How many greeting cards have we come across with "another year older, another year wiser"? Despite the wishful thinking of this phrase, many of us can experience more confusion and uncertainty as we age.
Yes, we can learn from our past mistakes and we usually develop a better grasp on things, but we're also exposed to new experiences and faced with new, more complex questions – How do we make sense of the world we live in? What's our purpose? - and the quest for wisdom can seem never-ending.
We've all made decisions that we're not proud of, looked back on them with hindsight and thought how different things would have turned out if we had a little more wisdom at the time. Maybe we made friends with people who encouraged us to do things which created distance between us and God or made a move to a city which made us unhappy.
Whatever the mistake, it's important to accept that sometimes there's nothing more that we could have done, no amount of extra reading, studying or travelling that would have made us any wiser in regards to those particular choices.
As Christians, it's vital that we remind ourselves that while we'll never have all the answers, despite how much more we do, God does, and the path to wisdom is always open to us through Him.
If you're currently praying for wisdom to identify the right path or constantly struggling with the fact that you never seem to have the right answers, here are seven Bible verses to meditate over.
Psalm 90:12 - Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Proverbs 28:26 - Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 - To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Proverbs 2:1-5 - My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding — indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
James 3:17 - But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
1 Corinthians 1:30 - It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Proverbs 4:6-7 - Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
