Lots of Information and Knowledge, But Too Little Wisdom

Are you old enough to remember encyclopedias, which salespeople used to peddle from door to door? These included the encyclopedias Brittanica (its name alone sounded awfully smart); Americana; Funk & Wagnalls (which had absolutely nothing to do with funk music); the aptly named Book of Knowledge; Collier’s, and others. Most of them amounted to a library all by themselves.

 

For many in my generation, when we had to write a report or term paper, the encyclopedia with its vast storehouse of information was our go-to resource. The trick was avoiding the temptation to copy what it said on a particular topic word-for-word.

 

If you didn’t have an encyclopedia, or yours didn’t seem to have all the answers, there was always the library and its card catalog (again, remember that?) with its rows and rows of file drawers listing every one of its books by subject and author. Wading through that was tons of fun! (Uh, no.)

 

But in the ‘olden days,’ those were two primary sources of information. Fast-forward to today. We’ve had an explosion of information that rivals anything Mount Vesuvius spewed out. We’ve got the traditional media – TV, radio, newspapers (print and digital), magazines, and books – as well as social media, the Internet, and now, artificial intelligence. AI has the answers before we even know the questions.

 

Immersed in this vast sea of information, it stands to reason we’re also growing in knowledge. My grandkids probably know more than I did after graduating from high school. That’s great. But have you noticed despite all this wealth of information and knowledge, we seem impoverished by a lack of wisdom? 

 

I won’t cite specific examples, but you know what I’m talking about. Turning on the TV, it often seems as if we’re watching the old film, “Ship of Fools.” One person trying to one-up the other by uttering the most nonsense. News and reality shows revealing folks doing and saying absolutely foolhardy things.

 

Getting back to the question of wisdom and the shortage thereof, what is wisdom anyway? One definition says it’s “the ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on deep understanding of situations and experiences, often involving knowledge, good judgment and the ability to discern what is right or true.” But how do we gain this ability?

 

There’s the story of a young man, hoping to experience a successful life, going to his mentor, the wisest person he knew. “How do you acquire wisdom?” the young fellow asked. “Through experience,” his mentor replied. “Then how do you gain experience?” “Through making good decisions.” “Well, how do you learn to make good decisions?” The wise man quickly replied, “By making bad decisions.”

 

Another young man approached me years ago to discuss what mentoring was all about. I asked, “Why do you want to be mentored?” His response: “So I can learn from your mistakes.” Good answer. As it turned out, the young guy still made plenty of his own mistakes.

 

Again, how do we get wisdom? Walmart doesn’t have a Wisdom department. And we can’t buy it at Target, Saks Fifth Avenue, or even Neiman Marcus. Amazon doesn’t have one-day delivery for wisdom; neither do FedEx or UPS. It’s not a commodity for sale.

 

We can gain wisdom through experience. And experience comes through decision-making and learning from mistakes. But one source for wisdom is largely underutilized: The Bible. The Scriptures present us with examples of people who exercised great wisdom – and many who didn’t. 

 

The Old Testament offers several ‘wisdom books,’ including Job, Psalms and Ecclesiastes. Most-quoted of all is Proverbs, which declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Thousands of years later, things haven’t changed much. We find an assortment of fools everywhere – politicians, business leaders, entertainers and others, mostly operating without a biblical worldview. This fits how Judges 17:6 and 21:25 describe the Israelites: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This isn’t wisdom, but foolishness.

 

Contrast this to what we read in Proverbs, largely attributed to Israel’s King Solomon, called the wisest man who ever lived. He said the proverbs are “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, for doing what is right and just and fair” (Proverbs 1:2-3).

 

If this is true, wouldn’t it be a good idea to discover what Proverbs teaches? To that end, many people have resolved to read one chapter of Proverbs every day. Since the book contains 31 chapters, the entirety of Proverbs can be read in a single month. In a year, that’s 12 times soaking in its wisdom.

