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Many love the Bible’s book of Proverbs; its wise words offer helpful advice using catchy sayings. It often paints word pictures about the simple facts of life, which can make us or break us. According to dictionary.com, “proverb” can be defined as “a short popular saying, usually of unknown or ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought.”

The book of Proverbs contains catchy advice; short sayings like these are found in every culture. Here are three examples you are likely familiar with: “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” and “Look before you leap.”

These one-liners offer perceptive tidbits that help those willing to listen avoid mistakes, and the book of Proverbs is full of brief, meaningful sayings that can also help us live successfully. I had to smile and frown when I read what well-known pastor and author John Ortberg wrote about why he thinks God put Proverbs in the Bible… “We all do dumb stuff.”

Each of us needs help living wisely. I sometimes shake my head at the foolish things that others do, but I must admit that I have also made many dumb mistakes. My list of foolish blunders may not be the same as yours, but dumb mistakes are dumb no matter who makes them.

This is why Proverbs has so much to say about wisdom. The word appears nearly 125 times in the book and is clearly its theme. It also uses additional words to describe wisdom: disciplined, prudent, knowledge, discernment, and understanding.

Proverbs 1:7 even says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Solomon, who wrote the book, was not suggesting that wise people are terrified of God; he was making the same point Justin Anderson made when he asked, “Do you believe in a God who can tell you no?”

Each of us needs to acknowledge that there is a God and that He knows more than we do. Living his way is not restrictive; it is simply put… wise. Warren Wiersbe, the former pastor of the historic Moody Church in Chicago, said it best when he wrote, “The pages of history are filled with the names of brilliant people who were smart enough to become rich and famous but not wise enough to live a successful life.” This is a danger for each of us: for it is possible to achieve a degree of success and still ultimately fail because we have not lived a wise life.