Central Truth

We have the Holy Spirit to give us God's wisdom and guidance.

Reflections

Paul acknowledges and differentiates between two types of wisdom:  worldly wisdom and spiritual wisdom. Paul feels it necessary to make this distinction because the Corinthians were proud of their intelligence and worldly wisdom. Their wisdom was gained from the world and not in seeking God's wisdom.  

Recently, I had the good fortune of receiving a huge dose of "spiritual wisdom" and the Holy Spirit's good guidance.  My husband and I frequently pray for God's guidance and wisdom.  After a concussion a few weeks before, Barry had fallen at least eight times on one particular Saturday.  He was totally uncaring about falling a ninth, tenth or even more times. This was not like him. In exasperation and frustration, I prayed to God with tears in my eyes as to how to handle this changed man.  

Spiritual Wisdom 1: Immediately, a person's name came to mind.  I called her and she knew exactly how I should proceed. She calmly instructed me in how to get my husband admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, he began deteriorating so quickly in the hospital, that by Monday, I was told by a case worker that he should be admitted into a nursing home.  

Spiritual Wisdom 2: Again, I cried out to God in prayer on how to ensure that Barry was properly taken care of; again, a friend's name came to mind who could help me so that I could delay Barry's release one more day. By the end of the third day, everyone in the hospital saw the hourly decline of my husband's mental and physical condition. The next morning a CT scan was taken which indicated he had a subdural hematoma that required emergency surgery to release the pressure on his brain.

Barry has recovered and is back home again, but without the wisdom provided to me by the Holy Spirit, he might not be here today.  "Ask, and it will be given of you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)  I'm glad I sought God's wisdom not man's wisdom.
    
 

Discussion Questions

1. Have you sought God's wisdom?
2. Why is it important to understand the difference between spiritual and worldy wisdom?
3. Have you had an experience where the Holy Spirit gave you wisdom that was different from man's wisdom?