing the wrong and the right kind of information is very cheap in the twenty first generation. And the truth of the matter is that information will continue to be easily accessible as more and more sophisticated communication machines are discovered. The implication of this however is that there will be information overload. We will soon have a generation that children will be filed with a lot of chunks even at a very tender age and as a result, decision making will be poor. This is the more reason why knowledge alone is insufficient in itself as we will see in the next chapter. Information overload is the excess information that is caused by the advancement in science and technology. It is my opinion that this generation be guided and mentored properly on the kind of information that is necessary and those that are not.
The All Knowing God Despite the fact that information is on the increase and will continue to be, it is very important and wise that we remind ourselves that it is only God that is all knowing. There is no level of knowledge that we can amass that will ever match up with the infinite knowledge of our maker. There is no height that science and technology can take us to that will ever measure up to God‟s standard of wisdom and knowledge. God is not limited by time and space and so, there is no searching
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of His understanding. His knowledge begins where ours stops. This is why He is called “Alpha” and “Omega” He is the only one that can predict the end even before the beginning. This is so important because in our quest to search for knowledge, we will soon discover that even the best amongst us have limitations. In Psalm 139, the psalmist wrote extensively on his limited knowledge and his inability to hide himself from God. Where else would he have gone to? In the deepest ocean God is there, in the heavens above, He is very much aware of what is happening. If God can know the motive of a man and all that is going on within his heart, how much more his physical environment? God knows all things and this is why He is God.
Chapter Five
Knowledge is not Enough Knowledge is the First Step Knowledge is not enough, yet knowledge is the first step to becoming wise. Wisdom is the ability to apply correctly what you know. How can you apply what you don‟t know? Knowledge is the first step, go for it. Do not attempt to become wise ignoring knowledge. You may never succeed. Knowledge gives wisdom the opportunity and the platform to showcase herself. Understanding is limited when knowledge has not been found. The degree to which you know is the degree to which you can understand. If you desire to understand purpose, the first step is to get relevant information about purpose, then understanding can brood upon the knowledge that you have acquired about purpose. If you intend to become financially wise, your first move should be to go for financial knowledge without which you can never make wise financial decisions. Knowledge in itself is not enough. Nobody becomes great just by having knowledge alone. But at the same time it is very crucial to note that knowledge must come first before understanding and wisdom can find full expression.
Knowledge before Zeal It is a great thing to have a dream, a vision and a passion, but you must never move into action just because you have a dream or a vision. Passion can be frustrated when the modus operandi of your vision is not known. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous. A person that moves too quickly may go the wrong way. Zeal can only be rewarded when the pros and cons of a thing is known. So, to your zeal I would advise that you add knowledge.
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Wisdom Finds Knowledge One amazing thing about wisdom, knowledge and understanding is in their intertwined nature. They invariably depend on each other to function properly. The relationship between them is strictly mutualistic. As a sea depends on the input of the river, and the river depends on the rain, so do wisdom, knowledge and understanding depend on one another. Wisdom finds knowledge. One out of the many characteristics of wise people that I have observed personally is that they are never satisfied with little knowledge. They always search for knowledge. They know that the quality of the actions they take is hinged upon the quality of their knowledge base. Whereas they know that knowledge is not enough in itself, they also know that wisdom is dormant without knowledge. Decision making will be poor without knowledge. Fools reject knowledge, they believe in their heart that they are wiser than seven counselors; as a result, they never go for knowledge. Foolishness is costly and the painful part is that most fools never recover from their foolishness. Most of them realize too late when the change is no longer possible. Turn your back on foolishness. Go for wisdom, but you can only do this by placing priority on knowledge.
Section Two
Chapter Six
What is Understanding? Dear Reader, The fact that you have read this book up to this level shows that you are not satisfied with mere knowledge. Hence, I salute your courage and I encourage you to read on as we take a step further in this section to explore the next treasure after knowledge. What then is understanding and how do I know when I have it? What can it do for me and how can I have it?
Understanding is Illumination Several years ago when I was in high school, our mathematics teacher would always ask us a question. He'd ring out with a loud voice „‟Do you understand‟‟? After each class before trying our knowledge by giving us a classwork or a take home assignment. There was almost usually a mixed reaction to that question, since mathematics was a subject that most kids found difficult. Most of the time, the intelligent pupils who were of course, settled at the front row would yell back at the teacher "Yes Sir, we understand‟‟ while the average kids at the middle row would remain silent. It was clear. They understood a bit but probably got stuck at some point. The kids at the last rows of the class almost always said a different thing. „‟No uncle we don‟t understand'‟ They would yell. Now, That disparity between the smart and the intelligent pupils at the front of the class and those who always look confused at the back side of the class is „‟understanding‟‟. Understanding is illumination. It is the state of being spiritually or intellectually enlightened. It is that „‟knowing‟‟ that results from acquiring the right and the requisite knowledge about a subject matter.
