Chapter 4


HOW TO GET WISDOM

By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

1. By Asking Question

         A wise man cultivates the habit of inquiry, of asking questions and finding out. Likewise, the creative and successful genius. It is an established fact that asking questions helps a person to know more and be sure. The more questions that a student can ask or answer; the more he masters his subjects. Nothing prevents you from consulting those who are already successful. It is quite helpful. It is better to ask question where one is confused, rather than to remain in ignorance.

Should a thing happen,
Ask yourself:
What is happening?
Why does it happen?
How does it happen?
When does it happen?
Where does it happen?
And with time
Yourself will know-
If you so insist.


2. Consultation

In every society, there are wise, learned and experienced persons. Consulting these people on matters of serious importance provides wisdom, as well as facts and figures, for good decision-making. The glory of the youths is their strength, while the crown of the elders is their wisdom. By synergy, a person becomes successful by combining the strength of the youths and the wisdom of the elders.


3. Meditation

This is the act of thinking silently about something. Meditation is the key that unlocks the doors of heaven and let down the flow of ideas, solutions and creativity. Inspiration in every sphere of our endeavour is as important as it is in the religious life. Superficially, meditation is reasoning or thoughtfulness. More significantly, it is consultation with God Mind. It is the presentations of our doubts, concerns, questions, ideas, aspirations and problems to Him, and the receiving of convincing responses. It is the process of seeking within the fulfillment of our needs from the in-dwelling God, instead of outward searching.


4. Group Discussion

Group discussion brings people of different backgrounds and experiences to deliberate on a topic. By so doing, each participant is enriched with knowledge, clarity, wisdom and experience of the others. It is like standing on the shoulders of other people in order to touch the sky.


5. A Habit of Patient Thinking

The habit of patient thinking implies being a philosopher. Philosophy is the study and analysis of the events of life, especially in an extensive measure (in-depth). Philosophy demands that we do not see things and overlook them. It requires us to pay close attention to things and events. It means that we should try to understand the relationship between causes and effects, between realities, trends and the future. By so doing, we are able (wise enough) to understand the past, control the present and determine the future. You should be a thinking person. Sir Isaac Newton was a model of philosophy. He said about himself, "If I have succeeded in my inquiries more than others, I owe it less to any superior strength of the mind, than to a habit of patient thinking."


6. A Study of Proverbs

Proverbs are statements of wisdom. It is the duty of every person to know and understand the proverbs, as well as use them whenever necessary. Every culture has its own set of proverbs based on their long years of history and experience. It is not enough to study only the proverbs of one’s own culture and language. Variety is the spice of life, and different cultures enrich our knowledge, wisdom and experience. The Bible has so many of these proverbs as recorded in the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Songs of Solomon, Sacred Texts, Parables, etc. The Book of Psalms, apart from being vivid prayers, contains much wisdom, both in form and in content.


7. A Study of Quotable Quotes

Books on quotable quotes are compilations of wisdom of the ages, as expressed by elders, wise men, experts, experienced and learned individuals.


8. Wide Reading

The first step to wisdom is knowledge. The second step is experience, and the third is understanding. Both knowledge and experience take many years to accumulate. But by reading, a person is able to amass great knowledge and wealth of experience in days. He gains in an hour of reading what many people laboured for many years to acquire.


9. Prophecy

Prophecy reveals the truth. It provides foresight, insight, knowledge, understanding and counsel which are essentials to success in life.
         Advantages of prophecy include:

1. True knowledge about the events of the past, present and future
2. Revelation of hidden things about matters of life.
3. Prevention of undesirable events
4. Solution to problems
5. Correction to false beliefs, misconceptions, etc.
6. Victory over evil
7. Direct communication with God
8. Etc.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps. 119:105

“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. ” Dan. 2:22

“Where there is no vision, the people perish:” Proverbs 28:18

“Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” Isaiah 48:17


10. A Study of Biographies

Biographies record about the lives of great men and women of the word. The record shows what challenges they faced, how they solved their problems, the attitudes they adopted, the approaches they followed, the means the utilised, the methods they applied. By reading the biographies, we gain from their knowledge, wisdom, skills and experience. We therefore become enriched. We gain in-depth knowledge, broad understanding, wide vision, great empowerment and all-round ennoblement. (Auto-biography is a biography written by a person about his own life.)


11. Prayers for Wisdom
    Prayer is one of the best ways of getting wisdom from God. Those who want wisdom should pray for it, even for years, because wisdom is precious. We must continue to pray until the Lord blesses us with wisdom. And Jesus said that the seeker should continue to seek until he finds. Rev. 3: 14-22 advises us to seek wisdom from God.
    
    "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
    
    'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say,'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
    
    22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (this message is for everybody)."'" Revelation 3:14-22
    
    
    A Prayer for wisdom:
    
    20…"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    For wisdom and might are His.
    21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
    He removes kings and raises up kings;
    He gives wisdom to the wise
    And knowledge to those who have understanding.
    22 He reveals deep and secret things;
    He knows what is in the darkness,
    And light dwells with Him.
    23 "I thank You and praise You,
    O God of my fathers;
    You have given me life and might,
    And have now made known to me the importance of wisdom.
    I hereby ask for divine wisdom,
    For the glory of your name
    And for the benefits of mankind."
    In Jesus name. Amen! (Daniel 2:20-23, Modified)
    
    
12. Statistical Analysis

Analysis means a close study of something. That is paying full attention to something in order to learn about it. It reveals essentials details, which could be lost by an ordinary look or observation. It makes known trends and patterns, which are used for forecasts, budgets, estimates, predictions, etc. Analysis of charts enables you to understand and interpret information from data processing.
         Data is very important because of the following reasons:
1. They serve as records, which may be used in a study, record purposes or for future references.
2. They yield meaningful and useful information.
3. Conclusions from data help us understand life, nature and our environment.
4. They reveal hidden secrets, especially in research, investigations and judgment.
5. They identify areas of waste, things that should be given more attention to or the source of a problem.

