Education and Knowledge are Good but Wisdom Is Greater

One of the hardest things to see is someone offering good advice or experience to others but the other party being too prideful to accept it. Some of the best decisions I’ve ever made came because someone was kind enough to offer me the advice and while it may not have come into player immediately, it did later and I was and still am thankful for it.

In today’s world, many people cherish education and knowledge more than anything else and I get it as they are valuable. However, what most people fail to realize is that education and knowledge are different than wisdom. Wisdom is something that comes from actual experience and can be applied to one’s life. Knowledge is something that is selective as it’s learned from a book or certain material but wisdom is comprehensive in nature and is developed.

There are many people with degree upon degree and they are proud of them and I am too. There are different degrees that I hold and certain achievements that I am proud of but none of these equate to wisdom which is something that I have learned the hard way. Personally, I have had educated nonbelievers try to persuade me out of my belief in Christ and explain to me why certain things could not have happened the way Christ said they did. Of course, none of them have been successful in doing so but it reminds me that there educated people who know very little.

Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:18 that there is much grief in acquiring wisdom. Not because wisdom and knowledge are bad but rather, the more you know and understand then the sadder a person is due to being aware and informed: ”For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” This does not just apply to those who do not know God or understand God but to believers, as well, and I’m a perfect example of this.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”

–Ecclesiastes 1:18

As I look around at people and the things they do, I am saddened because I know that they do not understand the depths that their actions will have whether it’s upon them personally or others, perhaps both. This also includes myself as there have been numerous things that I have done that impacted myself and others greatly. Sometimes, I did things out of spite or pride and other times, I did them out of ignorance but later, as I saw what I had done, I had more sorrow but a better understanding that the knowledge and education of this world are second to the wisdom of God.

While the secular world and a lot of the Christian world will look at people and wonder about things that we do or don’t do, it’s not for them to understand. We must always give all things to God and do our best in our efforts. One of the biggest reasons for people being disappointed is that they did not give their best but then wonder why they weren’t given the best. This is a lesson that I learned the hard way. Although people will always cast doubts upon us and even overlook us, God does not. In fact, we are not judged based on what we know of this world but we are justified in the wisdom of God which is why we must continue our walks in the faith and do not be easily offended by the things those of this world cast upon us.

The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.”

–Matthew 11:19