Wisdom: Free for the Asking

Over this past year the world has been swamped with scientific and medical expertise, all shared with authoritative self-confidence and impeccable wisdom. But I can’t help wondering, Where is the source of such wisdom? I am reminded of a king who was considered the wisest man who ever lived. King Solomon recognized the responsibility before him and asked God for a discerning heart to govern God’s people and to distinguish between right and wrong. It goes without saying that God’s reply should be well noted: “So God said to him, ‘Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be’” (1 Kings 3:11-12). Would that those who are in the ‘know’ be wise enough to seek the same Source Who’s expertise has no measure!

As to Wisdom itself, it is an attribute that “is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:15). It is held back from no one, with only one stipulation. Jesus’ half-brother, James writes in the book named after him, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt”(1:5-6 my emphasis). God’s Word makes it very clear that wisdom isn’t something that is held back from anyone. It is free for the asking when asked with a clean and pure heart!

I’m sure you would agree with me that on the human plane, wisdom is something that comes with the passing of time. Life experiences build character, keep us humble, and hopefully instill a willingness to use those life-lessons to benefit ourselves and those we love. Granted, it does take time, perhaps years, but by the time an individual has reached an age when he or she is considered older (not old!), they should be looked upon as someone who can still make a positive contribution to society. They have gained an understanding and wisdom that they did not have  when young. However, despite having lived the longest and journeyed through life’s lessons, they are often ignored, forgotten or considered helpless and fragile (old!). Nothing could be further from the truth! With the freedom to return to the gym, it might be surprising to many that a high percentage of seniors can be found walking the treadmills, working on various strengthening units, lifting weights, and stretching on rubber mats! I know, I’m one of them! So, I can’t help thinking that today’s generation would do well to reap the benefits of the aforementioned wisdom from such an elite group instead of patronizingly setting them aside, ignoring them, or worse yet, using them as a tool for humour.

Case in point…

The story is told of a young up-and-coming lawyer and a senior citizen who were seated next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer thought, “Seniors are so dumb, I could get one over on this guy easily.” So the lawyer asked if the senior would like to play a game. The senior just wanted to take a nap, so he politely declined and tried to catch a few winks.

The lawyer persisted, saying the game would be a lot of fun and proceeded to explain: “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me only five dollars. Then you ask me one, and if I don’t know the answer, I will pay you five hundred dollars.”

That caught the senior’s attention and to keep the lawyer quiet, he agreed to play the game.

The lawyer asked the first question. “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?”

The senior didn’t reply but simply reached into his pocket, pulled out a five dollar bill, and handed it to the lawyer.

Then it was the senior’s turn. He asked the lawyer, “What goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?”

The lawyer used his laptop to search all the references he could find on the internet. He sent emails to all his brilliant young lawyer friends, but none could give him the answer. After thirty minutes of searching, he finally gave up, woke the senior and handed him a cheque for five hundred dollars. The senior promptly pocketed the cheque and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, not knowing the answer was driving the young lawyer crazy. So he woke the old man and asked, “So what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?”

The senior reached into his pocket, handed the lawyer five dollars and promptly went back to sleep.

The moral of the story: beware of underestimating the wisdom of a senior!

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 1:7

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10