“Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise and apply your heart to my knowledge; For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips, so that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you” (Proverbs 22:17-19).
An old spiritual has a line chocked full of truth; it declares “Everybody talkin’ ‘bout heaven ain’t a-goin’ there.” A similar statement can be made about wisdom: Everybody interested in wisdom ain’t a-gonna be wise. An interest in it is not the only requirement wisdom has.
In this passage, Solomon notes four essentials to obtaining and retaining wisdom. These are:
Identify. To become wise, you first have to discern who wise people are. If you give attention to the wrong people, things will get worse for you instead of better.
Listen. “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise.” The counsel of the wise is prioritized over all the noise fools fill the air with. To be wise, you must be quick to listen to wise people.
Apply. “Apply your heart to my knowledge.” Wise counsel is practical in nature; therefore, its immediate application to your thoughts and actions is non-negotiable. Wisdom must permeate your heart because it is more than a simple intellectual exercise.
Retain. “It is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips.” Wise thinking and behavior need to be habitual in your life. They need to be your “conversation” (KJV)—the way you “walk” (NKJV) through life. Wisdom is your lifestyle. To live wisely is to live circumspectly—living with precise and accurate obedience to God’s will (Eph. 5:15-17).
The blessing of living your life wisely is you have prudently chosen to live by obedient faith in Jehovah. Well done!
