Wisdom – The Forgotten Gift?

“Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). As we read these famous words of our Lord Jesus, we might well find ourselves asking ‘How?’ How does our Lord equip us to carry out this tremendously important task?

For 20 years now I have had the privilege of serving in a variety of contexts and with a number of Christian organisations all grappling with this very question. And there is much we can and do point to in answering it: God gives us His Spirit, His Word, the gospel to proclaim, the church, a variety of spiritual gifts, and prayer, to name just a few. How wonderful!

But lately I have been wondering if there is a gift we sometimes overlook in such discussions. Something we could perhaps call the forgotten great commission gift – wisdom.

There is a remarkable moment in Proverbs 8 when Lady Wisdom – wisdom personified – declares that she was present and active when God brought the world into being:

“I was there when he set the heavens in place, …. when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was constantly at his side.” (Prov. 8:27-30)

This is very significant: God used wisdom to create the world. His wisdom is woven into the fabric of creation. Its principles govern creation’s moral structure and order.  If we want to navigate life in this world well, we need this wisdom of God! And, conversely, if we lack it, we will cause ourselves (and probably others) trouble.

“God used wisdom to create the world. His wisdom is woven into the fabric of creation. Its principles govern creation’s moral structure and order.”

From Lady Wisdom again:
“For those who find me find life and receive favour from the LORD.
But those who fail to find me harm themselves.” (Prov. 8:35-36).

What do missionaries need as they apply for visas in creative access nations? As they navigate team dynamics? As they mentor local leaders?

What do church members need as they navigate conflict? As they sit beside a terminally ill cancer patient, seeking the right words? As they make plans to reach people in their local area?

What do you need as you seek to be a light for Christ in your context? As you play your part in carrying out the Great Commission? Of course, we will need many different things in those different scenarios. But one thing we will all need in each is God’s wisdom.

“We can have deep theological knowledge and still act foolishly as we seek to share that very knowledge!”

If I reflect on some of my own mission and ministry moments that haven’t gone well, I realise that what I lacked was not usually theological knowledge, but rather, wisdom – be it interpersonal, cultural or strategic wisdom. We can have deep theological knowledge and still act foolishly as we seek to share that very knowledge!

The good news is that God gives His wisdom to those who seek it and ask for it (James 1:5). And one key way he gives us wisdom is through the wisdom books in the Bible.

This semester in Principal’s Hour, we have been working through the book of Proverbs. It has been an absolute delight to witness our community genuinely striving to grow in wisdom, and spurring one another on.

You might like to join us via the link below or our Principal’s Hour podcast.