Gaining
Wisdom
T
HERE WAS A TIME WHEN PEOPLE thought an
educated person was someone with lots of information.
But information is easy for everyone these days; much too
easy. Most people struggle to finish reading an article like
this because of the many distractions of our modern life.
Everyone has information, but most people still lack some-
thing that only education—true education—can give.
WHAT IS THAT SOMETHING?
It’s the ability to look at information and see it in the proper
perspective. It’s the ability to sift through the piles of data
that all of us slog through and discern what’s true and what’s
really important. It’s the ability to know how to take what
is most important and put it to use so that success—lasting,
satisfying success—is achieved. It’s wisdom.
HOW DO YOU GET SOMETHING AS PRECIOUS AS
WISDOM?
Proverbs has the answer: “The fear of the Lord is the begin-
ning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10a).
Fear? Modern secular education tells us to abandon our
fears. We are told learning is possible only if we are willing
to call everything into question—our sexuality, our beliefs
about where we came from, and our beliefs about God. But
such advice is a lie. The wise person has come to accept that
some questions need not be asked. He knows that God is to
be feared. This doesn’t mean that the wise man runs away
from God in terror. But it does mean he takes God seriously.
WHAT ELSE DOES WISDOM REQUIRE?
Proverbs says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
You can’t be wise without fearing God, but you also can’t be
wise without a lot of other things too. Anyone who would be
By Dr. Bryan Smith
wise must also be a learner, a careful observer, and a student.
With the fear of God firmly in his heart, he needs to study
the world all around him. He cannot make wise decisions
unless he has a great deal to be wise with. So he’ll have to
know about science, math, language arts, and social studies.
But he’ll have to know about these from the perspective that
only the fear of the Lord can provide.
He’ll need to understand that science is a powerful tool
for ruling over God’s world under God’s greater rule over
him. He will have to see math as a way to model God’s world
for God’s purposes. He’ll need to understand that human
communication is the result of humans having been made
in God’s image, and therefore, it must be used to imitate
God’s character and deeds. And he’ll have to learn about
society with the understanding that government exists to
ensure justice—justice on God’s terms.
WHERE DOES A PERSON DEVELOP THIS KIND OF
UNDERSTANDING?
All the way through life in whatever situation he finds
himself. But the best way to begin is through education.
Not just any education, of course. A Christian education.
An environment where Christian parents, students, and
textbooks all work together to produce something far more
profound and useful than mere information.
Reprinted by permission of BJU Press.
Dr. Bryan Smith has worked in Christian education for over
twenty years. He has been a classroom teacher as well as a
textbook author. Currently, he serves at BJU Press as the Bible
Integration Senior Manager. In this position, he assists authors
and teachers in the work of integrating faith and learning in the
classroom. Bryan holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament Interpretation.
He and his wife, Becky, have six children.
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