Dag Heward-Mills
Wisdom is only useful when it is used. Wisdom makes you rich when you apply it practically in a real way.
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour” (Proverbs 3:13-16).
The Bible says that if you are a multi-millionaire, all your riches together are deficient when placed beside wisdom. There is wisdom to be gained and there's a lot of wisdom to glean from nature.
For example, studying ants can give great wisdom to the simple. King Solomon studied animals and it made him wise.
He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. HE ALSO TAUGHT ABOUT ANIMALS AND BIRDS, REPTILES AND FISH. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings 4:32-34 (NIV) We have the opportunity to learn from ants who work without supervision. People who do not have this wisdom have to be supervised constantly because it is dangerous to leave them unsupervised.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Proverbs 6:6-9 If you are the type of worker who needs no supervision, you demonstrate that you have the wisdom of an ant. You also demonstrate that you are not wasting the opportunity to use this wisdom of the ant. If your employer needs to employ someone to supervise you, then your supervisor will have to be paid the extra money that could have been given to you. Remember also that your supervisor will have to be paid more than you are paid. When you need supervision, your value is less because you are further down in the hierarchy of the organisation.
I watched a documentary of an American airline which crashed somewhere in South America. It was a Boeing 757 with about 195 people on board. The co-pilot was the one flying the plane, and not the captain. One survivor recounted that he heard the co-pilot saying, “We are approaching the airport. The weather is very good, visibility is clear, and we expect to land shortly.” Suddenly, they heard a loud bang and the lights went out. This survivor woke up later on in the hospital. Just after the passengers had been assured of arriving safely, a terrible accident occurred and almost everybody was killed. There were only four survivors!
The recorded conversation between the captain and the co-pilot was revealing. The co-pilot was terribly lost. He had flown the plane completely off course and straight into a high mountain. Unfortunately, this co-pilot was somebody who needed to be supervised constantly in order to avoid killing many people. And that is exactly what he did when he was not supervised. If the captain himself had been flying the plane, it might have been a different story.
I know some private businessmen in my church. If I were to go to their offices at eleven o'clock in the night, they would probably be there. At midnight on Sundays, some of them may be found in their offices working. Nobody tells them to work; neither does anyone admonish them to rise up early to go to work.
I know people who started out as drivers, but have risen to become managers because they needed no supervision. If you are reliable enough to work without supervision, you will rise. Do not waste the opportunity to use the wisdom that comes to you through nature.
When the opportunity comes to apply the wisdom of God many Christians make fun of it. When you suggest to people to study nature and learn the wisdom of the animals that God has created, they laugh at you. Have you ever wondered why some people love nature and wildlife? There are so many things to learn from the things that God has created. Even the nature of God can be learnt by studying the things that God has created. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, BEING UNDERSTOOD THROUGH WHAT HAS BEEN MADE, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20, NASB).
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