From Knowledge to Wisdom
The book of Proverbs may seem like pithy statements in the form of poetry, but I often see the books of the Bible as a search for treasure. Most scholars tell us that the Bible is a collection of wisdom, not an organized study text that explains itself for easy reading. This is why II Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
In the “Healing of the Mind” online course, I outline the rather familiar theme of Proverbs of “Getting Wisdom”. Wisdom is not a natural attribute of man. Wisdom comes in steps and stages, so if you want to be wise, do more than the recommendation to “Ask God for wisdom” in James 1:5
Proverbs shows a progression of how information eventually graduates into wisdom, and I should let you know that this is not a fast process. There are stages that must be understood as a process instead of a product. If you follow the progression, wisdom is developed in four basic stages:
Information or data is like raw ore that is unrefined. As radio waves from thousands of radio stations, there is more information or data available to us than we know what to do with it. The Heart of the Inner Man is designed to filter information or else we would be inundated trying to decide or act on anything due to overload. The Heart is designed to quickly judge the information or put it into an area for further consideration.
Knowledge is ideas that have made it into our intellect. Knowledge is good, but it is sterile in many ways until we find a way to put it to use.
Understanding is a little more complex because we are able to combine bits of knowledge into workable processes. Knowing the concept of a lever is knowledge doubt in early school science books. Knowing how a drawbridge can use tons of offsetting weight comes from knowing about gears, weights, fulcrums, and motors.
Wisdom is the final stage as we have the long view of years of experience and an understanding of many aspects of life whereby we can see both the beginning and logical end of a matter. Such an advanced form of knowledge and understanding is rare among the young and should be the benefit for those in their senior years allowing them to offer better guidance and advice to those who seek counsel.
Get started with some solid information and wisdom from the Source of Truth. Bible reading is a great idea. Memorizing important verses will fuel you toward a better life and amazing success.
