When We Hold Our Own Wisdom Too Highly

We began this series by looking at the dangers of forgetting who we truly are, especially in terms of neglecting our God-given identity in Christ. We're not straying very far from that line of thinking with today's post, and really what links the two together is the idea of humility. Humility, as the opposite of pride or arrogance, is sometimes misconstrued as thinking very lowly of yourself and maybe never even acknowledging if you do something well. But what humility can be boiled down to, in one sense, is a realistic view of yourself and your abilities. And if we consider our own wisdom in humility, we are forced to confront the reality that we do not know best.

Sure, depending on the circumstances, our experience, and other factors, we might know better. But "knowing best" has to be an achievement reserved solely for God. In Rena's story, there are certainly a lot of very intelligent, capable, and accomplished people. And recognizing God's true wisdom doesn't mean discounting all of those things. The issue comes when we value those things more highly than God's wisdom. In Rena's case, she first defaults to human "wisdom." This leaves her confused, conflicted, and going down the wrong path. Later, she gains clarity through godly council from others and returning to what she knows to be the truth of God's Word.

Ultimately, wisdom comes from God. As Proverbs 2:6 puts it, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (ESV). This is why in the very next chapter, we are advised to, "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil" (Prov. 3:7, ESV). And later, we are reminded that, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (Prov. 9:10, ESV).

But why is this the case? Why do we look to God as the highest wisdom? In Job, God puts things in perspective in honestly one of my favorite passages:
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements- surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:4-7, ESV).

Here's where the idea of humility once again comes in. When we have a realistic view of ourselves and our wisdom, we recognize that we are not the One who created the earth. We do not know the boundaries of the heavens. We did not see the beginning of time. God is set apart from us because He is undeniably greater. His thoughts and ways are not like ours because they are infinitely higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). And because this is the case, the correct mindset is to set God's wisdom above ours, instead of thinking more highly of human wisdom. When we do this, we are promised that, "It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Prov. 3:8, ESV). Which, for the record, seems like a pretty good deal to me.