How to be wise

Natalie keeps saying how wise she thinks I am, and how she would like to "steal some of Pilch's wisdom and put it in a bottle" so I thought I would have a think about how to be more wise. I think wisdom is something we all need and I am grateful for whatever wisdom God has given me and for the wisdom that I have got from others.

1. If you want wisdom, ask for it. I have been reading the book of Kings where Solomon is asked by God what he would like and he wisely asks for wisdom. And because he hasn't asked for material things or selfish things such as long life, God gives him the wisdom he asked for. (Oh and gives him the material things and the long life too!)

2. If you want to be wise then listen to wise people and be open to what they have to say. You don't have to agree with every word they say but take the time to think about it. I have listened to lots of wise people... look them up and see if you can read books they have written or listen to what they have to say: Paul Scanlon, Joyce Meyer, Leon Fontaine, Casey Treat, Paul DeJong, Bayless Conley, Brian Houston, John Mason, J. John.

3. Read the book of Proverbs in the bible - it's full of wise advice, especially about being wise. In fact a wise person would spend a lot of time reading the Word of God and not just the book of Proverbs!

4. Today I had to go to a meeting and look at children's books to see if they had been marked well. Being told when you have got something wrong is important if you want to be wise. How else would you improve yourself? But most people hate to be corrected or told that they are wrong - they get upset, feel hurt and take it personally. A wise person "listens to advice" (Prov 12:15) and they appreciate instruction (Prov 9:9). The book of Proverbs teaches that a wise person loves correction. They want to know where they are going wrong, but don't allow it to make them feel down or have wounded pride. They know that to improve they have to know where they went wrong and are glad to find out because they know that the more things they know about that can be improved, the better they will be!

5. Watch what you say. "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18) - probably the wisest place to start if you want to become more wise is on what you say. With wise words you can stop an argument, stop someone hurting so much, make friends and diffuse difficult situations. With the wrong words you can destroy someone's reputation or make their life a misery.