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Understanding is in a form of illumination. Illumination is basically the clarification or elucidation of a thing. Illumination is the road map that leads the way either in destiny, career, or in a classroom. But you see, illumination cannot operate on an empty mind; It requires Knowledge to function correctly. So you see, the word knowledge comes in here again. This is proof that while these tripartite treasures are independent of each other, they all depend on one another to function correctly.
Understanding Is Comprehension Next, Understanding is the ability to comprehend. Comprehension is the act or action of grasping with the intellect. It is the ability or the capacity to fully understand a subject matter. Understanding is the seed that produces comprehension. Lack of understanding produces low or partial comprehension. In the illustration that I gave under illumination, you would notice that the comprehending capacity of each set of pupils was reflected on their facial responses. One could certainly discern understanding levels from the confident and bold facial appearances of the smart kids to the dull and confused look on the face of the kids at the back. Just as the facial appearance of those children reflects on their level of understanding and comprehension, your life and destiny is a reflection of your level of understanding. The degree to which you understand life is the degree to which you will command result in life. The quality of the life you lead and the results that you produce in academics, destiny, marriage, business and other endeavors is a direct result of your level of understanding. There is something that the rich understands that the poor doesn‟t understand. There is something that those who are spiritually mature know that those who are spiritually immature do not know. God created us all equally, but the understanding of how life works and the natural principles of life is what separate us all into different levels. Thus, it is very important how we perceive life, because our results in life are dependent upon our comprehension of the same.
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Understanding Is Light Finally, understanding is light. Light in this case is not just brightness and luminescence but perception and enlightenment. It is the ability to perceive the meaning of a thing or its usefulness, in other words its functionality. It is that „‟aha‟‟ moment that is expressed when you finally grasp the scope or meaning of something or when something drops heavily on your heart. Light is the exact opposite of darkness. When someone is in darkness, his life will be in doom. Depravity of heart is as a result of a lack of light. Whenever light shines, darkness will give way. The two entities can never live together. When light or understanding comes to a man, ignorance must exit the door of his heart. Ignorance is a product of lack of understanding. When a man comes to the point of knowing, he has gained understanding and that will inevitably produce confidence in him. It is important to note that understanding cannot come to a man before accessing the required knowledge. Understanding is the direct derivative of a knowledge that has been accessed and received. It is the entrance of the word of God that gives light and understanding to the simple. Light and understanding will never come to the man that has not received the word. The word here represents knowledge. So in order to gain light or understanding, the first assignment is to go for the word. It is until after the word has been accessed and received that understanding can find expression. Understanding is limited without knowledge. A lot of people are moving around trying to make wise decisions in life without acknowledging this sequence. They break the protocols that will enable them to get what they want. You see, although the three treasures are entwined, they don‟t replace themselves. Understanding cannot replace knowledge, neither can knowledge replace wisdom. They may depend on each other but they cannot replace one another. The sequence is always knowledge first, then understanding. After this, wise decisions can then be made as a result of the facts that we have acquired and how well we have understood them. If this protocol is not followed, then ignorance will continue to exist and fear will be the ultimate outcome.
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Ignorance Causes Fear It was Bishop David Oyedepo that said „‟life is in phases and men are in sizes‟‟. It is amazing to know that a man‟s mountain is another man‟s valley. We might be made equally, but we are not all the same. It is what we know and can engage as a result of thorough understanding that separates us into different strata and sizes. Every form of fear can be traced to ignorance or lack of understanding. If a student is afraid of finishing school successfully, then, there is an information that makes man to finish strong that she is not aware of. A man that is afraid of losing his children due to witchcraft activities is void of a particular knowledge and he lacks understanding in that area. Knowledge is the antidote to fear. Never make an attempt to stop fear when you don‟t have knowledge. It will be a fruitless endeavor. Fear automatically gives way to the arrival of knowledge. Children are afraid of dark corners in the house because they believe that some „‟evil spirits‟‟ are lurking around somewhere in the darkness, but as they begin to grow up, having gone through the dark nights continually without really seeing any „‟evil spirit‟‟ their minds became programmed that darkness is just the absence of light and nothing more. Knowledge clears away fear that is produced by ignorance!
