Do you seek God’s wisdom and understanding? (132-1)

Seeking wisdom creates godly character and when a leader has godly character their team will delight in following them. Proverbs 2:1-11.

Every leader knows there are character qualities essential to good leadership. Leaders cultivate character by acquiring wisdom and understanding but those possessions come with a price. Finding wisdom and understanding requires the same kind of dedicated, patient labor a miner must have when searching for gold or silver. Leaders must search for wisdom buried in God’s word like treasure covered by layers of earth and rock. Like the miner, the leader that seeks these treasures in God’s word can do so with energy and passion knowing the treasure they ultimately uncover is worth the price they had to pay.

Don’t stop reading after verses 1-4. If you stop there it may sound like a leader could work hard enough and through their efforts become wise. That plays into the hands of our human nature that says we can get-r-done through hard work! Solomon fairly quickly corrects our thinking about character development in verses 5-11. Ultimately, only God can open our eyes to see spiritual truth and then enable us to apply that truth to our life. When leaders’ labors are focused on discovering more about God, God fills their mind with wisdom, their character develops and they gain the ability to consistently make right choices. Wise leaders have a fear and reverence for God that allows them to make moral choices that are just and fair; choices that inspire a team’s loyalty and enthusiastic participation.

Leaders who diligently seek to possess God’s wisdom will be able to move beyond simply expressing vision. By seeking God’s wisdom they develop godly character from which godly vision and values flow. This is the kind of character teams delight in following.

Do you seek God’s wisdom and understanding as if they were money you had lost in your home or buried treasure? Wise leaders know that if they do, they will find knowledge of God Himself and that will develop character that inspires others to join their team.