“By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:3-4
Most every morning that we meet at the GAP Program (Tuesday-Thursday), we start our time together by opening our Bibles to the book of Proverbs. The students are required to read the Proverb of the day, and we discuss one verse that stuck out to them. For each verse–and during every conversation–we’re focusing on gaining many life principles, but three chart the course:
- Knowledge
- Understanding
- Wisdom
Knowledge–this fills the rooms
Philosophically, this is the “whats”. In other words, it’s content. Biblically speaking, you have to read (listen to, etc.) the Bible in order to increase knowledge of the Bible. Biblical knowledge isn’t gained through a mystical experience or personal revelation. It’s gained through a self-disciplined initiative of exposing yourself to the Bible.
The focus is the mind. There’s a problem if you stop only at knowledge though–it puffs up!
Understanding–this lays the foundation
Philosophically, this is the “whys”. In other words, it’s seeing the connection of content. From a biblical perspective, it’s seeing how God moves connected content in history and through each book of the Bible.
The focus is the heart or passion. Understanding moves the soul. There’s a problem if you only stop at understanding though. You’re just a passionate person with a bunch of knowledge. You can know information about something, and you can see how it fits together–it may make complete sense–but if you don’t apply it to your life, then it’s useless. In other words, you may know that telling a lie is bad, and you may understand that telling a lie brings (and has brought in history) consequences, but if you still lie then knowledge and understanding are for naught.
Wisdom–this builds the house
Philosophically, this is the “how”. In other words, it’s applying knowledge and understanding to your everyday life. For instance, a person knows that speaking words of love to his spouse is good, and he may understand that it is the love language of his spouse that she so greatly desires. However, if he never gives her the gift of his words of love, then he is not wise (at least he’s not making wise applications of the knowledge and understanding he possesses).
Knowledge alone puffs up. Understanding alone ignites passion. But, wisdom makes reality and changes lives.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- Followers of Christ are to walk in wisdom.
- The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
- The fear of the Lord is a recognition (1) that God is the Supreme Creator and (2) that He is the Providential Guide.
- This recognition is a submitted disposition that moves to obedience.
As a Christian, we obey because God loves us…and…we show our love of God through our obedience (“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. -John 14:23).
God’s Word calls us to obedience (wisdom) that is always for our good and for His honor. May we walk in wisdom–applying what we know and understand of God’s Word to everyday life.
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise…”
Ephesians 5:15
— January 10, 2020