What’s in It (Wisdom) for Me?

The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.Matthew 7:14Proverbs describes what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ. It lays out the life to which wisdom calls us, the life of a disciple of Jesus.We are going to look at what it means to follow Jesus, what it means to follow the way of wisdom in regard to your friendships, your family, your words, your work, and your wealth.Now, you may be asking, “What’s in this for me? Why should I be interested in this?” That’s a good question.The Bible makes it clear that the path of following Jesus (that is, the path of pursuing wisdom) is often costly. It tells us that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard… and those who find it are few” (Mat. 7:14). But then it also gives us an incentive—this way does lead to life.We often understand these words to mean that living a godly life in this world is hard, but the payoff is that there will be great reward in heaven. And, of course, that is wonderfully true.But, the book of Proverbs draws out another truth that we need to grasp: Those who walk the path of godly wisdom will be blessed in this life, as well as in the life to come (see Mark 10:29-30).Remember, these are proverbs, not promises, but look at the normal pattern that prevails in this world:“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (Prov. 3:13-15).Why? We will see three blessings that wisdom brings.Think of three blessings you have already experienced by following the way of wisdom.