Where is wisdom found?

I marvel at how simple Scripture is once it has been revealed to me. I guess I could extend that to my world as well. However, most of the time I do not think it is the Spirit simply saying "Here is what this means." God is taking us on a journey, and it is in the journey, through the hardships, and in our experiences that we are brought to the knowledge of Truth. Or should I say, that we are brought into the knowledge of the heart of Christ. Once our heart has been changed to become like Christ's, then we can easily see the Truth, and the Spirit has an easy task of imparting His wisdom on us.

For instance, how did I arrive at this conclusion? It has been something stirring within my own mind and heart lately as a result of my circumstances. And once I was ripe enough to understand, He showed me 1 Corinthians 2. I have never read it so plainly before.

v.1 "As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom: 2 For I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I am not going to type out the entire chapter here, although I suggest reading it completely. But Paul says here, and continues stirring this issue of where we get our wisdom. From God or from man? Now our conditioned Christian minds automatically say, "Ooh ooh I know...God, right?" But I believe many of us Christians have it wrong. We seek wisdom of man. If you read the chapter, Paul downplays the idea of persuasion and conventional wisdom, and simply states that the only thing he needs to know is Jesus and His crucifixion. And in verse 4 and 5 he talks of how the Spirit and power of God is what is persuasive.

Paul does mention a "higher wisdom" in verse 6. He talks of how when we are together among mature Christians we share a divine knowledge with each other. But it is unlike this world and it comes from God alone. And the extent of God's wisdom is far greater than anything man could think up, giving us wisdom without bounds. So I am not here to attack the concept of wisdom. In fact, I hope that I am sharing some now to fellow Christians so that we may sharpen one another.

However, I do see a problem with the Church today with regards to how we are reaching those still trapped in the heart of this world. We reach out to them, trying to persuade them with "words of eloquence". But Paul says plainly, that words regarding Christ are not going to persuade those who do not have the mind of Christ. Verse 14 says, "But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God." So, instead, we must approach them with simply Jesus. His love for them. And follow it with the Spirit and power of God.

Let us not be caught up in persuasive words, even if they are truthful. It will not work. They will not understand. We can teach them, and they will learn, once the Spirit who brings understanding is upon them. But first, we must allow them a chance to meet this Jesus. And that is done through His love, and by allowing His Spirit and power to be manifest.

Verse 16 sums up the chapter quite completely, and I think it will serve as a good conclusion for this as well: "For who has known or understood the mind of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ and do hold the thoughts of His heart."