Wisdom and common sense

“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.” Job 28:12-13
We can learn a lot about wisdom from the Bible. Wisdom begins by fearing God (Job 28:28, Prov. 1:7). Wisdom is not found by attending university, or reading self-help books. It isn’t inherited from your parents. It only comes from God. One aspect of wisdom is common sense. But as the saying goes, common sense is not that common. Common sense is the kind of thing that, if you have it, makes you think, ‘Why did that person do that? It makes no sense at all!’ (like, not taking a raincoat with them when the weather looks dubious, letting their alcohol consumption get out of hand, spending money frivolously and then not having enough for their grocery shopping, etc.) Common sense is prepared for things that might happen, and takes steps to avoid calamity if possible. But common sense can’t be taught. We can certainly remind others – especially our children – what they should be doing. But ultimately common sense is something that God causes to take root in a person.
Wisdom goes a step beyond common sense, in that where common sense is generally limited to how we live physically, wisdom extends to how we live spiritually. Wisdom knows that our physical life is temporary, and we should be striving for things that will endure in eternity. Wisdom knows that we need to have our priorities right: to put God first and foremost above everything else. If this is something you are falling short in today, simply pray and ask God to help you. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).