Robert Underwood

Proverbs 16:16 says,”Get wisdom—

how much better it is than gold!

And get understanding—

it is preferable to silver.”

Well, for you to have wisdom, you must have understanding and knowledge. Because wisdom is the application of understanding and knowledge. One must come to grips to what this is trying to tell you, it's telling you to get and education or educate yourself. It's telling you to grow in your mindset therefore, you can live a life saturated with wisdom.

But, you can't grow in wisdom if you don't grow in understanding. There is a saying in the urban culture and goes, “if you knew better, you would do better.” How can you do better? You first have to know better? If you have no understanding of doing better, you will not do better. One will always be stuck, never growing, because you can't grow beyond what you understand, you have to grow in understanding first, then you will apply that understanding to your life and grow in wisdom.

In other words the more you grow in understanding the better you will grow in wisdom and change your behavior, actions, and life.

Let's say that you were a trash man. Now you are making a good living by being a trash man, but the company comes to you and let's you know that you have been here a good amount of time, that they think you should take the opportunity to come into the manger position. Now you are going to have to know how to lead people, how to manage people, how to do work with programs on the computer. You may even have to speak or do a presentation.

The real question to ask is the average everyday person who is not in this type of position thinking like this? That answer is no, and that is a problem. I live by what is called the 5 P”s of leadership or marketing. Those 5 P’s are Proper, Preparation, Prevents, Poor, Performance. If you properly prepare yourself, your performance will never be lacking, meaning you will be ready to go into the next chapter of your life.

Listen, if we educate ourselves on things that will help us grow in different areas of our lives, we can succeed in those areas. Now from some Education means going to college, I am in the second year of my Doctorate degree. Not everyone will go to college, but everyone should have an education, everyone should educate themselves. For some it will mean to go to trade school, but for everyone else you will have to be educated in the different areas of your life.

Those areas could be parenting, marriage, leadership, critical thinking, relationships, God, public speaking, Etc. We all have areas in our lives that we need to be educated on, and we cannot and will not grow in those areas if we don't educate ourselves. Don't tell me you want to be the director of a company, own a business, or on a house and you are not taken the correct steps to do so.

Where are you spending your time? Are you spending your time educating yourself in those areas of your life so that you can grow in those areas, or do you spend most of your time on social media? Do you spend the majority of your time watching tv? Where are you spending your time? Because where and what you spend your time on can stunt your growth, or build your growth in life and of life.

If you are tired of getting what you are getting you must change what you do!

It's time to educate yourself; your life depends on it, your family depends on it, your community depends on it. By educating yourself not only do you grow, not only do you become educated, but you help others to grow, you help others to become educated.

Please educate yourself and remember wisdom is the application of knowledge and understanding. It's the application of an educated mind. But it's not just head knowledge, it's the application of the educated mind. It's taking what one has learned and apply it to their life, meaning the walk it out in their lives, they live it not just learn it. But in order to live it, you must first learn it, you must first know it, you must first have an understanding.

I See Different

I Think Different

I Breathe Different

I am Different

As I take my morning walk, I was reminded of these four observations. I am not the same; I don't see the same, I don't breathe the same, I don't think the same. I have grown, but that growth starts with a renewed mindset.

Renewing my mind with the Word of God, but it's not just reading the Word; it's applying the Word to all situations in our lives. It's living out or walking out the Word of God in our lives. It's not just hearing, but it's also doing.

I See Different

I Think Different

I Breathe Different

1. Communication For Transformation: This is the model that I will live by as God Communicates to me to transform me first. That same Communication For Transformation will be aimed at others.

2. Read - Reflect- Respond: This is the model for myself and those I will teach. Table talk at the house, Small Group Studies, etc.

A. Read the Word of God for transformation.

B. Reflect, think, ponder on the Word of God for transformation.

If you are not happy with who you are, it is because you have not yet discovered who you are. Stop trying to self- define your own calling. God I’d the caller, you are the callee. God is the manufacture, you are the design. God is the creator, you are the created. You can never discover your destiny apart from God.