 

Proverbs offers insights on numerous topics, such as the importance of restraining anger; receiving correction and discipline; the need to seek wise counsel and guidance; the value of having discernment and being prudent; dealing with envy and jealousy; overcoming sexual temptation; cultivating generosity; working diligently; pride and humility; striving for integrity and honesty.

 

Ultimately, they’re all anchored in “the fear of the Lord.” This doesn’t mean expecting God to pounce on us whenever we step out of line. It’s having a reverential awe for all that He is and does – His holiness, righteousness, power, love, mercy and grace. And recognizing He’s the source of every good thing.

 

Repeatedly Proverbs affirms that fearing the Lord’s a good thing: 

“The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23). 

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26-27).

Ultimately, fearing and loving the Lord provide the foundation for becoming the people God intends for us to be. Need proof? Study Proverbs. 

There’s Knowing – and Then There’s Truly Believing

We’re a people infatuated with information and knowledge. We’ve had encyclopedias, libraries and bookstores for centuries, meccas for everything we needed to know. But those are all “so-20^th century.” They’ve been succeeded by online search engines and digital resources like YouTube. 

Just about anything we need to know is literally at our fingertips by typing a few keys or clicking a mouse. Want videos on any kind of music? TV shows, old and new? How-to’s for such things as playing a musical instrument, growing plants, creating a costume, baking a cake, or making home improvements? They’re right there, accessible on the Internet. Everything’s on a need-to-know basis – if you need to know it, you can find it.

 

It's wonderful to have such a seemingly limitless storehouse of knowledge and information. Except when it’s not. Knowledge and information don’t always equate with truth and meaning. My father used to have a saying that, “Some people are so smart, they’re stupid.” There’s danger in being too enraptured with what we know – or think we know.

 

This is especially true spiritually speaking. There’s a wealth of knowledge available about the spiritual dimension of our lives; it’s tempting to think that the more information we absorb, the closer to God we become. But that’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes knowledge can actually become an obstacle to experiencing a genuine, intimate relationship with the Lord. 

 

The apostle Paul expressed this concern to his young disciple, Timothy, referring to people who are “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive…ungrateful, unholy…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:2-5). Then he made this amazing description of them as “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

 

Kind of brings to mind a person who pursues one college degree after another, amassing an incredible amount of information but never putting it into practical use in the real world of work and everyday living.

 

But isn’t it good to grow in knowledge, especially in a spiritual sense? We have the Bible, Christian messages on TV and radio, a plethora of Bible study resources, conferences and retreats. We can never know enough, right? 

 

J.C. Ryle, an English evangelical Anglican bishop in the late 19^th century, expressed a concern similar to what Paul wrote to Timothy. He observed, “Satan is a master theologian. He’s talked to God, interacted with God, believes in God’s existence, and knows more about God’s attributes and abilities than most…and yet Satan doesn’t love God.”

 

Therein lies the rub, we might say. Knowledge about God doesn’t equal faith in Him and love for Him. I can read and even memorize portions of books about aerodynamics, but that doesn’t make me an airline pilot. A never-ending relationship with the Lord takes more than biblical information.

 

And there’s an even greater potential danger in our pursuit of knowledge about God. Later in his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Strong words for sure.

 

Some might say in their own defense, “But I believe in God!” To that the apostle James would respond, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2:19). The demons’ knowledge will be of no benefit for them in eternity.

 

This isn’t to disparage a desire to gain a greater understanding of God and Jesus Christ from the Scriptures. We are encouraged to grow in our faith, and one way of doing this is by reading, studying, meditating on, memorizing and living out what the Bible teaches. Paul admonished Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

 

We need to check our own motives. Are we genuinely seeking to know the God who is and learn how to become faithful disciples of Christ? Or are we attempting to twist the Scriptures in a way that conforms with what we want the Lord to be? Is our goal simply to acquire information we can feel good about, or is it to truly believe with unwavering, unshakable faith?

 

Jesus, speaking about those who are presented with the truth of the Gospel but refuse to respond, said, “To them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For the people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear...” (Matthew 13:14-16).