Chapter Seven
The Four Children of Understanding Understanding is like a tree that bears its fruits in due season. A tree will always produce its fruit if the atmospheric condition is favorable and the required nutrient supplied. In the same way understanding will always produce „‟fruits‟‟ when the conditions are met and as a tree is recognized by its fruit, so also is understanding identified or recognized by its children. There are basically four fruits that understanding produces. 1. Insight 2. Discretion 3. Discernment 4. Shrewdness Insight Insight is the first child that understanding produces. Insight is the power or the ability to see into a situation. It is the act of apprehending the inner nature of things or seeing intuitively. It can also be the ability to understand a person or a thing in a special way. Insight is penetration and it comes from our inner most thoughts, this is the essence of the „‟in‟‟ in the „‟insight‟‟. Those who lead in life, or in career, or in politics, or in sports or in business are men and women of great insight. Insight is not a function of age, sex or socialculture status. It is not a function of who you know, it is a function of what you know. There were many people that displayed this trait in the Bible, but the exceptional cases are that of Joseph, Daniel and King Solomon. For Joseph and Daniel, insight brought them from bottom to the top in a strange land. The king told Joseph “forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art” (see Gen 41:39)‟
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Insight turned him from a prisoner to a prime minister within a day. An interesting scenario took place when Solomon just assumed office as the king of Israel. Two prostitutes living in the same house had just given birth to two sons within the span of four days, one claimed that the other woman lost her baby because she rolled on it during the night, and then exchanged the children over the night while she was asleep. When she woke up in the morning to nurse her baby, she discovered that he was dead, then when she looked at him closely she discovered that, that was not her child. „‟It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine‟‟. The other woman interrupted, in front of the king. „‟No the first woman said the dead one is yours and the living one is mine‟‟. They both argued back and forth. Then the king ordered for a sword and commanded that the living child be divided into two to be shared equally. So a sword was brought and the woman who really was the mother of the living child cried out „‟oh no my Lord give her the child – please do not kill him‟‟, but the other woman said „‟All right, he will be neither yours nor mine divide him between us‟‟, then the king commanded that the child should not be killed, but to be given to the woman who wants him to live, for she was the rightful mother. (see 1kings 3:16-27). Many people attribute this judgment to wisdom alone, because it involved a decision making process. While I am in support of that, I will also like to add that it was a wisdom that was backed up by insight. Discretion Discretion is another child produced by understanding which performs a very similar function with insight. Discretion is usually the right to choose what should be done in a particular situation. For instance the case of Solomon and the two harlots. Discretion can also be seen as the quality of being careful about what you say and do in order not to offend others. Discretion enables one to make responsible decisions. In simpler terms, discretion is common sense. A person who is discreet will always weigh his options and then go for the right and the better option. The set of people that displayed a high level of discretion in the Bible were the sons of Issachar. The bible recorded that the sons of Issachar were men who had understanding of the time and know what their colleagues ought to do. (1
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chronicles 12:32 Paraphrased). They developed with prudence. They have been able to develop their senses so well that they could discern things not only for themselves but for others also. Now, if you check that scripture very well you'd notice that the sons of Issachar were actually very few in number compared to the rest of the other tribes. This shows that men and women who have discretion are very scarce. Not many people can use their common sense to make responsible decisions. You can only find few men who have wit and prudence. Discernment Next, we have discernment. Discernment is simply the act of perceiving something. The ability to see what is not evident to the average mind. To say it in another way, discernment is good judgment or the ability to discern with accuracy. The man that has discernment does not settle for what is obvious or what others claim, but on the motive behind each action. Just like discretion, and other children of understanding, discernment is not very common, not too many people have this important fruit that understanding produces. While discernment is spiritual perception, it is also the ability to consider broadly the reasons behind the action steps of others. While others start to condemn a prostitute instantly, a man with discernment would seek to really know the reason why she is a prostitute. Could it be that she is hungry and does not want to steal? Could it be that she was rejected by her loved ones? Could it be that she is just wired and wants to satisfy her sexual urges? Discernment appears to be very simple on the surface, but it is really more than what many people are interpreting it as. This is why everyone blames the government until they almost forget that they have obligation as citizens too. Discernment or good judgment can only operate when the Spirit of understanding is present in a man. Shrewdness Finally, understanding produces shrewdness. Shrewdness is almost the same with discernment except for the fact that shrewdness is marked by not just discerning but a clever and a sharp discerning. A shrewd person is sagacious and astute. When they brought the woman caught in the act of adultery Jesus needed to use this great key to save Himself and the woman at the time.
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An employer that has shrewd employees is highly favored because shrewdness produces competence. Two Common Denominators The two common denominators that connect the four children of understanding is meditation the spirit of understanding. 1. Meditation: Meditation is the act or process of spending time in quiet thought. Meditation cannot work in a noisy environment; you would need a cool location and a calm spirit to turn on the switch of meditation, without which these four children of understanding cannot find full expression. 2. The Spirit of Understanding: The spirit of understanding is the mother of the four children of understanding. It is only the spirit of understanding that can give birth to insight, discretion, discernment and shrewdness
Chapter Eight
The Laws of Understanding 1. The Law of In-Depth Study The law of in-depth study states that, the wider and deeper you study, the more you will understand. In-depth study is very powerful. Understanding comes easily when you broaden the horizon of your mind with the required knowledge. Never seek to understand a thing when you are not ready to dig deep into whatever it is that you seek to know. In-depth study will not only require that you study wide and deep into a subject matter, it will also require that you pay attention to what you are learning. Some people can list out all the books to financial abundance but if you ask them to give you the principles that can give you financial abundance, they become quiet. Have they read the books? Yes! Did they pay attention to what they were reading? Emphatically No. It is not enough to learn, you must understand what you are learning and also try to remember and apply that thing. 2. The Law of Asking Questions This law states that questions are the seed to clarity. Questions are the seeds that produce answers. If you ask, you can be sure that it will be given to you. Those that seek will find. People that ask questions never remain confused. Questions produce clarity. Whenever you sense confusion or darkness around you, the key to the door that will open your understanding is questions. Never feel embarrassed when asking about what you do not know, it is a sign that you love understanding and hate confusion. In as much as you desire to get understanding by asking a question, you must also be careful as to whom you ask a question. Don‟t ask a question from a wrong source, they can‟t give you the right answer and in that way, your understanding cannot be fruitful.
