What is the Reformed Idea of Wisdom?

When Christians hear the word Reformed, they probably (hopefully) think of God’s sovereignty (if our tribe’s beloved internet know-it-alls don’t come to mind first). Of course there is much more to Reformed theology than the doctrine of God’s rule over all things, but the doctrine is a prominent belief in the tradition. And it’s a helpful starting place for us here. Because God actively rules this world and everything in it (including me!), therefore living wisely involves walking with this God in my actual lived experience. It is the place where doctrine gets busy.

The Reformed doctrine of God’s sovereignty gets busy in our lives every day. Wisdom recognizes this and acts accordingly. To be wise is to have a radically Christ-centered view of creation. This puts absolutely everything in its proper orbit around the central Star of the whole system, Jesus Christ. I can interact with all things well if I see them as they relate to him. He made this place and the things and people in it. They are to me expressions of him, and opportunities to know and serve him more. They are his messengers to me, both the pleasure and pains of this life. Wisdom is not found in cutting myself off from this world, but in learning to interact with it and the things in it rightly. This is wisdom, to walk with God in his world.