W is for Wise

Wise is very different from being intelligent.

For example, I knew this really intelligent girl (who would later end up as valedictorian of my first high school) who for some nutty reason believed that Mormons had horns that glowed in the dark once you turned off the light. I mean, she ran out of the band room once when my sister turned off the lights after a long day of practice. She may have had all the so-called facts in her brain, but she never quite comprehended that regardless of difference of belief, human beings just don't have horns.

But this is an extreme example. Let's use a more simple one. You may have heard it before: "Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. But Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad."

Basically, you may have all the facts, but lack the understanding to apply them.

I knew this Ukrainian lady who used to say, "There are a lot of doctors who know smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol are bad for them, yet they do it anyway."

So, how can we be wise? How can we apply wisdom to our intelligence?

The world confuses 'smarts' with wisdom a lot. But a high IQ is not a sign of wisdom.

Personally, I think real wisdom requires humility. It is less impulsive than having 'smarts'. For example being 'street smart' may buy a punk 'street cred' and help him navigate a dangerous neighborhood. But a truly wise person tries to get out of the bad situation entirely, and starts by avoiding dangerous entanglements. A wise person admits to the need to learn more and keep learning. A wise person thinks before speaking. A wise person hesitates before making judgments. And a wise person allows for the possibility of being wrong.

The opposite of wise is foolish.

Fools are impulsive, mostly. It is YOLO thinking.

In fact, what cracks me up about YOLO thinking is that it is that thinking that makes your life so short. It just puts the Darwin Awards in mind.

So, a challenge for you all today. To change the idiot trend of YOLO, we should be thinking "You've Only Got One Life...don't waste it."  You've got only one chance to make an impact on the world, as you will not pass this way again. Partiers are not remembered. They are forgotten. The wise leave a legacy of good behind them, and they are remembered and quoted.

 To put it plainly, it is the difference between Lindsay Lohan and Emma Watson. Both are/were talented actresses with lots of potential. But one is tabloid fodder, and the other is working for the UN trying to make a difference in the world.
 

Why is Wisdom a Godly trait?

Honestly, God's wisdom is something only fathomable to those that know Him. The world sees God's wisdom as foolishness. But His wisdom is more in what He values and what He wishes we would value. And what does He value? Our true growth and salvation.

W is for Wise.