Proverbs 1:5

 The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about being wise:

Proverbs 1:5 (NASBStr)

A wise man will hear and increase in learning,

And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

There is an archetype that men and women live out in their lives identified as the Sage.  The Sage is someone who knows things.  They are often asked, "What do you think?"  In fact, they loved being asked that question.  Sages will be asked that question most of their lives.  Especially if they are a good Sage and actually have some great knowledge, wisdom and understanding.   However, there are men and women who do not have the character of a good Sage.   The reason for this is that they might be asked, "What do you think?" but they never, in return, ask anyone, "What do you think?"   The reason for this is they believe they have reached the end of the line; they are at the end of the food chain when it comes to accumulating knowledge.  This is what Solomon is addressing in the above proverb.   A true Sage, someone who is knowledgable and has wisdom by fearing the Lord, will be someone who is "increasing" in learning.   They continue to acquire knowledge and understanding.   When we think we have reached the end of the learning line and we think we are only left here to deliver that accumulated knowledge, we become fools.   God's Word tells us that a wise person is someone who is increasing in knowledge.   The word for increasing in the above proverb means to "add to it."    As we grow in The Lord we are to "add to it."   We are to increase our “fear of The Lord.”   The older and more wiser we get, the more we are to seek deeper understanding and acquire wise counsel.  If we find ourselves seeking less and delivering more we become that poor Sage that simply thinks they know stuff and in reality are no longer significant in the seeking of Wisdom.   A wise man is "increasing."

However, instead of “increasing,” we find many who think they already have accumulated what they need.  Have you ever meet someone who has been around a long time and seems to know everything? They are usually older and think that just because of their “longevity” they have it all together. But, we know that time on the earth isn’t a very good measurement for the amount of wisdom in the heart and mind. The above proverb tells us that in order to add to what we know we should be ever learning and Solomon’s Proverbs are a way to do that. Those who wish to be “wise” should seek guidance from others. You can always identify those who think their age and experience are enough—they are the ones who don’t ask for others opinions and won’t listen to the ideas and thoughts of others. If you want to be truly wise, don’t let longevity be the measurement of your wisdom, but let your learning and listening heart be the indicator.