Three Keys to Wisdom: Fear, the Altar and Faith

1 Sincere fear

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalm 25:14

When children learn to talk, they start with "Mama" and "Papa." When you learn English, you start with ABC. The first lesson after coming to faith is to fear God. Fearing God means that when God's word offends my mind, I still choose to do what it says.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8–9

Love your enemies, turn the left cheek when you're struck on the right, give gladly... words like these often offend our minds. Lots of people stop right here and say, "That's too hard, I can't do it." At the start of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." "Poor in spirit" originally means something close to a beggar: emptying yourself of your own cleverness and ideas, and doing things God's way.

After I became a Christian, I read "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18), and I thought: oh my goodness, I have way too many enemies. My older and younger sisters were my enemies, and most of my husband's family were too. God moved me to reconcile with them one by one. The hardest one was my husband's ex-wife and their two children. I had hurt the family they had before, and she suffered a lot because of it.

I fasted and prayed in private for eight days, then went to her to confess my sin. She yelled at me for more than an hour. All I did was say, over and over, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault." In the end she said, "Well, I bless you both to grow old together." That Christmas, more than forty people from my husband's family got together. I asked everyone to give me five minutes, and in front of them all I honoured her and the two children and admitted my wrong. This was a traditional big family that never talked about their feelings. From that day on, God began doing many good things in that family.

That seed was fear: doing what God's word says even when I have no idea why. The authority God gives a person isn't about their outward ability. It's about how deeply they fear him inside.

2 Build the altar first

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalm 51:17

When Noah came out of the ark, the first thing he did was build an altar unto the LORD. Wherever Abraham, Isaac and Jacob went, they built an altar there. Today, wherever I live, there's a little corner in my home where God and I meet.

Whenever I can't do it, or I lose my temper again, or I feel wronged in a relationship, I go there and say to God, "Lord, I don't have your nature. I don't have enough love, and I don't have enough wisdom. Please forgive me." Then I take the strength I've received from God and go and reconcile with the other person. At home and in all kinds of relationships, I'm almost always the first one to apologize. I believe that if the other person got hurt, then at least one percent of it is my fault.

When you go home, I'd like you to set up an altar in your home too: a chair or a corner is fine. God dwells with those who are of a contrite and humble spirit. Wherever the altar is, that's where the peace is.

3 Ask in faith

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

James 1:2–6

Trials aren't suffered for nothing. Where patience ends up isn't just gritting your teeth to get through; it's a mature life and wisdom gained. My mother, in great suffering, knelt and prayed at church for seven years. In the end she became a wise woman, and she brought all three of her daughters, who were much "cleverer" than she was, to God.

Someone says, "I'll put up with it, I'll put up with it until the kids turn eighteen, then I'll divorce." Then all that enduring was for nothing. God wants us to endure until we've gained wisdom. You've come here today carrying your troubles. Don't just be sad about them. Go before God and keep asking until you have wisdom.