Worldly Wisdom vs. Biblical Wisdom

Most definitions of wisdom are wrong.

Wikipedia defines wisdom as “sapience, or sagacity is the ability to contemplate and act productively using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.” I know that Wikipedia is not the most respected source of knowledge, but this definition is common.

There is a vast difference between worldly wisdom and real wisdom—biblical wisdom.  Proverbs 3:1-12 describes what biblical wisdom is.  It might be helpful to see that definition compared with being smart or worldly-wise.

Biblical wisdom prioritizes the commands of God (Proverbs 3:1-4).

A biblical worldview accepts the fact that God is the Creator and His commands are wise.  Therefore, it is important to focus on the commands of God even when we do not understand them.  Worldly wisdom glorifies our understanding of the relationships and insights into the nature of things around us.  Biblical wisdom focuses on what God was and what He wants.

Biblical wisdom trusts God (Proverbs 3:5).

It humbly acknowledges the foolishness of my human understanding. The smarter you are, the more you want to depend on your own intellect and insight.  Yet Proverbs tells us to abandon our own understanding for trusting in God—for faith.  Biblical wisdom humbly acknowledges that the knowledge and wisdom of God are far superior to our own. It is exponentially superior.

Biblical wisdom connects all life decisions (Proverbs 3:6)

In all your ways acknowledge Him.

Not part, or some of our ways.  Every aspect of life must be brought under the Lordship of Christ.  Biblical wisdom does not compartmentalize life. Human wisdom has no problem dividing the secular from the sacred setting aside or reserving parts of life for ourselves—either for our own pleasure or for our judgment to rise above God’s.

Biblical wisdom recognizes the active supernatural presence of God in the course of life (Proverbs 3:6).

Human intellect denies the supernatural. It wants to reduce all life experiences to explainable events that hopefully can be controlled by human choices. The worldly-wise man wants to be in control.  The biblically wise person sees God in control and at work everywhere– even in our mistakes. This is why the overall surrender to God in life supersedes the frailty of our knowledge, intellect, experience, or even skills.

Biblical wisdom demands the subjugation of personal judgment (Proverbs 3:7).

Worldly wisdom trusts its own judgment above all else. Yet biblical wisdom says we must not lean on our own perception of the world but rather live by faith in a God who perceives the universe perfectly.  The fear of God must be over my own fear, pride, or self-confidence.

Biblical wisdom sees pain as a blessing (3:11-12).

Worldly wisdom looks at the difficult events of life as bad luck, persecution, evil, stupidity, or a number of other explanations. It acknowledges God but does not have wisdom and sees things that happen in our lives that we do not like as His judgment or chastisement, or even His blessing upon us. Biblical wisdom sees the providential Hand of God at work, especially in the painful things that we endure.

Putting all these things together leads us to one key difference.  Worldly wisdom values and depends upon itself.  Biblical wisdom despises the deceptive nature of the human mind—even brilliant ones—and places implicit faith in God and His revelation.