CHASING WISDOM ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF WISDOM. Dr. Phil Johnson

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1 CHASING WISDOM Dr. Phil Johnson The topic of wisdom is inexhaustible. Many people have tried to define it, to understand it and to live it. Maybe it s hard to define, but we all know when we run into that person who just has it. That individual who just gets the deeper things of life and lives differently. Wisdom is that deep insight that understands how the world works, how it fits together, what things mean and how to sort through the unexpected twists and turns of life. It s been said that the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) And who wants to be a fool?! ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF WISDOM Intelligence and knowledge An understanding of human nature. Emotional resiliency. Humility. 1

2 An ability to learn from experience. Openness. Superior judgment and problem-solving skill. A belief in a primary source of truth from which to operate. THE BENEFITS OF GETTING WISDOM Wisdom helps in the negotiation of life. Wisdom impacts your relationships. Wisdom impacts how you see and connect with God Wisdom helps you process information in a clearer context. Wisdom impacts the way you lead others. 9 WAYS TO CHASE WISDOM 1. Get a biblical view of wisdom. 2. Chase wisdom, don t wait for it. 3. Disturb the universe. 4. Hang out with smart and interesting people. 5. Be driven (motivated) by something bigger than yourself. 2

3 6. Ask questions. 7. Chase longevity - lifelong usefulness. 8. Chase wisdom to know what you believe. 9. Pass wisdom on to others. 3

4 I D RATHER... Phil Johnson, Ph.D. August 3, 3015 Exactly 11 months ago I published a blogged called, "I Believe..." It was a simple list of things that I believed about the world and what matters. In the same spirit, I d now like to present a new list called, "I'd Rather..." I think many of you will agree, understand and prefer the same things that I've put on the list. Now, there are some things that I didn t included on my list, because I think they are so obvious, they don t need to be mentioned. For example, I rather potatoes be more humble, I d rather Canada figure out why it matters, I wish cilantro, the spice, was a banned substance - like assault rifles, I d rather Justin Bieber sort himself out and stop complaining about 4 first world problems. But my list is a little different - and I believe that you can actually have many of your rather s from my list. To have those things that you d prefer in your life - you often have to make active choices, about health, work, lifestyle, your personal standards and the people you let into your life. A lot of the things that we might prefer can be had, by simply making a few better choices in our own lives. I D RATHER. Have a good nights sleep than experience the big events in life. According to Jeremy Dean, The major events in your life are not as directly important to our well-being as the little hassles and uplifts of everyday life. What affects people most - regarding happiness is a good night s sleep, time with the right people and family. Live my life in reality rather than to fantasize about it. One way people commonly motivate themselves is by using fantasies about the future. The idea is that dreaming about a positive future helps motivate you 4

5 towards that goal. Beware, though, psychologists have found that fantasising about future success is actually bad for motivation. It seems that getting a taste of the future in the here and now reduces the drive to achieve it. (Jeremy Dean, Surprising Findings from Psychological Studies ) Someone tell me the truth, even if it s not what I want to hear, than waste my time. Time that I will never, ever get back. Time that could be used to make better choices and invest in better people. Have the loyalty of one or two people than the applause and flattery of the masses. Popularity comes and goes. People are fickle. You re the best thing in the world now, and forgotten tomorrow. But a true friend and supporter stays with you through all the ups and downs of life - and loves you whether you re on the top or the bottom - or somewhere in between. And with this type of person, you KNOW It - you never have to wonder about it, worry about it or question it. It it self-evident, based on the character of the person in question. And with this gift, you build a history, stories and continuity for life. I d rather do it the right way, even if it takes longer, than take short-cuts and participate in corruption. There are lots of reasons people take short-cuts. It s faster who s going to notice everyone is doing it But taking short-cuts, participating in corruption, simply reinforces character qualities in you that will be hard to weed out later. Pay someone to do a job that meets my time schedule than have a volunteer who follows through according to his time schedule. Paying the money is so much more worth it than trying to rely on unreliable volunteers. Live out a suitcase if it means the opportunity to change the way young (and not so young) people think about life, the world and God's place for them in they world. Comfort, convenience and money are overrated. 5

6 Partner with people in life who share my values rather than those who just pretend to share them. (Or those who simply share your values until until something more interesting comes along ) Give things away, and voluntarily be generous towards others than to waste time expecting people to give back into my life. This rarely works. So, I d rather just show kindness and generosity as God gives me an opportunity and just let it go - with no expectations. Invest in the lives of those who need help and encouragement in places that are difficult. Like Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq and other places of conflict than to have a safe comfortable life - that was lived only for me. Ask tough questions about my faith - and have the freedom to doubt, study, ask and dig deeper. And to come back with a deeper faith - one that continues to shape my life. God is powerful enough to hear and understand my questions and doubts. And to reveal Himself to me and His plan for my life. I'd rather be so much more than what I am... 6

7 I BELIEVE Dr. Phil Johnson September 3, 2014 Yesterday, it was reported that a second US journalist, Steven Sotloff, was beheaded by ISIS. This comes two weeks after James Foley was executed the same way. The brutality is unbelievable. In light of what s going on in that part of the world - and the effects that are being felt in my part of the world - and with another anniversary of 9/11 coming up, I thoughts I d share some statements. Some things that I have come to believe very firmly. I believe That evil is real and active in the world. It is not just misunderstandings and cultural differences. There is evil. And it is real. That freedom is an inalienable right from God. That all people should be free to choose his religion, his thoughts and exercise free speech. Yes - even if i disagree with it. That true freedom also comes with great responsibility - freedom doesn t mean I can do anything I like - but it does mean I can think as I like and worship as I like and share my ideas as I like. That forcing people to convert, public amputations, lashing women, cutting off journalists heads and publicly displaying dead bodies to terrorize local populations is NEVER doing God s work. None of it is consistent with God s character. None. Of. It. That wars happen, that innocent people are sometimes killed and that most people and nations pursue self-interest. But using journalists as terrorist propaganda, killing anyone who doesn t agree with you, raping women and recruiting and training children as terrorists is different. And evil. And should be stopped. 7

8 That it s interesting how many FB friends lit up social media against Israel, when she was defending herself against Hamas, but none of them seem to be concerned at all about ISIS. There is something very, very wrong with people and their thinking. Darkly and indefensibly wrong. That political correctness causes more problems than not. Being overly afraid of offending people has allowed entire cultures, freedom and ways of life to come under threat. That people are easily mislead by media and disinformation campaigns. That David Cameron (UK Prime Minister) made some intelligent comments recently. He was clear about the different between extremist Islamists and Muslims who worship peacefully and involve themselves in kind works. He was also clear about what needs to be done about the threat of radical Islamic terrorists. That Barak Obama is seriously confused by the nature of the world - and that is not good for the US or anyone. 8