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Don‟t ask a person who never went to school to give you the tips to academics. Questions are very important, the more you know, the more you understand and the more you understand, the less confused you become. 3. The Law of Repetition The law of repetition states that consistency and continuity produces mastery. You stand a chance of gaining accurate understanding when you do a thing often. The law of repetition is what separates the master from the amateur, the professional from the rookie and the flawless from the learner. Repetition gives you starring and stability. When you study what you already know, it will become registered in your subconscious mind, this is the point of no return. Whatever succeeds in penetrating into the subconscious mind will stick with you, waiting for when you are in need of it. Repetition would require that you practice over and over again. Few years ago in my first year in college, I was going through one of my course materials alone in a classroom, but the course was looking very difficult, the more I read, the more difficult what I was reading appeared to me. Finally, I became tired of it and decided to pack my stuffs and go home. When I was about leaving I heard the Holy Spirit say to me „‟why are you angry‟‟? „‟ because I don‟t understand‟‟ I replied. Then He said „‟How do you expect to understand what you just went through for the very first time in your life‟‟? I was stunned, and from that day, I have this consciousness that it is not unusual to be confused when you are just learning or seeing a thing for the first time. It is repetition that will open the door to understanding. 4. The Law of Limited Knowledge The law of limited knowledge states that your level of understanding is directly proportional to the level of knowledge that you have. You cannot understand beyond what you know. Understanding rides on the wings of knowledge, your understanding will not be fruitful without knowledge. In order to avoid the disaster that the lack of knowledge brings, you must first of all admit your lack of understanding that is as a result of little or no knowledge at all. There are so many people that will never admit that they have limited knowledge, they go on blindly into what they know very little about and then are
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stunned and confused when the correct result is not coming forth. Admit your limited knowledge, you may have some level of result in some areas of your life, but you must also admit with humility that other areas are not producing the desired result because of lack of knowledge. When you have been able to successfully admit that you do not know enough, the next step would be to open up your heart to the required knowledge that can take away your ignorance. You see, admitting that you don‟t know something is not enough; you have to take a step further by going for the information that will take away your ignorance. Once you‟ve been able to achieve this, you can then move on by learning new things. Never stay satisfied with the information that you acquired yesterday, keep learning new things. This is how to avoid been obsolete and maintaining relevance.
Chapter Nine
The Rewards of Understanding In this chapter we will examine some of the rewards and benefits that having the spirit of understanding gives. 1. Establishment: “…….. By understanding is a house established” (Proverbs 24:3). Understanding establishes; the presence of it produces a solid and an unwavering conviction. A man with understanding produces results always regardless of the condition or challenges around him. Predictability of results is a product of understanding. Understanding gives stability. 2. Clarity and Precision: the way we all interpret life is a function of our understanding. Whilst some people live in the world of limitation, littleness and ordinariness, others live a fulfilled live by creating their future by themselves. They succeed in life because of their exactness and precision that is sponsored by understanding. Understanding gives clarity, when it is present, doubt and confusion ceases. A man of understanding does not guess through life. He lives his life with accuracy and precision. Students that have a teacher with the spirit of understanding will remain grateful for the rest of their lives because of the clarity and accuracy that they get from her. Never underestimate the power of understanding, it can give you rest from stress and shorten your journey in life. The clarity that is as a result of understanding gives focus and direction. People with direction don‟t beat around the bush; they know what step to take in every of life‟s endeavors. 3. Speed: the major reason why many experience delay as a result of repeated failures for a long period of time, is because they lack understanding. Many people will never agree or come to terms with this fact, either because of pride or arrogance. When you know the shorter route to your destination, you will never bother yourself going through the longer route, and that will save your time, energy and resources and at the same time give you speed
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Understanding can show you the route that is less traveled by other people, a route through which there is no competition. Other people may seem to be ahead of you, but when understanding comes upon you, it will be the vehicle that you will ride upon to overtake them. Believe this, understanding can give speed in life. What others take ten years of labor to achieve can be achieved in less than ten months when you know the right thing to do. Never ignore understanding; the journey of life will look too far without it. Embrace understanding that is the only way to avoid unnecessary delay. 1. Quality Action Steps: some students graduate from school knowing exactly what to do in their new environment. They wait on God until the spirit of understanding overshadows them and give them direction. Others graduate from school with a lot of celebration and jubilation, they usually will count all that they‟ve gone through in school and then dance with a smile on their faces because they believe that the stress of life has ended. They are happy because they are leaving their old environment without ever thinking of what their new environment looks like. They quickly forget that the lion in the jungle is more dangerous than those in the zoo and the friend they don‟t know is worse than the enemy they know. Rely Not On Your Understanding In your quest to pursue understanding, you will soon discover that all the rewards attached with understanding will start to operate in your life and because of this, life may appear to be easy for you than it is for others. When you get to this level, it becomes very easy to be puffed up, believing that you have been able to achieve all your success by your own strength and understanding. Understanding alone without God will fail you, this is so because the race is not to the swift. You must come to the point where you realize that God is your source and that your understanding is fruitless without him. David was a man of great understanding, he understood the future even more than the people in that future, yet he never did anything without consulting with God for a direction. Never rely on your understanding alone, it can fail you. Do not become too big that you will no longer ask God for direction and be flexible enough to change when He doesn‟t want it your way.
