Before getting too far ahead, seeking God's hand of favor in wisdom is the proper place to start in the search for wisdom. James 1:5 says that we should ask God for wisdom and that He desires to give it to us generously. Think of Solomon, God granted his request for wisdom because the request so pleased God's ears (1 Kgs. 3:14).
It pleases God that we would seek Him first in our search for wisdom. God desires that we should seek Him for all wisdom, and God, being gracious, will bless us with wisdom. However, there is more to gaining wisdom than just asking God for it, we also have to train, to practice wisdom.
For anything worth working towards, training and practice are the essential components of growth. A major part of this is having good teachers that can guide our training. With wisdom this is especially true. We are to seek, to pursue godly and wise mentors who can guide us in all wisdom (Pro. 13:20). Learning about wisdom from men and women who are wise is how we become wise.
Much like a piano student needs a skilled piano teacher to inform the student what has to be done for growth, a seeker of wisdom needs a wise mentor. In order to grow in wisdom, the one who pursues wisdom must be disciplined and diligent, but also must have people to advise them in wisdom. Moreover, the student of wisdom must have people around them with whom they can discuss and dialogue about wisdom (Pro. 27:17).
Again, obtaining wisdom is not a passive process. It involves asking God, seeking godly mentors, and discussing wisdom with like-minded, wisdom-focused friends. Wisdom takes time. This is a simple but forgotten truth. Wise people tend to be older people. This is not by accident, it is by design (Pro. 16L31; 20:29). It seems that we spend our whole lives learning how to live yet by the time we attain some level of competency, the mortal coil expires. Remember, fearing God is the beginning, but for wisdom to complete its work, training must ensue.
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