Wisdom and knowledge…
Aug 5th, 2010 by ljkim
You can be born smart, be born with a high IQ, but no one is born wise. Also, one can be highly educated and smart, and still not be wise or know how to put real knowledge to use. So when we’re talking about the spiritual gifts (SGs) of wisdom and knowledge, this isn’t talking about book-smart or school-smart, it’s talking about deeper more practical knowledge and wisdom. Brother Lawrence was known for many things like: being so physically clumsy and lacking business aptitude that he couldn’t be trusted with buying supplies or around breakables… And yet as God changed him (and as he changed for God), he began to be wise when it came to things about life and God… He was still dumb (when it came to lots of things) and uneducated, but he was at the same time incredibly wise. People who who have this SG aren’t necessarily the “ones in charge,” but they’ll probably be the ones people turn to (even those in charge) when they need guidance.
The spiritual gift of knowledge (or understanding) is a bit different. It’s even more easily confused with “being smart.” But it goes beyond just knowing things – it’s about really understanding the big AND small picture of God and life and what’s going on. The ability to analyze and break things down, categorize, and to gain practical insight from the data of life and the Bible. Someone who has this gift doesn’t just see the words or rules of what God says (for instance), but looks to see what it means. C.S. Lewis was really quite an average tutor at Oxford until his thirties when he went from being a regular run of the mill atheist to believing… As he grew in love for God as a savior, he grew in understanding… So that even though he never studied theology proper in any academic capacity, his basic insights have enlightened theologians and Christians ever since.
If you’ve never read C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, I recommend taking a look (it was crucial to me when I first came to Christianity). And try to remember that these were simple radio talks that he gave on BBC… It wasn’t because he was so smart – he was average for Oxford students and professors – but he had the SG of knowledge – so that as he was changed by God (and changed for God), he grew in understanding… In the end this gift didn’t just benefit him, it benefited the church… Same goes for Brother Lawrence… He never wrote a book, but some people collected some of his letter and advice in a book called Practicing the Presence of God (you can find it public domain). His gift didn’t just benefit him, but everyone around him! That’s what a spiritual gift is: a manifestation of the spirit for the common (both the one with the gift, and the ones who know her/him) good.
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