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Anyone with understanding and still depend on God for direction and permission can never be defeated, he may fall but you can be sure that he will surely rise again.
Section Three
Chapter Ten
What is Wisdom? The Parable of the Foolish Fellows There was a certain wise man, which also was regarded as the richest man in the city. He was very wealthy, with several investments. He owned and managed many companies and cooperation both within and outside the country. He was a man of vision, purpose and destiny. He was highly honored because of his wealth and wit. He had a sharp understanding with precision and was also considered to be to smartest brain in his town. This wise man was a mentor, a pace setter, a role model, and envy of every youth in his locality. The wise man was approached by three young men on a beautiful, cloudy Saturday morning. The young men met the wise man on his golf course, playing golf as his custom was, every Saturday morning in order to take a break and exercise himself every week. After pleasantries were exchanged, the young men quickly stated their reason for the visit. They wanted to learn the secret to becoming rich. “You mean, you want to know the secret behind my wealth, so that you can replicate the same result for yourselves?” The wise man asked. The young men giggled and nodded in agreement. The wise man was happy as he loved to teach others about his ideas. “Meet me in my house next Thursday so I can teach you the secret to becoming rich” The wise man instructed the young men. The young men agreed and promised to be there at the exact date and time that was given to them. On the day of their appointment, the young men were neatly dressed in shirts, jeans and boots, each holding his pen and paper and ready to savor and to draw from the well of wisdom of the rich man. “Ready guys?” The rich man asked. “Yes sir!” they replied, respectfully. “Follow me” the man said leading the way. He took them to a private apartment with the superscript “creativity room” The young men glanced through the room amazed and astonished by what they saw. They saw a well-furnished library! The wise man was an adept learner. In fact his books were
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his most precious treasures. Also, they saw some board games that were very educational that could engage and stimulate the brain too. “In your journey to wealth and prosperity, you must learn to be focused and take steps upon steps gradually”, the wise man began. “The first step that you must take if you desire to become rich is to create a hunger and develop the desire to become rich. I must commend your efforts to know how to make money and become rich by submitting yourselves for mentorship” he continued. “However, this is the least and easiest step in the journey. You see, although many people desire to be rich, only few ever become rich. Desire is not enough, even though it is the first step. Only about one out of ten people succeed in wealth creation. You must be very deliberate, diligent and determined”. The entire room became quiet, mused and mute. “I am happy, that you are quiet”. The wise man whispered. The wise man continued, “This will be the end of today‟s lesson, I want you to go and think about what I have said, and then return back next week Thursday as I unveil the second secret to becoming rich in our lesson two. Meanwhile go and study the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes before our next meeting, and report whatever you learn to me from those books of the bible”. “But sir, we have all read those pages of the bible before now” One young fellow said. “And how is Proverbs and Ecclesiastes related to money?” another asked. “Moreover, we‟ve come only to learn how to make money, not to learn the Wisdom of Solomon” The third boy said with equal desperation. “I understand your plight”. The wise man replied, trying to calm the young men down, "but you must learn to become wise before you become rich, you see, wisdom should come before wealth. Otherwise your wealth will kill you. Moreover, you will never be able to replicate and reproduce your result, if peradventure you lose your money, you will never be able to get it back and recover, because the knowledge to do it will be lacking. Money is like a vapor, it soon gathers and disappears, and it is only wisdom that can produce another one. Every wealthy man who is truly wealthy, have lost money at one point or the other. However, the people who are truly successful are individuals who placed value on wisdom over wealth. Wealth is only but a fruit of wisdom".
