The Source of True Wisdom

Wisdom is a precious spiritual value. Wise is not necessarily someone who knows many things but the one who knows the most useful things. However, the beginning of wisdom is the acknowledgment of one's ignorance. Knowing what you don't know is characteristic of wisdom. Realistically speaking, there is no one who is wise in everything. Yet, the truly wise person knows that whatever wisdom one possesses must not be kept to oneself but it should be shared with others. In this way, even more wisdom will be given to the wise giver! With wisdom, one may acquire wealth, but wealth cannot buy wisdom. The wise person is a truly free person, even when he/she is deprived of physical freedom. Where there is wisdom, there is no fear of anything. Wisdom can also heal the body of its passions. Blessed is the person who finds true wisdom, proclaims King Solomon in Proverbs. Wisdom is worth more than anything else, as the person who found true wisdom could be happy amidst all circumstances. True understanding of reality enables one to be joyful. Of course, the ultimate wisdom is finding the truth about God, oneself, the world and the purpose of life. Consequently, to be wise is to know how to live and act so that the purpose of one's existence may be accomplished. The profit from wisdom is far higher than the profit from money, possessions, fame and power. Indeed, nothing one could desire compares with wisdom. How foolish is the person who grieves over the loss of money, overlooking the fact that amidst that loss he/she has gained something more precious: wisdom! And, in time, this wisdom will surely bring him/her even riches with honor. To find understanding is to be able to explain correctly what is happening inside you and around you, as well as why it is happening. Wisdom, says King Solomon (Prov. 3:13-18), carries in her right hand the gift of long life! When a person knows how to think, speak and act wisely, the same protects his/her health from many hazards. Wisdom enables one to eat properly, to maintain a good balance of emotions, to work in moderation and look after his/her body, to choose the right relationships and interact properly with fellow humans, to respect and protect nature and other living creatures, and to constantly renew his/her strength through meditation and other spiritual practices. Indeed, wisdom is a tree of life for those who hold it fast, and makes them blissful. All wisdom's paths are pleasant and peaceful! True wisdom comes from the spirit within and its excellence cannot be compared with worldly wisdom. Jesus demonstrated the difference when he chose uneducated fishermen to become his disciples and deliver his divine message to the world. Of course one should not disregard secular education and science. On the contrary, man must diligently pursue them. The wisdom that comes from the Spirit causes one to live a godly life, to be peaceful and a peacemaker. Such a person knows that strife is the mother of every evil and that warfare should never be employed as a means to the solution of a conflict. The wise know that violence breeds more violence... Furthermore, the spiritual wisdom is compassionate. It is not disposed to severity but is full of toleration, mercy and good deeds. The wise people produce good "fruits" in their life; in fact, they are recognized by their very deeds, just as a good tree is recognized by its healthy and delicious fruit. Godly wisdom is without partiality. A person who is blessed with spiritual wisdom treats people equally, not been affected by their wealth or poverty, by their status or the lack of it. The wise knows that all people are made in God's image and likeness and so they deserve the same respect and love. The truly wise person abhors hypocrisy. Since such a person lives in the light, pharisaism, deceitfulness, insincerity, pretense and the like are alien to his/her nature. Wisdom is not stubborn but is willing to reason and could be easily persuaded, if it recognizes that someone else is right. Promptly and humbly yielding to the truth is not a sign of weakness but of strength. The prudent gives careful attention to the advice of a wiser person and, if necessary, modifies his/her behavior accordingly. Such a person is on the path to more abundant life. Of course, it takes wisdom and humility for someone to accept reproof and take notice of another person's instruction. The humble person, by readily being open to knowledge and the advice of the prudent, will gain more wisdom. On the contrary, the foolish and haughty would rather keep erring than accept correction and guidance from another, even if the latter were an admittedly wiser person. Invariably, where there is pride there is folly. The proud person refuses to recognize his/her ignorance, mistakes and shortcomings. Such person never enters into a sincere self-examination in order to correct oneself. As a result, sooner or later, the same will suffer disgrace, since pride paves the way to one's destruction. This seems to be an axiom in life. A haughty spirit will drive a person to his/her downfall. But why should pride lead a person to destruction? Isn't a man free to be proud, if one chooses so? He/she surely is, just as one is free to be a liar, a drunkard, etc. However, as in everything else, an unwritten law seems to be in subtle action here, and this law works out the proud person's chastisement. It appears that the Creator's sovereign statutes serve to promote a person's highest good, through his/her moral edification and spiritual progress. Since the root of pride is self-centeredness and lack of love - vices with negative consequences on the whole person - the spiritual aspect of man tries to awaken the person's conscience, always in accordance with one's highest good. Vices cause confusion in one's mind and this may ruin one's life. In conclusion, the truly clever person pursues godly wisdom!