Foolish Wise Men

1 Corinthians 3: 18 – 19

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.

These two verses are under a heading Foundations for Living. This is part of God’s foundation teaching series. I should begin by telling you that these two verses are just a small part of an expansive teaching from the Apostle Paul. Paul had a huge revelation about the wisdom of God having been sent into the earth and how we all are partakers thereof but not in ourselves but rather through our integration with Jesus for in him and because of him, we now have the mind of Christ.

The wisdom of the world, on the other hand, is utter foolishness. To God it must sound like mindless chatter, for nothing in this world has come into being apart from God. He understands all of the science; all of the biology and physics that make this universe in its great expanse and every cell of our bodies work. He created all of the laws of physics. We are just trying to discover them. So, how foolish is it for us to catapult our estimation of our intellect above that of the Father. None the less, I hear people talk about our intellect and frankly, many of them have their intelligence on the throne of their lives rather than Jesus. I knew one person who could often be heard repeating the God gave us an intellect for us to use. While I do not disagree, this person used it as an excuse to defy the Word of God. Now how smart is that? The celebration of human intellect begins to sound like foolishness. Don’t get me wrong. I do not find any virtue in ignorance. I believe in both formal and informal education. In fact, I think the moment you stop learning, you begin to die. Life should be an ongoing adventure. That adventure, however, shouldn’t be spent basking in the glow of our grand intellect. It is a venture with God and with the Holy Spirit who knows all of the thoughts of God. It is a quest into the heart and mind of God, a journey which we have been specially equipped to take.

The only wise person is the one who seeks God and His wisdom. All else is foolishness. If we will abandon human reasoning in favor of divinely led revelation, we will come to understand the universe. All knowledge is at hand. If we will humble ourselves we can have it all. The intertwined life with the Holy Spirit is truly one of inspiration and revelation. We don’t even have to be that smart, just smart enough to realize we’re not.

Knowledge is Power

Ephesians 5: 17

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

I have an expression I like to use which is, “There is an easy way and a hard way to do everything. When possible, use the easy way.” Paul said, “Do not be foolish.” Okay, so understanding the will of the Lord is the easy way to live and to succeed. Knowing God’s will is like taking the inside track. The converse is trying to figure it out for ourselves.

I am all for education. As a matter of fact, a friend’s mother chides me that I will be the most educated person in the graveyard. Well, I’ve never put a lot of stock in ignorance. However, no amount of human education will ultimately equip us for the battles of life. Ignorance won’t either but there is another choice. We can live in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. Actually, that was the original plan.

God did not call us to Him so that we could toil and worry. His calling is so that we can step into our positions as His beloved and live in the fullness of His provision. If we aren’t living in that abundance yet, then we still have the need of more understanding. Of course, the pursuit of understanding the Lord’s will is the journey of this lifetime. Those who are wise instead of foolish will seek His will every day, really every minute. When you know the will of God you will have the confidence to release His power and authority in every aspect of life. You will truly be unstoppable. For those who persist in seeking and knowing God’s will, nothing shall be impossible.

In absolutely everything you do today, pause and seek the Lord. Seek His will. Let Him guide you in every single step. Even the smallest matters are of importance to Him. You will find that you save yourself time and a great deal of effort. Knowledge really is power but only when it is the knowledge of God’s will for you.