 

May we be abundantly blessed by God because we see the truth, hear the truth, understand with our hearts, and determine to live out the truth.

It’s About Transformation, Not Information

As I’ve observed previously, somewhere along the line we became infatuated, enraptured, enthralled and obsessed with information. 

 

For years we’ve had access to news 24/7. In bygone days, we waited until the 6 or 11 o’clock news to find out what’s happened in the world around us. Now it’s readily available to us at the press of the remote on countless channels. We can access hundreds of news websites filled with information, some of it balanced, some of it extremely biased. If that’s not enough, we have numerous news apps available for our smartphones.

 

In the “olden days,” to learn more about a particular subject, folks would trek to the library, rummage through the card catalog and find the appropriate books. If they could afford it, parents would purchase Britannica, World Book, or Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias. But who needs those anymore when we’ve got online resources like Wikipedia, a variety of search engines, and websites devoted to virtually any topic imaginable?

 

We’re saturated with information. The modern Church isn’t any different. In addition to the Bible – available in numerous translations with editions aimed at almost any demographic – we have commentaries, concordances, Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, not to mention thousands upon thousands of books, DVDs and audios. We have conferences and seminars, all designed to increase our biblical knowledge.

 

But I’m reminded of what the late Latin American evangelist Luis Palau said years ago when asked to contrast American Christians with believers in Third World countries. His comment that stuck in my mind was, “Americans are afflicted with the lust of the mind.”

 

Knowledge is a good thing. Certainly, the more informed we are about aspects of our faith, the easier it is to solidify our beliefs and communicate truths of the Bible to others. But as I read the Scriptures, I find the underlying message isn’t about information – it’s about transformation.

 

Many people with vast knowledge about the Bible don’t know the Savior presented in the Bible. Some that have consumed tons of information about doctrine and theology, when they stand before the Lord, will be greatly disappointed. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven…. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

Information and understanding are important, but without transformation by God’s Spirit, we might be merely hoarders of biblical facts and stories. We're told in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” When we have a truly life-changing encounter with Jesus, we don’t just gain new values and perspectives; we receive new life.

 

That’s the message of Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God – who loved me and gave Himself for me.” To know Jesus is to experience new, transformed life spiritually.

 

This isn’t a concept readily grasped, even by established religious leaders. When Jesus was approached by Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Pharisee was struggling to figure out who this miracle worker and spellbinding teacher truly was. When Jesus told him, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3), poor Nick was dumbfounded.

 

“’How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit’” (John 3:4-5). He was referring to both physical, temporal birth and spiritual, transformational birth.

 

The Christian life isn’t about trying harder, trying to fix or improve ourselves. It’s recognizing that apart from the saving, life-giving power of Jesus Christ, it’s an exercise in futility. As He told His followers: 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener…. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:1-5).

 

When the apostle Paul admonished Christ followers in ancient Rome, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), he wasn’t urging them to seek information for the purpose of possessing more knowledge. They were to pursue a mind that had been transformed by the power of God’s Spirit.

 

Elsewhere Paul exhorted believers, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24).

 

Ultimately, God is not asking us to be good, or to become better. He wants us to be made new.

Drowning in Information, Starving for Wisdom

Sometimes it doesn’t require many words to say something profound. Recently someone posted on social media a photo of a business marquee that read, “We are drowning in information while starving for wisdom.” What a concise, nine-word appraisal of our society today!

 

Consider how communication – and access to it – has changed through the years. At the birth of our nation, communications were extremely slow. It took days, sometimes even weeks, for news of even important events to spread. 

 

The speed for communicating gradually increased from that point, but even in the early 1900s, the process of passing along information moved at a snail’s pace. News was delivered either “hot off the presses” in newspapers just lifted off printing presses, or by radio, with individuals or families huddling around their audio devices trying to discern through the static what was going on in the world.

 

Even in the 1980s, after I had wrapped up my 10-year career as a newspaper editor, the communications realm could not have anticipated the barrage of information we have now. USA Today was setting the newspaper world on its ear, using satellite technology to send digital files to printing plants across the country to produce and distribute the newspaper from coast to coast.

