Witty Ideas

I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. (Proverbs 8:12)

Wisdom doesn’t do its job on its own; it operates and dwells with prudence. What is prudence? It’s the careful, thoughtful approach to what you do and how you live. Prudence is the opposite of being impulsive. It’s pausing before you speak or act. It’s really the act of self-control rather than self-indulgence. Prudence can be described by the carpenters’ words, “Measure twice, cut once.” 

This verse in Proverbs tells us one thing prudence will do. Wise people read the Word, listen to God’s voice, and live a prudent lifestyle. To them, God will share knowledge of witty inventions. Believers should be known for their witty inventions. Think about the things you use in everyday life: the paperclip, the post-it note, the zipper. All these inventions were created because someone saw a problem and looked for a solution. God’s wisdom finds answers when other people see obstacles.

George Washington Carver, a wise man and inventor, said that the wisdom that he gained didn’t come from textbooks and schools. He prayed in the Holy Ghost and asked God for wisdom and revelation. Carver’s many ideas for peanuts, inks, dyes, and plastics changed the world. No man could have taught him those things. He wrote that his wisdom wasn’t just intellectual; his wisdom came from God.

How did a small store selling chicken sandwiches that closed on Sunday out profit McDonalds and Burger King? Chick-fil-a grew and became extremely successful because the owner purposed to sow into the kingdom and honor God by being closed on Sundays. Although that seemed counter-productive and counter-intuitive to the world of fast food, it was an idea of wisdom from God Himself that was blessed with favor. Don’t trust money. Don’t trust the world’s wisdom; seek God for answers and insight and it will yield far greater results than the world could ever bring.

Practical Application

When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to give you His insight about things you see around you. When there is a problem, seek God’s supernatural wisdom and witty solutions and be bold and brave enough to step out and do things no one has ever done.

Exodus 31:3; 1 Kings 7:14

Be Holy, Not Hasty

He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. (Proverbs 28:22)

Imagine for a moment a treasure hunter who hears about gold in a snake’s pit. Ignoring the serpents, he quickly dives in, pushing poisonous snakes out of the way with his bare hands because he hopes to find some of the gold deposits the old timers told him about. He doesn’t stop to think that the snakes could be poisonous or to plan how to get them out of the way before he dives in!

This is the image that Proverbs 28:22 gives us when it mentions those who hasten to be rich. Haste usually robs us of wisdom, causes us to compromise our beliefs, and hurts others in the process.

Many times, I’ve seen people who used to love God, but after they gained wealth, they lost what was most important in life. I remember one member who started out broke. He came in for counsel about finances and life issues and suddenly got incredibly wealthy by following Scriptural wisdom. However, as soon as he had a full bank account, he stopped coming to church. The money changed him; it changed his attitude; it changed his entire family, and not long after that, they were dead. They didn’t get to spend the money they had because they were gone. 

I have heard time and time again people who say, “Once I have time, then I’ll come to church more often, but right now I have to make extra money,” or “As soon as I have this amount of money in the bank, then I’m going to bless the church.” No, they won’t. Money will not help you establish proper priorities; it will just magnify your current priorities. If you don’t make time for God now, you won’t when you have more money.

If you don’t sow seed now, you won’t when you have more money. God blesses us for a purpose - to bless others.

Practical Application

Your legacy is not about what is left in the bank after you die. Your legacy is about the lives you touched and transformed and the generosity by which you lived. Find ways this week to be a blessing to others and don’t just live for gaining more wealth.

1 Timothy 6:9; Mark 7:22

Rich or Poor?

There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. (Proverbs 13:7)

Proverbs 13:7 presents a seemingly contradictory statement. It says there are rich people who have nothing, but others who are poor but have great riches.

Isn’t being rich having all that you want? No.

Wealth can be an illusion. Although it looks like someone has a life you want because they live in a big house, drive fancy cars and are known by so called “important people,” what you don’t see is that they are dying inside. They have a horrible relationship with their family and worst of all, they have no relationship with God.

On the contrary, the Scripture says those who give their money, sow seed into their church, and into other’s lives and chose integrity over profit and compassion above compensation find themselves incredibly rich. When we invest in those God has put in our path, when we are faithful to the people and the places we believe God has called us to, we can see true wealth that lasts for eternity.

Money is fleeting and can go up or down in value depending on the season, but investing in kingdom purposes and kingdom people will last forever.

The Bible is clear that you will give an account one day for how you invested your time, your treasure, and your talents. Make wise decisions and wise investments about how you spend what you have on this side of eternity.

Practical Application

God’s favor is the most important thing. Evaluate how you are spending your time, your talents, and your treasure this week. Ask yourself, “Am I investing in people? Am I sowing into kingdom purposes? Am I having conversations and moments that will echo into eternity?” Then make adjustment as the Holy Spirit ministers to you.

2 Corinthians 6:10; Revelation 3:17