Wise men store up knowledge,
but with the mouth of the foolish,
ruin is at hand. 

Proverbs 10:14

So, we’ve spent many days discussing the great need to obtain and use godly wisdom. But there is a lot to know about wisdom and there is so much knowledge out there and so much to learn. How can we possibly retain it all? How can we even begin to store it safely in our hearts and minds?

Great Questions! Here are five things we can do to wisely store up knowledge.

• This is MOST important! Read your Bible and Pray and Worship Every Single Day!
  • There is a timeless children’s song about read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow. Neglect your Bible and prayer and you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink! We adults need to remember that!
  • Those who claim Jesus as their Savior have an intimate relationship with Him. Why would we neglect talking to Him and listening to Him and just hanging out with Him in praise? If we treated our other personal relationships the way we treat Jesus, we would be truly very alone in this life. Jesus First! Great wisdom is a side-effect!

• Realize we are not God and we cannot know everything!
  • This may seem obvious but for the overachiever this is an important first step. God has given each of us specific skill sets and abilities and interests. We should increase in knowledge within those God-given areas.
  • A brain surgeon has to know an awful lot about the human body and the brain specifically. She may love to cook and researches recipes and international cuisine in her free time. But she may not know a thing about auto mechanics. So, she takes her car to the car experts and stores up all she can within her medical expertise and her love of cooking. 

• Read, read, and read some more!
  • Read not only in the areas of your skill sets and gifting, but also of your interests and then read, even casually, about many diverse things. And, if possible, read from actual books and magazines and newspapers. More and more is being discovered of the adverse effects on our brains with too much screen time and blue light and not just in kids…adults too.
  • Our brain surgeon may not know anything about automobile mechanics, but she would do well to learn a few things and get wise counsel from family and friends who do know about cars so when she does take her car to a mechanic shop, it will be less likely that she will be cheated or underserviced.  

• Surround ourselves with people who know more than we do.
  • These folks should be from a lot of different areas and skill sets. Both those who agree with our worldview (this should be the majority) and those who do not agree with us. Not everyone in your circle should look like you, act like you and know what you know. That’s counterproductive and limits your growth in wisdom.
  • It’s not about making a list of people you need to meet and probably annoy with your questions. Not at all. It is about paying attention to who God brings into your life and value there input into your life and so they can value what you bring into their lives. It is reciprocal. 

• Get outside and enjoy Creation!
  • This may seem counterintuitive to gaining as much knowledge and wisdom as we possibly can. But it is vital! God created us to move, to work physically, to be out in His creation. Keeping our bodies physically fit (doesn’t have to be training for marathons) is key for good mental and emotional growth and stability. It actually clears our heads and sorts out all the clutter up there! This allows us to get back to gaining knowledge with refreshed minds and emotions and ready to grow in wisdom.