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Inspite of the words and advice the young youths received, they went their way and did not heed to them. They concluded that it was not what they wanted. “We want to make money” one of them said. “Yeah that‟s what we want” the others echoed in agreement. The wise man walked away from the room with a glass of wine in his hand. He knew he could help them no further. A lot of people in our world today perhaps reflect this story so well. They desire wealth but hate wisdom, they like success but dislike progress, they like riches and the feeling that being rich brings, but they hate taking risks of any form. It is quite disheartening to see people attempting to break records without the willingness to learn and understand the level of sacrifice, dedication and commitment that was invested to make those records. It is absolutely foolish to say “I can” without first asking “How can I?”
What Wisdom Is Perhaps one of the highlights of my life occurred when I was invited to give a talk and teach some young teenagers about wisdom. I was to do a three days series for them on wisdom. I considered the invitation, after some prayers and soul searching; preparations were made for my arrival. On the first day of the program, the atmosphere was tense and thick, and when I was invited to the podium with a clapping ovation, I walked up to the stage with my alligator shaped trouser, pencil tie and neatly ironed suit (I intentionally dressed that way because one of the wisdom keys I wanted to draw their attention to was excellence). And as I glanced through the crowd, I could sense immediately that the children were carried away by my dressing. I could hear one through his eyes “Wow, his dress is so beautiful” of course one of my aims was to capture their attention through my dressing so that I can teach them on the excellency of wisdom and how it could produce results. Somehow, I succeeded in turning their attention away from my dressing by letting them know that wisdom can produce result.
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To start with, here are my definitions of wisdom; I will define wisdom in 21 different ways.
Wisdom is winning in all situations, dominion over all matters. Wisdom is knowing what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Wisdom is the ability to do much with little. Wisdom is the ability to provide solutions to problems. Wisdom is the ability to align with the purpose of God. Wisdom is the ability to answer daunting questions in skillful ways. Wisdom is applied knowledge. Wisdom is light. Wisdom is the principal thing. Wisdom is life. Wisdom is the key that opens a door and the seed that produces fruits. Wisdom is the force and the fuel that produces uncommon results. Wisdom is the ability to manipulate and maneuver circumstances until the desired result is produced. Wisdom is the seed for greatness and the surety for success. Wisdom is any and every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Wisdom is the ability and the flexibility to flow with the move of the Holy Spirit per-time. Wisdom is winning souls. Wisdom is choosing to think and act rightly and uprightly in a wrong and dark setting. Wisdom is accuracy and direction. Wisdom is sharpness, precision and excellence
Chapter Eleven
The Four Kinds of Wisdom There are basically four kinds of wisdom; 1. 2. 3. 4.
Intellectual wisdom Sensual wisdom Devilish wisdom Divine wisdom
Intellectual Wisdom The word intellectual is actually derived from the root word intelligence. This kind of wisdom is the wisdom that is gotten from education. It is very cheap and easy to get, an average individual that studies in school receives this. This kind of wisdom is transferred from teachers to students. Intellectual wisdom comprises of mental prowess, intelligence and logic. Many times we see a variation of intelligence in the lives of many folks according to how the subject matter is understood and handled. When a teacher gives a class exercise to children in basic education, we often see a variation of the children. This is so because their level of assimilation, understanding and intelligence differs. Intellectual wisdom is not bad in itself, but it is very risky if that is the only form of wisdom that a man has. It is risky and not good enough to be logical about everything, critical thinking is good but cannot solve every problem there is, for instance, spiritual things cannot be perceived or understood by the natural or by an intellectual. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, this is why it is expedient for a man to have divine wisdom in addition to intellectual wisdom. Exodus 35 VS 31 (AMP).
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Sensual Wisdom Sensual wisdom is open to everyone, it is accessible by all. This kind of wisdom is not taught in schools, it is an inward knowing or witness that is within. Have you ever been asked “How did you know?” and you replied “I just know” or let‟s say that you want to go shopping in the supermarket, and someone ask you “What color of dress do you plan to get?” and you say “I don‟t know, but when I see what I want I will know”. Sensual wisdom is an inward knowing, it is another word for common sense or natural wisdom. It is common and natural in the sense that everybody can access and use it. Have you ever see a baby that closes his mouth and opens his nose to suck from the mother‟s breast? No, even a day old baby instinctively knows that the mouth is for feeding while the nose is for breathing. A little girl eating rice will not suddenly put a spoon of rice in her eyes just because there is no more power supply; she knows the location of her mouth even in the dark. So, you see, sensual wisdom is a natural wisdom and it is common to everyone. Another aspect of it is that it comes with age-experience.
Devilish Wisdom Devilish wisdom is the exact opposite of divine wisdom. It is a carnal, selfish, diabolic and manipulative form of wisdom. Devilish wisdom is a satanic wisdom. It does not obey rules and regulations. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is death”. Devilish wisdom looks very attractive at the very beginning, but those that follow it often realize that it is a big pit and a trap. Another characteristic of devilish wisdom is that it is anti-Christ and anti-God. Whenever you see something that is nice and attractive but is against the will, ways and the word of God, it belongs to this category of wisdom. When God designs for a young man to be pure and abstain from sexual sin until married and he is being preached into believing that sex is normal and that he can‟t stay without it because he has feelings and appetite for it and moreover it was God that gave him those feelings, he is been manipulated and overcomed by devilish wisdom. When God
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says that a man can stay pure, he meant it, and the provision for that to be possible has already been made for, if only he can tap into it.
