Proverbs: Happy is the Man who Finds Wisdom

13Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; 14For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. 15She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

16Length ofdays is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
-Proverbs 3:13-18 (NKJV)

Happiness by definition is “characterized by good luck; fortune and a person showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction, or joy”.

Happiness (as I have heard it taught) is a state of wellbeing, largely determined by a person’s level of satisfaction with their external environment. Joy, by itself ("to take great pleasure; to rejoice") is to be found largely by a level of internal satisfaction (ie. from relationships, personal security, confidence, hope etc).

Personally, I believe that both the level of satisfaction between a person and both their external and internal environments will drive their level of happiness or joy.

I am no advocate of “prosperity theology” (in fact it sits uncomfortably with my Spirit), but in this passage common sense must apply.

These proverbs largely relate to how a person who exercises wisdom and discretion can (generally) manipulate the levers within his external environment to create an outcome to their own advantage. This may include accumulation and protection of wealth, peace, longer life etc.

In plain application a person who possesses the wisdom and takes (and makes) time to be diligent and save and invest will naturally grow wealthier. The wealthy person will not have the worries in retirement that the poor would have. By contrast, a fool ("one who is ignorant, without understanding") will squander rather than accumulate wealth – and as a consequence will not have the benefit of a secure and stable external environment that contributes to their overall sense of joy.

In my own recent situation, if I had been less complacent, and given more thought to putting in an alarm system, perhaps placing valuables in my bedroom at night then my external environment may have been more secure – resulting in prevention and minimization of loss from the break-in…and more peaceful sleep!.

”I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

-Author: Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936), British writer, critic