The Four Defining Marks Of A Wise Person

Proverbs 4:7

“Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom,

and with all your effort work to acquire understanding."

Several weeks ago I gave our BSM students a list of four attributes that wise people possess. I wanted them to have a checklist of sorts when it comes to deciding the kind of person they allow to influence their lives. How did I arrive at these four? Well, I simply looked at the definition of the Hebrew word for wise: hakam (no need to remember that, no one is ever impressed by your knowledge of random Hebrew words, trust me).

Like any Hebrew word, hakam comes with multiple definitions. It shouldn't surprise us that the word for "wise" is layered with meaning and extremely multi-faceted. So I believe these four marks to be most helpful when trying to determine who you should allow to speak into your life. I would consider this somewhat of a checklist when evaluating the biggest influences and loudest voices in your life.

4 Marks of a Wise Person:

1. SKILLFUL

Wise people possess skill, which is different than natural ability. Ability is what you’re given and skill is what you earn. This means that growing in wisdom requires a certain level of dedication and commitment. Proverbs 22 goes on to say in verse 29 that the skillful will “stand before kings.” In other words, having skill results in having influence.

Whether it’s art, academia, or athletics, wise people accept the fact that being successful and effective never happens by accident. Often the way that God brings about something significant on the earth is by equipping His people and calling them to action. He doesn’t just make us good at stuff, He calls us to work at stuff! He didn’t give Noah a boat, He gave him instructions. He didn’t give Moses the promised-land, He gave him a promise and a staff. He didn’t give the apostles churches to lead, He gave them the Holy Spirit and the great commission. You want to meet a wise person? Find someone who has given blood, sweat, and tears for years and has developed skill along the way.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE

Wise people have their life in order. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. You don’t have to be organized, structured, or a type A freak (like me) in order to be administrative. Administrative, instead, means that you possess the ability to manage. In the kingdom, we call this the principle of stewardship.

In Luke 16:10 Jesus says “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Here’s the bottom line of administration; value what you have.

If you constantly live in the future and neglect the present it will lead to a cycle of repeating the past. Allow me to be straightforward. If you desire to have a significant dating relationship but don’t value the friendships and family you currently have, you don’t deserve one. In other words, if you want a girlfriend but can’t treat your mother right, you’re out of order. Or, maybe you desire to have a nicer car but you neglect to take care of the one you’ve got. That, too, is out of order.

Being wise means establishing your life in the order of God. Managing your time, your money, and your relationships well brings honor to the God who has gifted you with all of those things. Order in the small things prepares you to handle responsibility of the big things. You wouldn’t put your money in a vending machine that says “out of order.” Neither should you expect God to bless a life that’s out of order as well.

3. LEARNED

Wise people are educated people. This doesn’t refer solely to schooling. The greatest education is experience. A wise person is not just someone who has experienced a lot but rather someone who has LEARNED a lot from what they’ve experienced.

We’re supposed to grow through what we go through (at least that’s what an inspirational poster once told me). Life circumstances are the arena for emotional and spiritual growth. Tests and trials will come regardless of the kind of life you live, Christ-centered or not. The sad thing is, so many people experience the heartache and pain that comes with life and don’t learn from it.

The book of James famously challenges us to “consider it pure joy” whenever we face trials because we know that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Perseverance, says James, is the key to every believer becoming “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The express purpose of trials in our lives is maturity. Tests will come, the question is, are you passing them? Wise people are those who have been through many tests, learned from them, and passed with flying colors.

And finally,

4. MORAL

Wise people are righteous people. The epitome of wisdom is living with vision for what’s ahead. Think of some of the world’s greatest innovators and creators: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, etc. These types stand as bastions of intelligence because of their unique ability to see into the future and create technology that advances mankind.

But true wisdom sees even further than the future, into eternity, when we will all stand before God individually and answer for the lives we lived. Morality is not just about living a good life. It’s about living a God-aware life.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” To have a fear of the Lord means to live life intentionally as though before a judge. Here’s a sobering but imperative thought: MORALITY begins by recognizing your own MORTALITY. Realizing that your life will come to an end one day and is subject to judgement will affect how you live it. So living wisely cannot happen a part from living morally.

QUESTIONS

If you’ve stuck with me this far, I applaud you! Here are three questions that you can chew on today as you contemplate what you’ve read:

1. How well does my life match up with these four attributes?

Do some serious self-evaluation and ask those closest to you for feedback on each of these areas of your life.

2. Who are the three most influential people in my life and how do they measure up to this list?

The only way to grow in these attributes is to be exposed to others who are champions in these areas. Take serious stock of the influencers in your life, including the podcasts you listen to, the preachers you follow, and the friends you turn to for advice. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to purge but you may have to do a better job of filtering. I know I do.

3. What habits can I begin forming to help me increase in each of these areas?

Day to day life is determined by our habits. We will not grow if we don’t form habits that help us do so. Work on a daily routine that will help stretch you in these four ways.