Wisdom: A much needed gift and skill

With Pentecost comes hope for restoration of the spirit, a spirit that will transform us and lead us in the direction that bears fruits. The infilling of the spirit promises us many gifts and among them is wisdom a gift much needed in these times of uncertainty and chaos.

When I was in my teens and devouring my novels and books, my dad used to remind me that I will not find wisdom there, knowledge perhaps but not wisdom.  He always said that if I wanted wisdom- read the bible. He was right, we will not find wisdom in the corridors of intellectualism or we would not be lamenting today of the poor leaders we have in the world who put ideology before peace, pride and personal interest above welfare.

As a teen I did not heed the call seriously – as in most cases words of wisdom take time to sink in. Wisdom as mentioned in bible or that was sought by Solomon was not the wisdom of a sage or philosophers but rather a wisdom given by God and rooted in virtues.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).

Then when it came to making decisions about my life on where to go and what to pursue when choices are many or if life should deal a harsh blow and throw me off balance, my dad always told me to rely on the following prayer:

Lord grant me the grace to accept the things I cannot change , courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

(by American Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, 1932-33).

We come to realise that many things in our lives are beyond our control and we need to know when to let go and to hold on and persevere. It is a serenity prayer seeking wisdom to accept God’s plan to take place and accept His will for us. It is a prayer to “be still and know that I am God”. It is prayer when we know God’s thought are not ours and God’s ways are not ours. He knows our past, present and future. He holds us in the palm of his hand and knows every detail of our lives. Wisdom a gift and a skill to endure life’s trials, tribulations and pain with joy knowing that everything happens for the good.

It is also a prayer for discernment to know when to act, when to speak and what to do.  It is a prayer for divine grace to intervene in all that we do and live. Wisdom is an insight that allows us to act carefully, tactfully and courageously.

As quoted by my teacher Gerard Koe, wisdom is the divine ability to pull together existing knowledge in the most meaningful manner in order to bring about the highest outcome to any problem that we could possibly face.

Hardships, suffering and pain give birth to wisdom. Unfortunately hardships and pain can also harden the hearts of men. In a world where pandemic and economic crisis have shaken both the rich and the poor world, men continue to pursue their own goals – nations have become less cooperative, a cold war is brewing, frustrations have set in, people lose patience and resort to violence and politicians seek their own interest.

In a world of uncertainty and chaos now more than ever, we need to pray for wisdom for leaders of the world, for the people who have suffered so much and are in the brink of losing hope, people who are indifferent and for ourselves so that we will have insight to make right choices and accept the circumstances that are beyond our control knowing that God is in control.

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. (James 1:5)

SR