Wisdom gives you the ability to decide and discern right from wrong. Wisdom helps you distinguish righteousness from evil.
There are three major kinds of wisdom the Word of God talks about, and the Greek words for them are “Sophia,” “Sunesis,” and “Phronesis.”
“Sophia” is theoretical wisdom, the insight that God gives you into reality. “Sunesis” is comprehension, perception, understanding, the ability to understand concepts and see relationships between them.
It suggests quickness of apprehension, the penetrating consideration which precedes action.
But when we say wisdom is the ability to decide and discern right from wrong, we’re referring to “Phronesis,” which is practical wisdom.
“Phronesis” is a mindset, the mindset of the righteous; it’s a force. When we say wisdom is a force, we’re referring to “Phronesis.”
“Phronesis” is that disposition of being in the will of God beyond your reasoning. It’s a special spiritual elixir that locates you within the framework or ambits of God’s will beyond your understanding.
It locates you in the places where you ought to be; it causes you to do the things you ought to do without having to reason them out first, because it has created a mindset within your system.
It’s your default setting to only talk right, think right, live right, and do right. It’s a programming. If, therefore, you know what is right by “Sophia” and you don’t do it, then it means you lack “Phronesis.”
“Phronesis” is a propeller. It helps you see what you should see that others may not see. The beautiful thing is you can develop yourself to function always in “Phronesis” through conscious and constant meditation on the Word of God.
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceedingly much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. (1 Kings 4:29).
The word translated “wisdom” above is the Hebrew “Phronesis,” and it’s a force that controls you.
It’s a spiritual elixir that locates you within the framework of God’s will, beyond your natural understanding, causing you to do God’s things God’s way, in God’s time for God’s purpose! It’s also a mindset; an excellent mindset that causes you to think in a certain way and to say the right things in the right way at the right time for the right purpose in the right place.
This was the wisdom Solomon received from the Lord that caused him to excel in good judgment, so much so that the Bible says,”… there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom….” (1 Kings 4:34). God gave Solomon an extraordinary amplitude of comprehension; he had practical wisdom.
“Phronesis” propels you to make accurate choices, sound judgments, and decisions, and to do things right the first time. You can develop “Phronesis” through studying and meditating on the Word of God and through praying in the Holy Ghost – speaking in tongues.” O, but I thought the Word says Christ has been made unto us wisdom from God?” you might ask.
Yes. But that wisdom is “Sophia” (Greek), which means theoretical wisdom, or insight into reality; it means all the collective understanding of all things.
There’s also a third kind of wisdom called “sunesis”; this is critical wisdom, the ability to understand concepts and see relationships between them. It suggests a quickness of apprehension; the penetrating consideration which precedes actions.
Whereas “Phronesis” is practical wisdom; it’s a force that makes you do and say the right things before you even think. God gives you “Sophia” – insight into reality, so that you can have “sunesis” – an understanding, for the purpose of developing in you “Phronesis”; a mindset for a successful and extraordinary life
How To Become Wise
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).
In Colossians 1:9, Paul, by the Spirit, prays, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you…
…and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
The word, “understanding,” is translated from the Greek “Sunesis”; it’s an interpretation; a way of thinking; a mentality. The Apostle Paul, in that verse, was dealing with a certain kind of understanding—a revelatory understanding—which the Word of God gives us.
This is why you need to stay in God’s Word, studying with understanding. Read our opening verse again: it says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly….” This will make you spiritually sagacious, insightful, and wise.
Another beautiful part of this is that God isn’t just raising us for this world. All that He’s doing in us—His programming in us through the Word is for the ages to come. So, if you don’t have the Word in you, with the Holy Spirit granting you spiritual understanding, insight into the realities of the Kingdom while you’re still in the earth, how are you going to function in the world to come?
Therefore, it’s important that you study the Scriptures with excitement; have a wild and voracious appetite for the Word. Be all out for the Word, because God’s Word is everything. With the Word in you, it doesn’t matter what you desire in this world; you can get it! With the Word of God in your spirit, and coming forth from your mouth, you can serve the Lord faithfully and bring Him glory now, and in the ages to come.
Conceptualize And Act
For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Many people have great ideas, be it about their jobs, finances, business, ministry, or career; but sadly, not many are able to fulfil or bring those ideas to fruition. Yes, they have this very inspiring idea of what they’d do or could do, but they procrastinate; before long, discouraging thoughts and seeming “valid reasons” not to act will come up, until the inspiration wanes and the dream die.
Success comes from “doing”; that is, acting, not from seeing only. That’s why we have lots of people with great ideas—in business, politics, or ministry— whose ideas never amounted to a hill of beans; they never took action. In fact, if you’d listen to them speak, you’d be awed at their lofty ideas, but they lack the drive and motivation to act.
If the foregoing describes you, the solution is simple: you need to meditate on the Word. God’s Word is a propelling force. That’s why, beyond “sophia” and “sunesis,” which are two different kinds of wisdom (remember, the Word of God is the wisdom of God), you must walk in “phronesis” (these are three kinds of wisdom in the Greek New Testament).
“Sophia” is theoretical wisdom and insight into reality; it’s the collective understanding of things. “Sunesis” is critical wisdom; that is, mental or analytical knowledge; the ability to understand concepts and see relationships between them. But “Phronesis” is practical wisdom; it’s a force that makes you do and say the right things before you even think.
Therefore, if you’re in this situation of “conceptualizing” and not “acting,” begin to have daily sessions of meditating on the Word. Begin with Philippians 2:13; several times every day, you say out loud, “For it is God who works in me, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He’s effectively at work in me, strengthening and energizing me, not just to think or know what to do, but to actually do them.” Practise this long enough, and you’ll never have dreams or goals that didn’t materialize.
“Doing” people are successful people because many people see, but they don’t act! But when you see and act, it sets you apart for greatness. So, by the Spirit, go all out to pursue your dream and achieve your goals this year.
-GSW-