How can you tell if a person is a wise person? All things being equal, how can you tell a wise person from an unwise person? If you asked some people what are some of the things they look for when they set out to find a wise person, most people would probably say it has something to do with the ability to ask good questions, gain knowledge, analyze complex situations, apply common sense, recall past experiences, consider sensible options, think deeply and reach sound solutions. Wisdom is, to most people, a combination of some or all of these things, plus many more.
Defined in this way, some people may think that wisdom is not that different than intelligence. Wisdom is closely related to intelligence, for sure. But they are not the same. Wisdom is not intelligence. At the basic level, wisdom is intelligence applied towards a common good. One can accept that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were very intelligent men, but one can hardly say they were men of wisdom. One researcher writes, “What matters is not only how much knowledge you have, but how you use that knowledge.”
King Solomon also wrote about wisdom from his own observations. In Ecclesiastes 9, he said that, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But he also said not always! In what way is wisdom sometimes not better than strength? Everyone desires wisdom. The more wisdom, the better. So how is it that Solomon would say something like that? Before you arrive to worship this Sunday, please read ahead Ecclesiastes 9:11–18. Come, and let’s read together God’s Word, and think and worship together. See you Sunday!
Your Friend,
Alvin