Read:
So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?) I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!” For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.
~Ecclesiastes 2:12-16Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,“He traps the wisein the snare of their own cleverness.”And again,“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise;he knows they are worthless.”~1 Corinthians 3:18-20
Consider:
Wisdom: the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. That’s a dictionary definition of wisdom. I actually like this one better:
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
~anonymous
We can have a lot of knowledge, yet still lack wisdom, can’t we? I consider myself somewhat of an eternal student. I love learning new things and actively pursue new knowledge on a daily basis. I like reading and listening to podcasts about various subjects. Right now I am attempting to learn Spanish through a podcast titled, “Coffee Break Spanish”. Hola, que tal? That means, “Hi, how are you?”. But don’t ask me to actually speak Spanish as I am physically incapable of rolling my Rs, something required to speak Spanish effectively. All of my Spanish phrases come out with a slight southern girl accent and cause my Spanish-speaking friends to snicker with their heads bent and their hands hiding their grins. To them, I know my attempts at speaking Spanish sound quite foolish.
Solomon (the assumed author of Ecclesiastes) decided to compare wisdom with foolishness. Since he was the wisest man to ever live, this was something that he was well-qualified to do. His conclusion is this:
Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!”
We can spend our whole lives trying to obtain knowledge and wisdom, yet we end up in the same place as the person who never attempts to learn anything. Just as Solomon declares, “Both will die.” Why should we even bother to seek wisdom and understanding?
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 that our problem is really in what we call wisdom. If we follow the world’s standards, wisdom is making as much money as we can or obtaining as much power in our position as we can. Yet our wisdom is foolishness to God. The truth is we do not have power over anything. We can make as much money as possible and save for retirement, and then die at an early age due to an accident or illness. We can study and work hard and obtain a high level position with a large company, only to have that same job disappear overnight due to an economic downturn or natural disaster or other issue completely outside of our control.
So what’s the point?
Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?Who knows enough to give him advice?And who has given him so muchthat he needs to pay it back?For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
~Romans 11:33-36
Friends, God is in control of everything! We exist only by his power and our lives are intended for HIS glory. He sent his son, Jesus, to show us true wisdom, His wisdom. Jesus taught us to serve one another (John 13:14) and to love one another (John 13:34). While the world’s wisdom tells us to “look out for number one”, Jesus teaches us look out for each other. Jesus tells us to let go of worry and trust God to care for ALL our needs (Matthew 6:25-34). Jesus teaches us to look past this life and live for God’s kingdom.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ~Matthew 6:33
Yes, both the wise and the foolish die in the end and if we are only living for this world, it is a sad end indeed. But when we follow God’s wisdom and live our lives for His Kingdom, regardless of what happens in this world, a glorious eternity awaits for us with Him.
Pray:
Lord, give us your wisdom. Help us to live for your kingdom each day. Strengthen our faith so we will follow you, trusting you regardless of our circumstances. Help us live our lives with the understanding that everything we have is a blessing from you. Keep us from becoming too attached to the things of this world for they are temporary. Keep us focused on our true home with you…In Jesus name…Amen!
Today’s post was written by Michele Barnes.
Michele is married to the love of her life, Jeff. She has 3 grown children and 1 very sweet grandson! Most days you can find Michele laughing with good friends, working with numbers, writing, or working with women. In the evenings, she enjoys spending time in a few creative outlets like creative lettering, drawing, and pottery. She loves snuggling with her dog, Tebow, and reading. But one of her favorite passions is playing with her grandson and laughing at his bright smile! You can find her most weekends worshiping at our Real Life Clermont campus.