Q. Hello, Wisdom. How do I find you?
A. Elbow grease.
R. That’s great. I didn’t sign up for work. I have spent many years claiming to be an expert at doing nothing. There goes my perfect record.
It’s easy to view wisdom as an out-of-reach state of being that only the golden child born once every couple of millennia can achieve. In reality, we don’t put in the time. It’s often said that 10,000 hours is the benchmark for mastering a skill, which is just shy of 5 years at an average workweek. That count doesn’t factor in the prerequisites needed to begin the apprenticeship. This time is spent with focused effort, culminating in mastery. Why should I think wisdom is different? In an article titled “Perspectives of Wisdom-ing,” psychiatrist Adam Blatner proposed that wisdom be viewed as a verb instead of a noun. We know from our elementary school grammar lessons that a verb is an action word. I need to engage if I plan to make any headway, and it’s an ongoing effort.
King Solomon is often regarded as a person of exceptional wisdom, arguably the greatest. In 2 Chronicles 1:7, God invites Solomon, “…Ask what I shall give thee.” The text didn’t offer multiple-choice options of A, B, or C. The prompt was open-ended. While I can’t say I would respond the same way, Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge to lead his people. An old Chinese proverb applies here: ‘The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step’. We aren’t given an account that demonstrates a foolish Solomon performing a 180. There was wisdom in his first step. While God flourished the rest, Solomon had to keep moving forward. Ecclesiastes 7:25 builds on this when Solomon states, “I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom…”
Despite my least efforts, the idea of skipping practice and going straight to perfect is a fantasy. I have been repeatedly reminded of this in my recent attempts to make sourdough bread. A quick internet search yields what appears to be countless videos showing the ‘flawless’ process in a short three-minute video. A couple of months in, and my bread is still far from something you would find at a bakery (at least it’s edible). Is it possible for a person with no prior experience to watch one brief video and begin baking artisan-style bread? No. It doesn’t work that way. Consistent effort over time is required on our part.
2 Timothy 2:15 encourages us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman…” I appreciate the term ‘workman’ in the text, because it implies active effort, not idle time, that leads nowhere. To begin on the path to wisdom, let’s follow in Solomon’s footsteps. He first wanted it, and then he applied himself to finding it. Even Jesus developed wisdom over time. Luke 2:52 states, “ And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature.” This verse separates the 12-year-old Jesus from the 30-year-old Jesus in the following verses. His growth may have taken as long as 18 years. As much as it pains me, let’s get to work and make America wise.
