by Stephen Judd
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We are living in the most informed generation in history.
Information is in our pockets. Answers are seconds away. We can search, compare, research, and analyze almost anything.
And yet, despite unprecedented access to knowledge, relationships fracture, emotions flare, cultural pressure reshapes convictions, and regret follows impulsive decisions.
We don’t have an information problem.
We have a wisdom problem.
And wisdom isn’t something we stumble into. It’s something we learn to walk in.
If God asked you…
In 2 Chronicles 1:7, God appeared to Solomon and said:
“Ask! What shall I give you?” —2 Chronicles 1:7 NKJV
Imagine being given that opportunity.
No limits. No restrictions.
Solomon could have asked for wealth, long life, power, or victory over his enemies. Instead, he prayed:
“Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people.” —2 Chronicles 1:10 NKJV
He didn’t ask for advantage. He asked for perspective.
And God granted it.
Proverbs 4:7 says:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.” —Proverbs 4:7 NKJV
If God asked you today, “What shall I give you?” what would your answer reveal about your priorities?
Seeing life from God’s point of view
Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view.
It is more than intelligence or information. It is learning to interpret our decisions, reactions, relationships, and opportunities through a God-centered lens.
Knowledge gathers facts.
Wisdom governs decisions.
And that difference becomes especially important in the ordinary moments of life.
James 1:19 tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
We live in an instant-response culture. Instant messages. Instant opinions. Instant outrage.
But spiritual maturity is rarely instant.
Proverbs reminds us:
“A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.” —Proverbs 29:11 NKJV
Wisdom does not deny emotion. It disciplines it.
Much of life’s damage happens somewhere between impulse and reflection. Wisdom creates space between the two.
Knowledge is knowing what to say.
Wisdom is knowing whether to say it.
Sometimes wisdom looks like silence. Sometimes it means waiting before responding. Sometimes it requires surrendering our need to prove that we are right.
When culture says otherwise
Wisdom is also tested by the culture around us.
Proverbs 14:12 warns:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” —Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
Something can feel normal and still be wrong.
Cultural compromise rarely announces itself as rebellion. More often, it sounds reasonable, practical, and harmless.
Culture asks, “What works?”
Wisdom asks, “What honors God?”
Knowing what is right is not the same as living wisely. Wisdom chooses obedience even when obedience is inconvenient, unpopular, or costly.
Where wisdom comes from
If wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view, then we cannot become wise apart from Him.
Paul tells us that Christ “became for us wisdom from God.” —1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV
Wisdom is relational before it is instructional.
The closer we walk with Christ, the clearer we see.
Drift from Him, and perspective drifts.
Walk with Him, and clarity grows.
Scripture gives us a simple path for growing in wisdom.
Relationship. Wisdom grows where intimacy with God grows. Daily fellowship with Him shapes steady spiritual instincts.
Revelation. Scripture is “able to make you wise.” —2 Timothy 3:15 NKJV The Bible does not merely inform us. It forms us.
Request. James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.” —James 1:5 NKJV Prayer for wisdom requires the humility to say, “Lord, correct me if I’m wrong.”
Reverence. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” —Psalm 111:10 NKJV Wisdom begins in surrender.
A simple filter
When a decision is difficult and the answer is not immediately clear, a few questions can help bring God’s perspective into focus:
Is it biblical? God will never lead us contrary to His Word.
Are my motives pure? Am I seeking what honors God, or simply what benefits me?
Is it peaceable? Godly wisdom does not delight in unnecessary conflict.
What will this look like long-term? Wisdom looks beyond the immediate moment and considers where a decision may eventually lead.
Can I thank God for this afterward? Can I make this decision in the name of the Lord and genuinely give Him thanks for it?
These questions are not a formula for eliminating every difficult decision. They simply help us slow down long enough to seek God’s perspective rather than trusting our first impulse.
Knowing the right destination is not the same as following the directions.
Wisdom is not just hearing truth. It is obeying it.
What the storm reveals
Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount by describing two builders. Both heard His words. Both built houses. Both faced storms.
The difference was obedience.
Storms do not create foundations.
They reveal them.
Wisdom is not ultimately measured by what we know. It is revealed by what we build on.
Proverbs 8:35 says:
“For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD.” —Proverbs 8:35 NKJV
Wisdom is not hidden.
The tragedy is not that wisdom is unavailable. The tragedy is that it is ignored.
So perhaps the most important question is not, “Do I know what is right?”
It is, “Will I build on it?”
If God asked us today, “What shall I give you?” may our answer be simple:
“Lord, give me wisdom.”
Because when we learn to see life from God’s point of view—and choose to walk that path—we begin to live it God’s way.
Explore the Full Message
This reflection is adapted from a Bible study also available on this website. You can read the expanded message or watch the original sermon.
