Knowledge vs. Love

Pr. 9:1: “Wisdom has built her house, she has been out her seven pillars;”

A couple of days ago, after my son woke up, I asked him what he’d read in his Bible when he woke up. He said, in a confused voice, “I read about She. It was in Proverbs.” I knew he must have been speaking of wisdom, so we went and looked at it and talked it out so he could understand it a little more.

Wisdom is the one you want to know. She, as the Bible describes her, was with God at the beginning, when He was creating the foundations of the earth. She also helps us forsake foolishness and go in the way of understanding. She speaks excellent, right, and true things. She is better than rubies and more desirable than any other thing.

This morning I was reading a contrasting scripture, 1 Cor. 8:1, which says, “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”

Paul was talking to the Corinthians about a hot topic of that day: food offered to idols. Of course, people had a lot of knowledge, but apparently not everyone was sharing that knowledge with love.

I’ve been on Facebook, I’ve been present for many heated conversations, and I’ve witnessed the aftermath of people’s “knowledgeable” comments towards one another..we still have the same issue today.

There is a big difference between knowledge and wisdom. We all have knowledge, as Paul said, but it is when we let wisdom take charge that we all win. Wisdom is the one that helps us bite our tongues. That’s still a rarely used tactic. Holding back comments is not a bad thing. Praying before speaking is never a poor decision. Choosing to not have the last word is never a sign of weakness…that always takes more strength.

Loving people is a choice that sometimes takes extra strength, as well. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, and with wisdom, we are much more equipped to show love than to show frustration, anger, disappointment, bitterness, superiority, and the like.

I pray that today, we will lay down our knowledge and choose, in love, to listen to wisdom. Love edifies. Let’s seek first the kingdom of God, and second to edify, in love. When we do that, we can then point people to His kingdom because we won’t be driving them away.

Seek “she” out today,

jamie