 

Cable TV was just on the verge of exploding; few people anticipated one day having hundreds of networks and stations available at the click of a remote. Email was a closely kept secret then, a luxury enjoyed by a relative few, and the Internet was little more than a rumor.

 

Fast forward to the present. We’ve arrived at what the late sports commentator Howard Cosell would have called “a virtual plethora” of communications options. (If you don’t know what “plethora” means, or who Howard Cosell was, you can Google it.) Want to communicate with someone, or seek information on virtually any topic? Pick your poison – and it sometimes seems that way.

 

Go to the library? Who needs to do that when you can consult one of many search engines from the comfort of your in-home computer? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and the ever-expanding social media options give us all the information we need, along with opinions to align with our personal biases. Want to be more personal? Send an email or a text.

 

The Internet seems as vast as the universe. Cable TV’s myriad channels are supplemented and even supplanted by streaming services. While print newspapers seem destined to go the way of dodos and dinosaurs, there’s no lack of choices for news, opinion – and propaganda.

 

So, we are overwhelmed with information – or as the marquee declares, “drowning” in it. But where, oh where can we find wisdom?

 

Wisdom has lagged terribly despite the explosion of information and knowledge because wisdom and information are as closely related as horses and cockroaches. What’s the difference? One definition puts it this way: Wisdom is the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge and good judgment. That is, wisdom takes information and knowledge, processes them to arrive at understanding, then puts that to work through appropriate application. 

However, wisdom is not opinions and biases buttressed only by information that supports one’s suppositions. In an age when folks proudly declare “my truth,” where can we turn for true wisdom instead of boundless confusion? There’s no greater source or authority than the Word of God, the Bible.

 

Years ago, I wrote a book titled, Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace. While the content was aimed at the business and professional world, I’ve found the wisdom from Proverbs useful and applicable for every area of life and endeavor. Consider one of its first statements: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). 

 

That’s not intended as an insult, but as a declaration that if we’re looking for true wisdom, we’re foolish not to make God and His teachings integral to our pursuit. Because as a verse that follows asserts, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

 

What’s the value of godly wisdom? How about “priceless”? “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the main who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:13-15).

 

In Proverbs, called “the Book of Wisdom” by many, hundreds of passages speak about wisdom directly and indirectly. But throughout the Scriptures we find encouragement to seek and embrace godly wisdom. For instance, The Psalms start by stating, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2)

We could cite many other passages, but one seems particularly fitting for our current state of drowning in information but starving for wisdom: “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?... For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). Why do we lack wisdom? Could it be because we refuse to look to God for it? 

Snippets, Soundbites and Such

Don’t you marvel at how complex information can be condensed into neat little bite-sized packages? We live in a world of snippets and soundbites, with news programming covering major developments, ranging from press conferences to international crises, and reducing them to one or two-minute summations, kind of like a trash compacter for human discourse and experience.

Consider the recent debates between candidates vying for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2020. As one astute political observer stated prior to the two-day verbal brawl, the event wasn’t designed for depth and substance. The best candidates could hope for, he said, was to make a lasting impression by cleverly turning a phrase. To make their mark, hopefuls needed to tailor their communications for snippets and soundbites that could be replayed again and again.

That’s reflective of the society we’re in today. Long-winded essays and treatises of yesteryear have been replaced by tightly edited and pre-digested bits of information. Even with 24/7 coverage, the tyranny of immediacy has seduced us into believing a 90-second news report is all we need to know about anything.

With attention spans dramatically shortened, we seem unable to focus for more than a few seconds at a time. Notice the rapid shifting of scenes in movies, TV dramas and comedies. Even “Downton Abbey.” Our minds have become like grasshoppers hopping from one leaf to another.

Even though we’re accustomed to this, it’s troublesome for those who desire to grow and mature in our faith. Because you can’t microwave spirituality. We can’t treat the Bible like fast-food literature.

