Practical & Spiritual

I find that so many people are confused when it comes to how they should apply wisdom in their lives. Life can present you with so many variations of life situations to where it can be difficult to ascertain how to use wisdom in decision-making. To me there are two types of wisdom: Practical wisdom & Spiritual wisdom. I grew up in a family where I received both kinds of wisdom from my parents.

My father was a man’s man. He always got up early in the morning before the sun rose, he worked with his hands, and he disdained laziness. My dad had his own way of doing things. He wasn’t the most organized person, but he knew where everything was. He wasn’t the holiest of men, but he loved God and his family. He wasn’t the best communicator, but he knew how to talk/interact with all people (no matter their class or social status). He wasn’t the most educated, but he had a wisdom and work ethic that surpassed most people. Certain things he taught me about life will always remain close to my heart.

Now my mother on the other hand has been instrumental in providing me with understanding on things of the spirit. Sometimes I feel she may be over-spiritual in some ways, but I respect her beliefs and values nonetheless. She has taught me Christian values and helped me to gain a desire to read the Bible. When I was a small child my mom bought me a picture Bible, and it was my favorite book. It was basically a comic book of Biblical stories.

The Bible is the foundation of Spiritual wisdom. There you will find quotes of all kinds of wisdom in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. You will learn how the men, women, prophets, kings, queens, Jesus’ disciples, and leaders lived their lives. How they sinned, how they prayed, how they repented, and how they sacrificed their lives for their beliefs/values. If you don’t read the Bible, you’ll never understand all the aspects of how to live a godly lifestyle.

I always tell kids and young men I may mentor, “If you don’t know your history, how can you truly understand your-story.”

I feel one of the best ways to get Practical wisdom is to live life and learn from it. Even though that sounds simple enough, it isn’t as simple as most would think. Simply because a lot of people have issues with a lack of humility, a rebellious attitude, anger, and pride. These character traits will make it tough for anyone to learn from life… and those traits will even cause old people to remain immature. A lot of wisdom you’ll never learn by reading a book, it will come from being observant and having a heart that seeks after it.

Proverbs 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Job 12:12 – Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.

Matthew 7:8 – For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.