Wisdom Grows In Dirt

 

The Seeds of Wisdom
by Dr. Phil Spears

There’s a difference between knowing and understanding.

You can memorize every quote in the book of Proverbs, repeat every sermon you've heard, and still find yourself circling the same mistakes. Why? Because wisdom isn’t found in what you collect. It’s found in what you plant.

Wisdom Grows in Dirt

You can’t grow anything worthwhile without getting your hands a little dirty. Wisdom is no exception. It grows in the soil of failure, humility, and reflection. It's born when you take a hard moment and say, “What can I learn from this?”

I’ve met brilliant minds who couldn’t hold a conversation without tearing someone down. And I’ve met folks who never finished school but had a deep, quiet wisdom that could settle a room. The difference? One sowed seeds of ego. The other sowed seeds of wisdom—usually through pain, patience, and practice.

The Illusion of Instant Insight

We live in an age that worships speed. Fast results. Quick answers. Instant clarity. But wisdom refuses to be rushed. It doesn't shout over the noise. It waits.

If you're asking deep questions—about your purpose, your path, your pain—you won't always get a lightning bolt of insight. Sometimes, you just need to sit with the question long enough to let it shape you. That’s when wisdom starts to grow.

Let the Seeds Speak

Here are three questions I come back to often. They’ve served me well, and I offer them to you as seeds to plant:

1. What lesson keeps repeating in my life—and why?
   Patterns point to something unhealed or unnoticed. Pay attention.

2. What truth am I avoiding because it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable?
   Wisdom often hides in the places we least want to look.

3. What would I tell my younger self—and am I living by it now?
   Advice is cheap when it’s not personal. But if it costs you something, it might just be true.

Wisdom Is Legacy

We don’t just gather wisdom for ourselves. We pass it on. Sometimes through stories, sometimes through silence. A wise person doesn’t need to always explain—they just need to live in a way that speaks louder than words.

So plant the seeds. In how you speak. How you listen. How you forgive. And how you choose, even when no one’s watching.

Because wisdom, like any good crop, takes time. But when it finally blooms, it feeds more than just you.

It feeds the future.

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Dr. Phil Spears is a counselor, speaker, and author who writes about personal growth, resilience, and the long road to wisdom. He believes in quiet strength, honest questions, and the power of a well-lived life.

🌱 THE SEED OF FAVOR IS HONOR

 

🌱 THE SEED OF FAVOR IS HONOR
By Dr. Phil Spears

“Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” — Proverbs 3:9-10

Everything God created operates by the law of seedtime and harvest. Every result in your life is the offspring of a seed. Healing is the harvest of a seed. Joy is the harvest of a seed. And favor, the divine fragrance that opens doors no man can shut, is always the harvest of a powerful seed — the seed of honor.

What Is Favor?

Favor is not luck. Favor is divine endorsement. It’s when God turns someone’s heart toward you to bless you, protect you, promote you, or reward you — often unexpectedly and without explanation. One day of favor is worth a thousand days of labor. And favor doesn’t just come — it is attracted. Favor flows toward those who practice the uncommon seed of honor.

“He that honoureth Me I will honour.” — 1 Samuel 2:30

This is not a suggestion. It is a divine law. God does not favor everyone equally. He responds to honor. He reacts to honor. Honor is the seed that decides the harvest of favor on your life.

What Is Honor?

Honor is the willingness to reward someone for their difference. Honor is recognizing authority. Honor is the seed that unlocks access. The servant who honored Elisha received a double portion. The widow who honored Elijah saw her meal barrel never run dry. The Shunammite woman who honored the prophet received a miracle son.

Your future is decided by who you choose to honor. When you sow honor upward — to God, to parents, to spiritual mentors, to leaders — favor begins to flow downward.

Where There Is Dishonor, Favor Ceases

Jesus Himself could do no mighty works in Nazareth. Why? Because of dishonor. (Mark 6:5-6) Favor stops where dishonor begins. That’s why satan always works to plant seeds of offense — to disconnect you from those you are assigned to honor. The moment dishonor enters, favor begins to dry up like a brook in famine.

How Do You Sow Honor?

1. With Your Words. Honor speaks well. Your words are a container for either honor or contempt. What you say about someone when they are absent is the proof of your honor.

2. With Your Time. You always make time for what you honor.

3. With Your Substance. Proverbs 3:9 says to honor God with your wealth. That’s not symbolic. That’s literal. Honor has a voice, and that voice is your giving.

Who Should You Honor?

• Honor God, your source.

• Honor your parents, your roots.

• Honor your pastor, your spiritual authority.

• Honor your employer, your provision stream.

• Honor your mentors, those who unlock wisdom in your life.

Favor is a Reaction — Not a Coincidence

Every time you honor, you plant a seed that God cannot ignore. He has bound Himself by covenant to respond to honor with favor. And when God decides to favor you, no demon can stop it.

Today, decide to become a person of honor. Let it be seen. Let it be sown. Let it be spoken.

And then — watch what favor does.

"A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men." — Proverbs 18:16

Favor will take you where talent cannot. But honor is the seed that gets you through the door.

Stay faithful. Stay honorable. Favor is chasing you down.