Wisdom 6:17-25: a reflection

17For her true beginning is desire for instruction; and desire for instruction is love. 18And love is observance of her laws. To give heed to her laws confirms immortality. 19Immortality brings closeness to God. 20So then desire for wisdom promotes to a kingdom. 21If therefore you delight in thrones and sceptres, you princes of peoples, honor wisdom, that you may reign forever. 22But what wisdom is, and how she came into being, I will declare. I won’t hide mysteries from you; but I will explore from her first beginning, bring the knowledge of her into clear light, and I will not pass by the truth. 23Indeed, I won’t travel with consuming envy, because envy will have no fellowship with wisdom. 24But a multitude of wise men is salvation to the world, and an understanding king is stability for his people. 25Therefore be instructed by my words, and you will profit.

The writer of Wisdom traces wisdom back to its beginning, and finds it in something we might not expect: For her true beginning is desire for instruction. Wisdom begins not with knowing much, but with the desire to learn, the wanting to be instructed, a teachable heart. The one who desires instruction, who wants to learn, who is willing to be taught, has taken the first step toward wisdom. Without that desire, wisdom cannot begin; with it, the path opens. The beginning of wisdom is the teachable heart, the desire to be instructed, the wanting to learn that opens the way to becoming wise.

Notice where wisdom begins: with the desire for instruction, a teachable heart. It is not the one who already knows much, or who thinks himself wise, who is on the path to wisdom; it is the one who desires to learn, who wants to be instructed, who is teachable. The desire for instruction is the true beginning; without it, one cannot become wise, for one will not learn. The teachable heart, the wanting to be taught, opens the way to wisdom; the closed, unteachable heart, however much it knows, does not. Wisdom begins with the humble desire to learn, to be instructed, to grow. The first step toward being wise is wanting to learn.

That is worth taking to heart, for the beginning of wisdom is a teachable heart, the desire to learn and be instructed. We can think ourselves wise enough, close ourselves to learning, resist being taught, and so cut ourselves off from wisdom; but wisdom begins with the desire for instruction, the teachable heart. To want to learn, to be willing to be instructed, is the first step toward becoming wise. Do not close yourself to learning, thinking yourself wise enough; cultivate the desire for instruction, the teachable heart that is the beginning of wisdom. Cultivate a teachable heart, the desire to learn and be instructed, as the beginning of wisdom, rather than closing yourself to learning, as Wisdom says her true beginning is desire for instruction; for wisdom begins not with knowing much but with wanting to learn, and the teachable heart opens the way to becoming wise, while the unteachable heart, however much it knows, cuts itself off from wisdom.

Lord, the writer of Wisdom traces wisdom back to its beginning, and finds it in something we might not expect: for her true beginning is desire for instruction. Wisdom begins not with knowing much, but with the desire to learn, the wanting to be instructed, a teachable heart. The one who desires instruction, who wants to learn, who is willing to be taught, has taken the first step toward wisdom. Without that desire, wisdom cannot begin; with it, the path opens. Show me where wisdom begins: with the desire for instruction, a teachable heart. It is not the one who already knows much, or who thinks himself wise, who is on the path to wisdom; it is the one who desires to learn, who is teachable. The desire for instruction is the true beginning; without it, one cannot become wise, for one will not learn. The teachable heart opens the way to wisdom; the closed, unteachable heart, however much it knows, does not. Wisdom begins with the humble desire to learn. Take that to my heart, for the beginning of wisdom is a teachable heart, the desire to learn and be instructed. I can think myself wise enough, close myself to learning, resist being taught, and so cut myself off from wisdom; but wisdom begins with the desire for instruction. To want to learn, to be willing to be instructed, is the first step toward becoming wise. Keep me from closing myself to learning, thinking myself wise enough; help me cultivate the desire for instruction, Lord, the teachable heart that is the beginning of wisdom, that I may want to learn and be willing to be taught.