Caution on Wisdom

The Bible urges people to get wisdom and understanding.

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

However, knowledge puffs up and makes proud, it can lead to trusting one's own ability rather than God. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies.

1 Corinthians 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

God ultimately abases the proud and gives grace to the humble.

1 Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Much as wisdom is to be desired, one must be careful to avoid glorying in it rather than God.

Learning and questioning is good but it is simply an intermediate stage. God wants us to trust in Him, not our own wisdom. To be a Christian means ultimately choosing to place our trust in God and Jesus His Son, and that trust must be based not on data-based analysis but a relationship with God. God interacts in our daily lives and we must know and trust Him, not just our own analyses.