Divine Wisdom Divine wisdom is the wisdom that comes from above. This kind of wisdom is first of all pure because it is from God and God is holy, divine wisdom is however foolishness to the natural man. Divine wisdom is a spiritual kind of wisdom and spiritual things can never be understood by the natural man. You can‟t calculate this kind of wisdom; neither can you use logic or experience to discern it. This kind of wisdom is a gift from God to his children that have His spirit within them. Divine wisdom provides instant solutions, it commands results and provide sweatless triumph. Divine wisdom makes for ease, it gives direction, it is never bias nor does it show any form of favoritism. (Proverbs 1:2, 2:6)
Chapter Twelve
How to Become Wise Now that we know what wisdom is (meaning and definition), let us now seek and attempt to know how to get it. First, to know whether a man is wise or not, you must examine his thought life through his words. A wise man will always speak to bless, upgrade, and admonish the listeners. They don‟t teardown or water down the ideas of others. They build and make others great. Also, the essence of wisdom is to produce fruits and results. Anywhere you see result, there is an atom of wisdom at work. And the degree to which a man can produce a tangible result is the degree to which his wisdom bank is filed. Finally, a man that can provide solutions to daunting challenges or problems is a wise man. Wisdom solves problems and provides solutions.
The Fear of the Lord At the very beginning of the book of wisdom, which is also called the book of proverbs, we were told how to get knowledge in the verse seven of chapter one. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” How then do we get wisdom? What is wisdom? Recall that one of our definitions of wisdom is “applied knowledge” So you see, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, meaning that the more you fear the LORD, the more you will amass knowledge, and the more you use the knowledge that you have acquired, the wiser you will become. Obedience to instructions is key to getting wisdom. Many folks break this law just because they usually do not see the connection or link between the “fear of the LORD” and the access to wisdom. But we don‟t follow God intelligently, we follow Him foolishly as He leads us wisely. To fear the LORD is to love and live according to His rules and regulations. The laws of the LORD protect us from all forms of evil and foolishness.
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Prayer The place of prayer is the place of wisdom, and the place of wisdom is the place for solutions. What is prayer? Prayer is simply communication with God. Notice I say WITH and not TO God. This in my opinion is one of the biggest problems of many people. They pray all kinds of prayers asking and petitioning God for many things which is good on one hand, but they become too “noisy” and “hasty” that they don‟t listen to get a reply from their maker. An average believer has been trained and tutored on how to pray, but not trained on how to hear or get answers from God. The proof and evidence of this fact is that many people cannot even recall what they prayed about after about fifteen minutes of their prayer. If you can‟t remember what you prayed for, how will you know when the answer has arrived? Learn to listen for answers when you pray. God speaks and His words are wisdom. His instructions are accurate, precise and excellent. Here are seven things that prayer will do for you in relation to getting wisdom 1. Prayer will saturate the environment of your heart. 2. Effective prayer gives birth to instructions and obedience to such instructions can make wise a man. 3. Effective prayer births inspiration which in turn births creativity. 4. Prayer will open you up to answers and solutions which is the hallmark of wisdom. 5. Prayer gives you an edge into the realm of the spirit, and when you have an edge in the realm of the spirit you can‟t fail in the physical. 6. Codes and signals (wisdom keys) are picked up in the place of prayer 7. When you invest your time in communing with the spirit of God, you will have intercourse with the Holy Spirit and because of that, all of your decision making process will be influenced by the spirit of wisdom. Study The key to mastery is consistency and continuity. Here again we have our definition of wisdom which is applied knowledge. What is knowledge? Knowledge in two words is information + education. How can we
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access information? We can access information through reading and studying and the more informed and educated we are, the more knowledgeable we become, so also the more we apply what we know, the wiser we become. You see, there is the gift of wisdom and the spirit of wisdom. The spirit of wisdom is responsible for deep revelations and the continuous flow of inspiration. The spirit of wisdom is however attracted by maintaining a studious life. Wisdom is tied to knowledge and understanding. The more you stretch your mind by reading good books, the easier it becomes to access wisdom. Here are thirteen reasons why you must study: 1. You study because you value wisdom. 2. Study because you want to learn. 3. You study because light, illumination and understanding is key to gaining wisdom. 4. You study because zeal is not enough, you must be well informed before taking any major decision. 5. You study because you want to erase ignorance. 6. You study in order to get accuracy. 7. When you know more, the journey to greatness becomes easy. 8. Study broadens your mind and at the same time renews your mind. 9. You study because you don‟t want to be ashamed. 10.Study multiplies your grace and gives an edge. 11.Study makes your progress more notable and desirable. 12.Genuine study gives a sound mind and a sound mind produces an excellent spirit 13.Study gives you knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Giving and Sacrifice The two great men that displayed the highest form of wisdom that the world has ever seen are Solomon and Jesus Christ. For Solomon, the Bible records that he gave a thousand burnt offerings to the LORD, and God had to appear to him in a dream. In order words, he pulled a string that in turn had a ripple effect on his life. When God asked him what he wanted, he
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asked for wisdom to lead God‟s people aright. God not only give him wisdom, He gave him riches, influence, honor and favor. He became so wise that no king could stand him before and after his reign. Jesus, whom the bible declared to be the power and wisdom of God, operated a higher dimension of wisdom at a higher frequency than that of Solomon. Yet, he too paid a price for his wisdom. In fact he was the sacrifice and the price himself. He gave his life for the remission of the sin of man. He is called “The lamb of God that taketh away the sin of men” Jesus is an epitome of love because of his sacrifice. He gave and gave himself while here on the earth. He would heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, cast out devils, and attend to children. He was doing this even when he was tired and needed to rest. If you desire wisdom, you must learn from the example of these two great men. You must be willing to give and sacrifice. Your sacrifices must rise like an evening sacrifice to fill your heavenly account before the rain of wisdom can be poured down on you. God cannot be mocked, you will only reap what you sow. If you sow sacrifice and selfless service then, when your cloud is full the showers of blessing (wisdom) will come upon you. God is no respecter of persons; the law applies to anyone that will choose to pay the price.
