Colossians 2.1-3
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Scripture guides us in how to seek and learn wisdom and skill. According to the book of Proverbs, the key to a wise and skillful life is the recognition that God has created moral and practical principles that govern his universe. I call this “the physics” of God’s creation. It is the architecture of reality.
The wisdom described in the book of Proverbs comes from God, and it is essential for an effective and fruitful Christian life. A deep relationship with Jesus is necessary for access to the Lord’s wisdom.
In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul prays for our wisdom: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” (Philippians 1:9-10)
Wisdom is three-dimensional, which corresponds to the three-part nature of the image of God in man:
1) Moral wisdom/skill. Instruction on God’s standards of ethical behavior. How to be wise and skillful in ethics and morals. This is about character.
2) Functional wisdom/skill. Practical insights for how to go about your daily work. How to be skillful in the mechanics of your job. This is about competence.
3) Relational wisdom/skill. Instruction on how to interact with other people. How to be wise and skillful in personal and professional relationships. This is about connection.
Wisdom is understanding and following the Creator’s moral, functional, and relational principles. Failure to understand and follow God’s principles is the way of a fool.
Here is a critically important point: Your contribution to and impact on society is determined by the combination of your character, competence, and connection. Another way to say this is that your impact as an agent of the kingdom of God is determined by your wisdom/skill in all three dimensions: moral, functional, and relational.
Living the Christian life requires skill. The Lord does not automatically infuse us with competence the moment we are saved. Nor does he magically inject skill into our life simply because we ask for it. The Holy Spirit prompts us and empowers us, but we must do the work of developing skill.
In the Christian life, skill isn’t given; it is built.