         The implications of data derive from its importance and characteristics (especially from its seeming insignificance). The implications are:
1. We should not overlook data however insignificant they may appear.
2. The successful development of both advanced and undeveloped nations depends much on good data collection and analysis.
3. A seemingly insignificant data may be indispensable to the life and well being of mankind.

         During or after data processing, information is collected from the data (information capturing). Information refers to the useful and meaningful conclusions from data processing. Then, the information is distributed to the appropriate users. Data summarizations are statistical methods of representing data and the information they convey.


13. Close Study of Nature

It is necessary to closely study Nature. The more you pay attention to it, the more it reveals its secrets. This is the principle behind research and development. That is how the camera was modeled after the eye; the planes, after the birds; the submarines, after the fish; the roof, after the sky; the robot, after man; the speaker, after the mouth; the microphone, after the ear; etc.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
(Yet their wisdom is as clear as the daylight.)
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
Psalm 19:1-3


14. Association with the Wise

Any person who associates with the wise men learns so many things from their lives: their characters, attitudes, approaches, knowledge, wisdom and skills. Besides, the wisdom of the ages is passed on from generation to generation through socialization: both formal and informal education, association and participation. It is also possible to gain wisdom from the ordinary people or organizations with whom a person associates.


15. Customs and Traditions

Customs and traditions are media for dictating wisdom, for safe guarding wisdom and for transferring wisdom from generation to generation. That is why the Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 However, the problem with customs and traditions is that they tend to lead people, even children of God, into paganism. People should be mindful of what customs and traditions they practice.

“But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9


16. Know Yourself

Self-knowledge is the knowledge of whom you are, what you are and your unfailing rights and powers are in life. These rights are written in Deut. 28:1-14 as blessings. Self-knowledge gives a person confidence.
         You are an image of the Supreme God, an extension of Himself, and one with Him. Realise that “I am in my father, and you in me, and I am in you” John 14:20. Just as water and its drop are one, as a spark is from the fire and is one with it, so is the relationship between God and man. Put more clearly, it is as you would have a tree and its seed, with the seed created in the image of the tree. The seed embody the tree and is capable of becoming a tree, though it does not look like a tree.
         There are several qualities of God in a man. The qualities confirm the divine nature of man – that man is an exact image and likeness of God. For example, God is a creator, and of all that God created, it is only man that is able to create as God does. The products of man’s creativity abound: the towering skyscrapers, the magnificent bridges, the beautiful planes, the enjoyable automobiles, the sailing ships, the exploratory space shuttles, the interesting television, the delightful radio, the versatile computer, the working robots, the scientific gadgets, etc.
         A second aspect of God in man is the spirit. Man is essentially a spirit just as God is spirit. The physical body is not the man. It is only a mobile house, an encasement, a suit or clothe meant for the physical plane of life. It is the spirit self that thinks, dreams, lives and acts. Jesus said, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail.” The body which God molded, did not become a living thing, until God breathed into it a spirit-spark, the very nature of God Self.
         Another evidence that man is an image of God is the spoken word. The words of man fulfill, just as the words of God fulfill. This is in agreement with Isa. 55:11.

“So is the word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty
But it will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

         Of all the creatures of God, on earth, only man is able to speak definitely and variedly as God does.
         You do not need to become fully developed before you start using the potentials of God within you. In fact, it is the use that improves you, in the same way that practice makes perfect. We become by becoming, not by waiting for perfection.
         The potentials of God are in you – “All my fountains are in you.” (Psalm 87:7). No one is more blessed with these potentials than another. “Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John. 7:38). The streams of water are not only spiritual and heavenly. They include all the good thoughts of every kind, all the good things of life and all the good works of man.
         The heights that the great and successful men have attained, you can also attain, even more. No person is more blessed or opportuned than others. It is the same God and His nature (image and likeness) for us all. It is the same sunshine, the same air, the same life, the same everything for us all. A person may be prominent or wealthy in one field of life and lacking in the others. Yet, if others have achieved, if other have become successful, it is a clear indication that you too can.

Let the solidity of the physical world
    not deceive you.
The Universe is fluid to the power within man
    by which he commands it.
Mountains have risen and cities fallen
    because of this power.
Stones have been crushed, irons melted
    and both molded by this power.


17. Sacred Text

God is not defined by any religion, and He is not confined to a particular church. He is God of the Universe. Every religion has very important teachings and revelations about God, life and the universe. The problem is that sometimes, the good teaching are either misunderstood or misapplied. They may be mixed with false teachings or misplaced with customs and traditions.
         Some of the sacred text are called Wisdom of the East, Wisdom of the Ages, Esoteric Knowledge, Esoteric Wisdom, Revelations, Holy Books, etc.
        The Wisdom of God is found in the sacred texts of various world religions. They include:
1. The Bible
2. The Quran
3. Bhagavad-Gita
4. Etc

Hear, O Israel (O Nations): The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9