The way of “wisdom” and the way of “foolishness”

Godly living is successful living, regardless of one’s social status or material wealth. The way of “wisdom” and the way of “foolishness” are contrasted in Proverbs to highlight the benefits of “wisdom living” and explain the consequences of “foolish living,” i.e., living outside of the will of God. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul contrasted these two ways of living as walking in the flesh (foolish living) and walking in the spirit (wisdom living) {see Gal. 5:19-26}.

Below are some other comparisons from Paul’s Epistles:-

Principles of Foolish Living - Man’s Way

1. Concentrates on exercising power over others (Gal. 4:17).
2. Demands personal rights and freedoms (Rom. 14:15).
3. Generates self-centeredness by asking “what’s in it for me?” (I Tim. 6:5).
4. Lives for the moment by focusing on short term goals that will produce immediate but superficial achievements (II Tim. 3:4).
5. Cultivates the desire to be served by others through exploitation (Gal. 6:12-13; I Tim. 4:1-3; II Tim. 3:6).
6. Determines to push ahead and strive for success by whatever means available to get ahead and be “successful” in the world’s eyes (II Tim. 3:2).
7. Seeks the praise of men (Acts 20:30) by trying to appear Godly through their own power (II Tim. 3:5).

Principles of wisdom Living - God’s Way

1. Concentrates on becoming submissive to God’s will (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 1:9).
2. Humbly accepts personal responsibilities (I Cor. 10:3-11:1).
3. Generates genuine concern for others by asking “how can I help?” (Phil. 2:5-8; Tit. 3:8).
4. Lives for the future by focusing on long range goals that will produce lasting achievements (I Cor. 3:8-15; Col. 3:1-4).
5. Cultivates the desire to serve others through edification (Rom. 14:19; 15:1-3; Phil. 2:1-4).
6. Recognizes the need to patiently wait on the Lord to open the door of opportunity to be “successful” in God’s eyes (Eph. 6:18-20; Col. 4:2-6).
7. Seeks the approval of God and to glorify Him (I Cor. 10:31; Eph. 5:15-18; Col. 3:23-24).