Get wisdom above all
Wisdom as the priority
Proverbs presses a single priority on anyone who would lead well: wisdom is supreme; get wisdom. Whatever else you acquire — skill, resources, position, knowledge — wisdom is the thing that governs the right use of all of it. It is, the proverb says, worth more than all your possessions.
Job came to the same conclusion from the other side of suffering: the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Wisdom is not mere intelligence or information; it is the God-given skill of living and leading rightly, and it must be pursued as the first priority, not a happy accident.
“Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.”
— Job — Job 28:28 (WEB)
Make the pursuit of wisdom your priority. Whatever else you acquire, get wisdom — it governs the right use of everything else.
“Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all you have, get understanding.”
Job and Solomon agree that wisdom — rooted in the fear of the Lord — is supreme. A leader formed here pursues wisdom directly and above all, not as a byproduct of other pursuits. He values it more than skill, knowledge, or position. The inner work is making wisdom your first acquisition.
Pursue wisdom deliberately — through Scripture, prayer, counsel, and the fear of the Lord — as your top priority. Value and develop wisdom in your people, not just competence. Govern your use of skill, resources, and influence by wisdom. Treat the fear of the Lord as the foundation of all sound judgment.
Leaders chase knowledge, skill, and results, assuming wisdom will accompany them, and neglect to pursue it directly. The blind spot is treating wisdom as a byproduct rather than the priority.
Name what you have been pursuing above wisdom — knowledge, results, influence. This week, put the pursuit of wisdom first: seek it through Scripture, prayer, and counsel before the others.
Leaders chase many things — knowledge, skill, results, influence — and assume wisdom will come along for the ride. Scripture says wisdom must be pursued directly and above all, because it governs the right use of everything else you acquire.
Are you pursuing wisdom as your first priority, or chasing other things and hoping wisdom shows up on its own?