Not only is spiritual growth a slow process, but building a fruitful, faithful relationship with God also can’t be achieved by a few seconds here, a few seconds there. King David illustrated this vividly in Psalm 1, contrasting the righteous and the wicked. Writing about “the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,” the psalm writer then stated, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3).

A key idea is the term “meditates.” It doesn’t mean sitting in a lotus position, humming soothing mantras. It’s reading a passage from the Scriptures and then turning it over and over in our minds, trying to capture its meaning and then considering how to apply its truth to our lives.

I heard a Bible scholar compare this to a cow chewing its cud. It munches slowly and carefully, not gobbling it down as we would a Chick-fil-A sandwich and waffle fries on the run. In a similar way, we’re to study the Scriptures  and digest them thoughtfully and meditatively, not as if we’re trying to cram them down in the middle of a 100-yard dash.

Elsewhere in the Psalms, we read David offering advice for staying on track in our walk with God. He writes, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11).

This doesn’t prescribe when or where we should do this “treasuring,” or even how. But it’s clear that contrary to the dictates of modern society, being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ can’t be achieved in bits and bytes while hustling from one commitment to the next.

Our minds must be anchored in God and His Word: “firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in (our) faith…” (Colossians 2:6-7). Just as I trust the tall trees growing behind our house are firmly rooted and anchored whenever a strong storm blows our way, I want my life in Christ to be firmly rooted as well, able to withstand the winds and chaos of life’s ever-changing circumstances. 

But this doesn’t happen automatically or by default. It must be intentional – and consistent. When life’s tough times come, we should fit the description of Isaiah 26:3, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.” For that to happen, snippets and soundbites just won’t do.

Information . . . or Transformation?

We’ve all benefited from the so-called “Information Age.” Thanks to the digital revolution, our knowledge-based society provides facts about practically everything literally at our fingertips, via desktop computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, even a smart-watch. Nearly everything we want to know, now accessible with a few taps of our fingers thanks to the wonders of cyberspace.

We have unlimited information
from nearly unlimited sources.

In many respects it’s been a good thing. Whether a recipe, home remodeling advice, the latest on our favorite sports team, financial trends, or information about a nagging medical problem, it’s all there. And why wait for tomorrow’s newspaper when we can read online reports of breaking news almost as it happens?

Years ago I cherished rare bits of information I could find about Ohio State sports. Now many websites can tell me the latest. Friends in Columbus say I know more about what’s going on with the Buckeyes than they do. Whatever we need to know is within arms reach. I even did research for this post in the comforts of my home office, gleaning information from my computer monitor. I haven’t visited a real library in years.

But this information, it’s not all good. We’ve stumbled simultaneously upon the “misinformation age.” Postings disguised as fact on biased websites, or disseminated via social media or email, might be anything but true. When I grew up Spam was canned meat – now spam is a means for hoodwinking people from their money or leaving them vulnerable to devious schemes. Have you heard from that rich African prince who wants to share his wealth with you, if only you send him a hefty deposit?

One other danger lurks within this cornucopia of information. Knowledge available to us seems limitless, but knowledge doesn’t equate to wisdom. Because wisdom involves understanding how to properly use the information at our disposal.

International evangelist Luis Palau was asked to compare Third World Christians he had met with Christians in America. He offered the view that many believers in America are “afflicted with the lust of the mind.” Unlike Third World disciples of Jesus, having no other choice but to live out their faith every day, Americans seem more zealous for gathering information about God and the Bible than putting into action what they’ve learned.

I heard about a man who for years was known for his devotion to reading Christian books, attending workshops, seminars and conferences, listening to spiritual messages, attending prayer meetings, and taking various classes on the Bible. Yet he’d never shared his faith with anyone. When asked why, he replied, “Oh, I just don’t know enough yet.”

