TOPIC: BETTER THAN MY EQUALS - THE CHOICE OF WISDOM
TEXT: 1 Kings 3:8-12

And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

OBJECTIVE
1. Understanding the power of wisdom for choice making.

INTRODUCTION
1. The choice of wisdom is the choice to rise above your equals. 1 Kings 3:12

"Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee". 1 Kings 3:12

2. The choice of wisdom is the choice for life. Luke 11:49

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: Luke 11:49

John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

3. The choice of wisdom is the choice for mastery. Daniel 5:11

"There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers"; Daniel 5:11

4. Discretion culminates in distinction.

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou". Genesis 41:39-40

5. The choice of wisdom is choice of deliverance from Satanic traps and snares.

I want to start by saying that choice validates wisdom. Decision is a proof of mentality

Choice is the child of wisdom. Choice is the fruit from the tree of wisdom.

Mindset sponsors life's steps. Your acts reveals your kind. That is why when people behave others asks: "what kind of man is this". "What kind of a woman is this"?

Wisdom influences choice or choices; and choice influence the future. Hear this, you're not better than your equal until you're wiser than your equal; and that makes you the people's choice.

For wisdom makes rulers. "there is none so discreet and wise as thou art": Pharaoh told Joseph, so for that reason; "Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled". Genesis 41:39-40

And it was the same Joseph who made the choice to avoid, refused and flee immoral affair with the wife of his master. And it was in the Egyptian, national headline news, and Pharaoh must had read it, or read to. And it's possible that his magicians, astrologers and diviners had divined about Joseph and told Pharaoh what transpired.

So, Pharaoh, must have said thought concerning Joseph, if you could resist and flee fornication with Portiphah's wife, who possibly was one of the most beautiful women in Egypt, the wife of one of the executive cabinet of the Egyptian parliament! Thou shall be over my house, because I know that my wife is safe with you Joseph, our female children in Egypt are safe with you Joseph.

Wisdom under guides life choice or choices, as the case may be: the choice you make determines the course you would take in life. And that validates the level of your wisdom.

Wisdom is the building block for a glorious future. Just the way people perish for lack of knowledge, so also the future bleaks for lack of wisdom, because wisdom enhances and strengthens your vision for the future

It takes wisdom to make the right choice in life. It takes wisdom to make a wise choice in life: and wise choice put people above their equals in every sphere of life.

The right marital choice, the right choice of friendship and company. For he that walketh with the wise, confirms the wisdom of his choice.

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed". Proverbs 13:20

The right choice of employment, career and business: the right food and drink to consume and the right decision to make: all are a product of wisdom. So wisdom is a principal thing. Proverbs 4:7

Hear this, one food can relocate you 6fts bellow. One food can collapse a whole institution.

✓. Adam, ate one food and collapse the whole creation into degeneration. Genesis 3:3.

✓. Esau, ate one food, and lost to Jacob, the eternal firstborn birthright, that was the eternal conveyor belt to the Abrahamic covenanted patriarchal blessing. Genesis 25:29-34

"And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright". Genesis 25:29-34

✓. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abadnego rejected one meal and became prominently outstanding in Babylon.

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself". Daniel 1:8

And the same Daniel was found in the latter days, alongside his friends; ten times better than their equals. Daniel 1:20

And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. Daniel 1:20

"Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon". Daniel 2:48

✓. Jesus Christ, our Master refused one food and defeated the tempter in the desert when He (Jesus) fasted forty days and forty night and was hungry. Matthew 4:1-4

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". Matthew 4:1-4

Hear me, decision guarantees position, and wise decision guarantees high position.

It is natural that the wise exist in a realm that is far better than their equals. The wise are superior to all.

The wiser you are, the higher you go. The wiser you are, the better you become than those around you. The wiser you are, the important you become. The wiser you are, the valued you become, even in your family, community, your office and in your business. And then to your world.

Here me, people can be knowledgeable but not profitable, to themselves, to their families, to society and to the Kingdom.
People can intelligent but not competent

And the worse thing that can happen to anyone is to have what it takes and not gain what you have. You have what it takes but not earn what you have.

It is having ability without strategy.
But hear this, it ability plus strategy that make the profitable. He is profitable to this organisation, profitable to this church, it's the function of ability and strategy. Ability is the engagement of power while strategy is engagement of sense. Ability is the engagement of hands but strategy is the engagement of the mind.

Ability may end your capacity but strategy earns you authority. Discretion ends oppression and terminates affliction.
Joseph, was a very hardworking young. He could work very hard in the house of Portiphah, his master, but the best he could be was a most trusted slave, a superior slave. He had dream interpretation ability, but bound in prison! After he interpreted the dream of the king's Bottler and the king's Baker, they forgat him. Then when the next opportunity showed up, he engaged not ability, he applied mentality then his capacity broke. He engaged strategy and ended his tragedy.

Joseph remain in captivity until his work came, and that work reset his brain, renovated his mentality and brought him to authority: above Portiphah and his wife! Made him lord over his brethren, to the realisation of his vision.
Hard work plus smart work equal prime life. If Joseph only stopped ability when he met Pharaoh, he would ve return back to captivity, but he involved strategy and ended tragedy. He engaged mentality and ended his capacity. He engaged his sense ended his mess.

Hand would give big work.. Just gives you big farm to clear, big rock to break, but mind grants you mighty works.

"Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works"? Matthew 13:54

"what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands"? Mark 6:2

So what the hands works is directly proportional to what the mind carries. The doings of your hands portrays the content of your mind.

What is the import of wisdom?
Wisdom is the light that projects you to illuminate your world.

1. Wisdom makes principals men. Proverbs 4:7

Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Wisdom helps you understand life principles, and applying them, you exist above your equal in every realm and sphere of life.

2. Wisdom grants rulership. Proverbs 8:15

"By me kings reign, and princes decree justice". Proverbs 8:15

Wisdom grants controling power, it puts people in charge. People function at the level of their wisdom, and are position to the degree of their wisdom display. The is a graduate and the secretary is equally a graduate, but what position them is wisdom, not necessarily knowledge.

3. Wisdom causes people to rise. It takes people to the top.
Hear me, you can't be wise and not rise.
Proverbs 8:1-6

"Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things".

COUNSEL
Mind your words.
Your word determines your worth. Your word creates your world. Words are seed.

Be careful what you say and how you say what you said.

Hear me, your saying facilitates your sailing
And your words determines your worth.

Your talks sponsors your sales which determines your gains.

Words carry force.. right words are forceful.
"How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove"? Job 6:25

Words carries four kinds forces
You're referring to the four forces of flight that an aircraft must balance to fly steadily:

1. The force of Lift. The force that moves you upward: Opposes every thing that comes to pull you down.

2. The force of Weight. The downward: aircraft that pulls people toward the ground.

3. The force of Thrust. The force that sponsors progress, Propels toward success and destiny fulfillment

4. The force of Drag. The force that pull people backward: Resists motion, and caused retrogression.

Psalms 39:1. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.