(November 14, 2024) Mama Lava shares another precious insight…

Hello there, my smart, intelligent, and wise friends! How are you all today?

What has been on your mind lately? To be honest, my brain has been a jumble. I have so many things on my mind that there is, essentially, nothing on my mind. Can you relate to this?

This morning, I’m in a rabbit hole of thought around those words above: ‘smart’, ‘intelligent’ and ‘wise.’ What do they mean to me? Do I decipher between them correctly? Read on and let me know if you agree with my assessment.

Assessment
1) Smart
In my rhetoric, this is someone who is savvy and knows how to use available resources to their advantage. They have street smarts. Smart people come out on top.

2) Intelligent
Intelligent people understand things others don’t. (I’m not saying that as a blanket statement, that is just how I use the word.) They learn information easily. They process things and explain them well. Intelligent people propel progress.

3) Wise
Wise people know how information affects behaviour. They’ve observed things and learned from experience. More than that, they’ve honed their habits by what they’ve learned. Wise people apply what they know to their lives.

I started to look up the words smart, intelligent and wise in the dictionary, but decided against it. I wanted to come at this from a personal point of view, more of a self-reflection than a study, and here is my conclusion:

Appraisal
(i) Smart is fun!
I don’t see myself as particularly smart. Using what is available for personal advantage doesn’t come naturally and besting others hasn’t been my pursuit. Although I do admire it when I see it.
(ii) Intelligence is good!
I have some. At this point in my life, I’m willing to learn, but honestly, it’s more difficult with age. I need to be picky about where I apply myself if I want to gain intelligence.
(iii) Wisdom is everything!
What good is it to know stuff if it doesn’t affect my life? The propensity for wisdom increases with age because experiences compound upon each other.

Aspiration
Of the three, I aspire to be wise!

How about you? Would you agree with my appraisal of these three words? Where do you concentrate your efforts? Have your goals changed with age?

I read the following in my Bible and found the text both thought-provoking and comforting. I hope the verses below from Job touch you encouragingly too.

• Job 12:13 says that ‘To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding…’    
• Job 28:12-11 asks: ‘… where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?’
• And verses13,15-16 tells how valuable wisdom is: ‘No mortal comprehends its worth…’

Verses 17-19 declares that gold and other precious items can neither compare nor purchase wisdom: ‘Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.’

Assertion
Verse 22 again asks, ‘Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?’ And verse 23 responds, ‘God understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells.’ 

Other verses in this chapter tell of how creative our God has been: ‘… then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He confirmed it and tested it. And He said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord— that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding”’ (v27-28).

The word ‘fear’ here— yarah— refers to exceeding reverence, awe, or the assignment of honour. In other words, whoever seeks wisdom from God and turns away (shuns) wrongdoing is both reverent and wise!

Alignment
Our Saviour Jesus aligned Himself with wisdom— ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man’ (Luke 2:52). Later amazed listeners would ask ‘Where did this man get this wisdom…?’ (Matthew 15:34).

One of Jesus’ promises was that He would give His followers wisdom: ‘… make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict’ (Luke 21:14-15).

Paul wrote that ‘Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God’(1Corinthians 1:24NLT).

Yes, I’m going for wisdom! Have a wonderful day, my friends! Do let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Mama Lava delights to share openly and honestly from her heart. She sincerely believes in making the big world a bit smaller through caringly connecting, that Jesus wants to remove our anxieties and give us His joy. In her encouragements, Mama Lava regularly tells of life experiences from an unapologetically Christian viewpoint. Link: Mama Lava’s Back Porch (Doses of Maternal Love).
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