Sadly, these days we’re more interested in information than in transformation. Some people are like those described by the Bible as “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Reading the Scriptures, memorizing and meditating on various verses, attending worship services and hearing stirring sermons are good. But God’s desire for us is that we “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

In His well-known parable of the sower found in Matthew 13, Jesus spoke about various kinds of “seed” (the Word of God). Some fell on paths where birds consumed them, on shallow soil where plants soon withered, or among thorns where growth was quickly choked off. Only the seeds that fell on good soil bore lasting fruit. Jesus was cautioning us to make sure that when we receive the truth it falls into fertile soil. That consists of receptive hearts eager to put that information into practice. In other words, willingness to become transformed, not just serve as seed holders.

After the apostle Paul declared, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” he explained what it’s useful for: “so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

When Paul told his readers about the Good News of Jesus Christ, he wasn’t offering just facts and information. He was teaching about its transforming capacity. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). The result, he wrote, is “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). In the process, we become “a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we read the Scriptures or a book by our favorite Christian author, attend a worship service or conference, or listen to Bible-based radio message, if all we’re looking for is information, we’re shortchanging ourselves. Because with God, it’s not about information – it’s about transformation.

One Thing the Internet Can’t Teach Us

I never cease to marvel over the vast and ever-growing storehouse of knowledge the Internet offers to us. Years ago, when doing research for a book or an article, I’d usually jump in the car and drive to the nearest library. I have nothing against libraries – they’re fun places to visit – but thanks to the Internet I haven’t needed to go to a library for information in several years.

Just about anything we could think can be found on the Internet: biographies, famous quotations, recipes, summaries of books and films, health information, do-it-yourself tips (not that I’d have any interest in those), sports statistics, weather forecasts, phone numbers, map and directions. You name it, it’s there.

My wife and I recently marked our 40^th anniversary, so out of curiosity I looked up the year 1974 on the Internet to see what was going on then – it was too long ago to remember! I found out Richard Nixon was in the midst of the Watergate scandal; 24-hour a day radio news coverage was just starting; “Happy Days” was beginning its 11-year TV run; Peter Benchley’s book, Jaws, was published; Barbra Streisand was singing “The Way We Were”; and somebody named Woody Hayes was coaching the Ohio State football team.

We'd all like to be wise as the proverbial owl.
But where and how does the owl get its wisdom?

You can find anything you need to learn online. That is, almost anything. One thing you can’t learn from the Internet is wisdom.

True, you can learn the definition of wisdom. The one I like best is: “the ability or result of an ability to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.” Another defines wisdom as “the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.”

We can even find out what other people have said about wisdom. I never thought of the late great rock guitarist and vocalist Jimi Hendrix as a fount of wisdom, but he observed, “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” Must have come from one of his more elucidating LSD moments.

Author Aldous Huxley asserted, “Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you.” There’s considerable wisdom in that recognition. Sounds like the voice of experience.

Philosopher Socrates once stated, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s occurred to me that the older you get and the more you think you know, the more you discover you don’t know yet.

Revered Chinese philosopher Confucius pointed to the reality of wisdom’s attainment when he said, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

President Calvin Coolidge gave a similar view when he commented, “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. It may not be difficult to store up in the mind a vast quantity of facts within a comparatively short time, but the ability to form judgments requires the severe discipline of hard work and the tempering heat of experience and maturity.”

The Internet truly is a bottomless well for information and knowledge, and we can learn a lot about wisdom, but you’ll never gain wisdom solely through mental exercise. It is, as Huxley commented, what you do with what you get. And there’s no substitute for time and experience.

But there’s one more source of wisdom we too often disregard entirely. The Scriptures tell us where to find it: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

James 1:5 says wisdom can be ours just for the asking: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” But there’s a caveat to such a request, as the next verse points out. “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).

Later in the book it states, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). That sounds like something worth having.

True, much of wisdom comes through the everyday grind of life’s hard knocks. As someone as said, the way to get wisdom is through experience, and the way to gain good experience is by making mistakes and having bad experiences. But if we can tap into the wisdom of God, maybe we can avoid having to endure some of those bad experiences brought about by foolish mistakes. I’ve already made more than my share of those!