The Wisdom of Solomon

"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5 HCSB).

"God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore" (1 Kings 4:29 HCSB).

After reading these Bible verses, I realize that I can have the wisdom of King Solomon by merely asking God for it. King Solomon was a King of Israel known for having great wisdom. King Solomon was the author of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and the apocryphal book the Wisdom of Solomon.

Having wisdom is having good judgment. Having good judgment is necessary for living a successful life. Failure is almost always the result of bad judgment, of making bad decisions. Your life direction is based solely on the decisions that you make in life.

If you ask God for wisdom, assume that you already have wisdom, and regularly envision yourself as having wisdom, then you will be wise. It's that simple.

Having a Vision

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize the importance of having a vision to strive toward. That having no vision of where you want to be can be destructive.

Having a vision is like self-programming yourself to strive for something that you wish to attain. It gives you something to live for, a purpose.

Not having a vision can lead you into trouble, since you will be easily swayed by outside influences. You will be like a ship without a sail or rudder, tossed about by the waves of the sea, directionless.

By nature, we are all purposeful beings in need of a vision to strive toward. Having a vision is the key to hope, happiness, and why we exist.

Christianity, Friends, and Job Network

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31 KJV).

After affirming this Bible verse, I came to the realization that making friends with people is of the utmost importance in Christianity. Making friends is so important that it is the second greatest commandment in Christianity.

Not only is making friends important in Christianity, it is also important in the secular world. When it comes to solving problems, who you know is just as important as what you know. Having knowledge is good. But having knowledge plus a large network of friends is even better.

If you lost your job and have a large network of friends, the chances of you finding another job quickly will be good. Upon hearing the news of your job loss, one of your friends will be sure to let you know that there is a job opening in his company. Your friend will probably encourage you to use him as a job reference.

Therefore, having a large network of friends gives you a huge advantage over others that have the same job qualifications as you. All things being equal, who do you think has a better chance of getting hired by a company: a person who has friends in the company, or a person who doesn't know anyone in the company?

Having a large network of friends may be just as important as having lots of money in your account. Both serve as a safety net. Both can help you solve problems quickly.

There are two ways to be rich. Rich in money, and rich in friends. Likewise, there are two ways to be knowledgeable. Knowledgeable through education, and knowledgeable through friends.

Good Cheer, Faith, and Not Afraid

Today, I read the following passage from Matthew 14:26-31 KJV:

"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

After reading this Bible passage, I am particularly aware of the following phrases:

"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

"O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

These Bible phrases state that you should be of good cheer, strong in faith, and not afraid. But how can you be of good cheer, strong in faith, and not afraid?

I think that the only way to be of good cheer, strong in faith, and not afraid is to completely trust God and your God-given ability to handle life's troubles. You can develop this kind of trust through regular prayer and affirmations. Having this trust will boost your confidence. And confidence is necessary to live life successfully.

In the above Bible passage, "the sea" could represent life's troubles. "Walking on the sea" could represent your God-given ability to rise above life's troubles and handle them successfully.

Problems and Taking Action

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life" (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG).

After affirming this Bible verse, I realize it's better to pray and get busy solving problems than to worry and fret about problems. The former is positive and constructive, while the latter is negative and destructive.

Problems seem to be inevitable. Everywhere problems seem to be. Problems can be found on a global, national, communal, and individual level. Given this, problems probably serve a purpose.

I think the purpose of problems is to strengthen your problem-solving skills. Problem-solving skills consists thinking positive (e.g., praying, affirming, envisioning) and taking action (e.g., physically solving problems).

Some people downplay the importance of thinking positive, and claim that the only thing that matters is taking action. But where do you think taking action comes from? That's right. Taking action comes from thinking. You think first. Then you take action.

What you think is important. Thoughts have power. Thinking positive leads to positive action (e.g., physically solving problems). And thinking negative leads to negative action (e.g., helplessly curling up in a ball).