“Knowing” is not the main thing!
Probing Proverbs 12:23
The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.
The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.
“What do you know, I have been to the Philippines!” I said, “I am sorry for your experience, but I worked with Filipinos in the painting industry in Hawaii for many years, and I have been living in the Philippines for the last 15 years teaching the Bible.” The room went silent, after an uncomfortable pause I asked the host, “Is there desert and coffee?”
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! I have met my share of
“wanna
be”
missionaries that think because they spent a week or two in a place, they now
have full knowledge of what it is about. Even in my first ministry, at Oahu
Prison, there were individuals that would share at churches that they know what
it is like to be in prison. How disingenuous! Yes, you know what a prison looks
like, smells like. You know what its like to visit a prison, teach in a prison.
But to say you know what it is like to BE IN prison? Just the fact that you get
to come and go as you please is the evidence that you have no idea what it is
like to be a prisoner!
This Proverb is a clear warning that when we have “real” knowledge…data
that is balanced by wisdom, we know how to handle it. When we don’t
handle data with wisdom, we become foolish and even broadcast it! I have
watched how even “formal” training can be used by the enemy to take someone into a state
of unbalance. Paul warns of this:
1 Corinthians 8:1
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
Knowledge is wonderful and should be pursued. The day we stop
learning is the day we stop growing! However, there should always be a very
healthy respect from us on what we know we don’t know! Knowing just to know is useless.
When we take in data and fail to apply it, we may become a great success in “Trivial
Pursuit,”
yet remain in failure and defeat in real life!
When we add wisdom to data, which is when we take what we know
and figure out how we should react to it, how that data affects our life, what
actions this data leads to…this is called “application”…we
will use what we know to glorify God, benefit others and keep ourselves close
to God. We will never use what we know to boost our ego, make ourselves look
better, while demeaning or belittling others. That’s what the Pharisees
did and Jesus denounced it harsher than any other sins He addressed.
We should learn as much as we can, but as we do, we need to
seek God’s
help to wisely apply all we are learning. When we do that, we unleash the real
power of knowledge!
The so what? Are you
stretching yourself to learn new things on a consistent basis? Whenever you
learn something new, what do you do with that data? When was the last time you
saw a change in yourself based on taking something you learned and applying it
to your life? When you read the Scriptures, do you always seek an application?
Do you ask the Lord for wisdom often?