Isn’t the goal of education to make you smarter? We’re not talking about IQ; whether you go to college or not, your intelligence remains steady, doesn’t it? But it turns out IQ isn’t carved in stone; it can grow.
When people talk about a friend getting smart in school, they mean their buddy picked up skills. He might have gone to college not knowing anything about computers, but when he graduated, he could build them himself. In the eyes of most folks, school made that guy smart.
Of course with the spread of the internet and mobile technology, “smart” applies to objects, too. All we have to do is program these devices and they’ll take over tasks we don’t want to bother with anymore. Need to remember to send that birthday card? You can repeat it to yourself or you can write it down. But if you ask your smartphone to remind you, it will!
And now “smart cities” are coming into their own. By installing sensors and other internet-connected hardware, these communities are streamlining services, preventing traffic congestion, and giving people a hassle-free way to interact with the government. (At least that’s the intention!)
Having finished a series on spiritual schooling, we can ask ourselves if discipleship makes us smart. The longer we follow Jesus, do we only absorb information about the Bible or do our souls get more intelligent? Can we improve our spiritual IQ?
Scripture makes it clear that wisdom comes from God.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5
If we don’t know how to figure out a problem, we’re free to ask the Lord for His help. That’s wonderful, but in a sense, all we’ve gotten is insight. Valuable, but limited.
But devoting ourselves to God’s Word does something to our souls. It makes us smarter.
Does that seem outlandish? Recall that David wrote Psalm 119 which is the longest chapter in the Bible. 176 verses long, it’s an almost endless list of blessings that attend those who meditate on Scripture. Here’s one of those verses:
“I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.” – Psalm 119:100
In ancient Israel, the elders were those who, by age and experience, had the wisdom to help govern the nation. The Jews esteemed these individuals because the well-being of society depended on them. And here’s David claiming that he knew more than they did! Was he bragging? No, he was promoting the value of the Word. Reflecting on Scripture and putting it into practice padded David’s spiritual IQ. He was wiser than his years.
The Bible goes even further.
“Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand everything.” – Proverbs 28:5 (HCSB)
What? It looks like Solomon (who either wrote this proverb or collected it) is claiming what theologians call “omniscience.” This is the doctrine that God knows everything. It fits God well, but me? That’s another story!
What’s Solomon getting at with this statement? Let’s break down the verse.
The word “but” means there’s a contrast between two ideas. The first phrase competes with the second. And each phrase has parts that correspond to equal parts in the other. We have:
- Evil men–Those who seek the Lord
- Do not understand–Understand
- Justice–Everything
The first two contrasts are easy to grasp. Even the first half of the third one fits our experience of the world. For example, think of dictators or cruel bosses. The notions these people have of justice don’t line up with what God wants.
But why would Solomon use the word “everything” in the second half of the third part? Righteous people are righteous, not omniscient. A quick dive into the vocabulary will help. The Hebrew word for “everything” is kol and it refers to the totality or the whole.
Related to justice, “everything” or “the whole” means the full picture, the complete story. A big problem in organizations is narrow-mindedness. People can get so focused on their little corner of an issue that they fail to see the full extent of a matter.
You would guess that the solution is to become more open-minded, but that’s not what Solomon says. Instead, he advocates seeking the Lord. Why? Because God knows everything! And if we search for God’s perspective, we’ll receive His wisdom. Not only will this help us solve problems, but it teaches us to value a broader vision. We learn to appreciate how the Lord views things and we begin the process of imitating Him.
But it’s more than imitation; it’s a gift.
“The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments.” – 1 Corinthians 2:15
“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” – 1 John 2:20
“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.” – 1 John 2:27
Both Paul (who wrote 1 Corinthians) and John emphasize the gift of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Those of us who follow Jesus have the privilege of the Spirit transforming our souls by filling us with, among other blessings, His wisdom. And this is a wisdom that defies human explanation. People may vilify and oppose it, but God’s truth stands! As Christ’s disciples, we have a solid foundation upon which the Father constructs our spiritual lives.
Regardless of our education or what an IQ test reports, God offers us the opportunity to grow in our understanding of Him and His ways. By His Word and His Spirit, Jesus is making us into something special–smart saints!
Recent Comments