Ask for Wisdom “If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God (who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly without reproach or faultfinding, and it will be given him” James 1:5 (Amp) This is the easiest route there is to wisdom. Asking, a symbol of humility signifies a deficient or probably an insufficient level of wisdom at work in the life of man. However you must be very sincere and deliberate in your asking. It is only intentional men that can host God‟s kind of wisdom. Elisha‟s master Elijah was about to be taken from the earth, it took a deliberate and a desperate effort from
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How to Become Wise
Elisha to get the double portion of his master‟s anointing. In similar vein, wisdom cannot be released without deep hunger and passion. Recall also that even after Solomon had offered the great sacrifice, wisdom didn‟t fall down from heaven automatically, he asked for it. It is only those that ask that receive, only those that seek, find and the door will only be opened to as many that knock (Matt 7:7)
Walk With the Wise Anyone that walks with the wise will be wise; the companion of fools shall be destroyed. It is only an iron that has the capacity to sharpen another iron; other materials made of different stuff do not have that capacity. Choose and walk with wise friends.
Chapter Thirteen
The Reward of Wisdom Wisdom has rewards. Just as the gathering of vultures signifies that a carcass is by the corner, so also the presence of wisdom attracts certain benefits. You can know that a man is wise by the result that he produces. Just anyone can claim to be wise, but it is those whose lives produce results and bear fruits that are truly wise. Let us consider some of the fruits and rewards that wisdom produces.
Riches Riches are a crown for the wise. One out of the many rewards that wisdom brings is riches. During the days of King Solomon, the Bible recorded that silver was very common. It was in excess. Men and women who desired to hear the Wisdom of Solomon came with so many gifts. Because of the governmental Wisdom of Solomon, he was not the only one that partook from the riches that wisdom brought, the entire nation of Israel was in wealth and peace. They enjoyed health because a great man of wisdom was on the throne. Honor Another reward that wisdom can give a man is honor. Wisdom attracts respect and public esteem to the carrier. Wisdom has the capacity to promote a man from nothing to something tangible. It can spread the fame of a man abroad. Ease The wise man noted in the book of Ecclesiastes that if the axe head is dull, great labor will be required, but wisdom helps a man to succeed. The essence of wisdom is to help a man succeed. A repeated circle of failure and hardship is an indication that wisdom is lacking. Wisdom helps a man to succeed, that‟s one of its functions.
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Safety In Ecclesiastes seven, the Bible tells us that money is a defense and wisdom is a defense too. A man of wisdom lives in safety, unperturbed by the challenges around. Wisdom does not fight battles, wisdom avoid battles. Again and again the scriptures remind us that a man of wisdom refrains from anger, it is only fools that enjoy quarrelling. Favor Wisdom is one great key that increases favor upon the life of a man. When everyone is looking for you to bless you, there is wisdom at work in your life. Lack of wisdom can result into a lack of favor. When Mary gave birth to the Lord Jesus, wise men came from the East to bless him with their gifts because he was the epitome of wisdom. Promotion The key that will open the door to your next level is wisdom, not just connection. It is wisdom that will connect you to the right people. Never attempt to promote yourself, all you need to do is to increase in wisdom, and you will soon discover that a new environment marked with favor and honor is calling you. Excellence Everything that was around King Solomon was excellent. From the food they served him to the throne he sat on, everything was done with a high level of excellence. Wise people are organized people. Wisdom brings order and serenity to the life of a man. Wisdom is calling you, reject mediocrity.
SHALOM
