Wisdom and Knowledge

Youth Sunday School Lesson – March 7, 2010

It is my hope as well as my prayer that I am going to be beyond the sickness and stuff that has been clinging to me during the past few weeks. I know that I have missed a few Sundays and I appreciate the fact that you guys have remained faithful during my absence. I also am thankful for my wife, and the ability she has shown to teach the class for me when I am out and to do a great job with you guys. I hope to see each and every one of you (bright and early) on Sunday morning and ready to get back to work as we learn a little bit more about what God has in store for us in our lives!

The new books are in and during this quarter we will be studying about wisdom. We have talked about wisdom in the past, and touched on the difference between knowledge and wisdom, but there is always a lot of room to learn more about the subject. It seems as though one of the major things we lack as a society today is not general knowledge, but the wisdom to know what to do with that knowledge once we acquire it. As a teenager, while attending school (and some of you are in college) it is imperative that you learn as much as you can to prepare you for your future. This is the time in your life where knowledge is readily and easily available. And it is expected (required?) of you to make good grades, learn the lessons you will need to provide you with a future career, and to do the best that you can during the process. Your future success in life really does depend on it.

At the same time, as I have stated on many occasions in class, the decisions you make during these years of your life (between the ages of 15 and 20) will define and shape your future. There will be many decisions to be made, both large and small. What career path should I chose? Where should I attend college? Should I ask her/him to marry me? Should I get a crash-pad of my own or live with my parents for a few more years? I have no doubt you guys all make good grades and make an actual attempt to perform well in school. But knowledge, though very important, cannot always be used by itself to answer these questions. These questions require something more as we make our decisions – they require wisdom.

Wisdom, by definition, is the ability to make the right choices/decision despite whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in. Wisdom can be achieved by observation or by following the example set for us by others. However, the cruelest method of gaining wisdom is by our own experience, and what I mean by that is gaining wisdom through the process of learning from our own mistakes.

As you grow older, you should never stop in your quest to gain knowledge; but you should also be aware of the necessity of continuing to gain wisdom. You will need wisdom because you will always be required to make decisions in your life. So where do we begin? The Bible tells us in Psalms 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Our modern culture teaches us that we should have ‘no fear’. Fear not is one of the most cited lines in the entire Bible. We should not fear the things in life we have no control over, and especially the things that do not or will not matter in the long run. But we should always maintain a healthy fear of God and a desire to keep His commandments. By seeking His will in our lives in all of the decisions that we make, no matter how trivial we may think our decisions might be - we can begin to unlock the secret of being wise.

An ability we all need, to make the right decisions despite whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in at the time, is an important ability to strive for. Emotions and feelings may lead us astray. Logic and science simply do not have all of the answers we require for every situation we may face. But wisdom that begins with a fear of God, coupled with a no-compromise stance on His Word will never fail you. Be thinking about that this week. We’ll discuss it further in class – hope to see you there!