July 17, 2018
We know that "We
all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 1Cor
8:1
Instead of trying to
tell people what you know, help them discover it for themselves.
I was in a conversation with an acquaintance years ago, and
the topic eventually turned to raising children. Being a new dad in my recent marriage, I was
struggling with the challenges of parenting and feared making mistakes or doing
something wrong. As I opened up a little
about my struggles, the man I was talking to started giving me advice and correcting
me on a few things. He went on and on
about how to parent my child, and what I should be doing, and some of the
things were not sounding practical nor appropriate. Somewhere in the conversation, I think God
whispered into my spirit to ask a question, so I did: “how many kids do you have?” His answer was a bit defensive: “well, none,
but I know what I am talking about.”
Somehow, his advice seemed to carry a lot less weight after that.
Humans have a tendency to turn knowledge into
arrogance. We are taught things in
college and think we have the expertise now to advise other people. We learn stuff in our own life and start
using it as a hammer to fix everyone else’s problems around us. It’s amazing how quickly we can take
something we have seen and turn it into expertise for ourselves. All of that becomes a bit arrogant when we
start asserting opinions as facts, and start pushing our ideas in areas we were
not knowledgeable or responsible for.
Knowledge is a good thing if used properly. When we offer
something as an idea, or a question, or a possibility, it allows the receiver
to think through the scenario and consider how the idea might work. But when we assert it as truth, we are
stealing the person’s own experience and judgment away, making our thoughts the
standard. Offering knowledge can help
build up the receiver, but pushing knowledge only builds up the sender.
Paul tells the Corinthian church that we should build each
other up. The best learning is not done
through instruction, but through experience.
Love offers its help in whatever way the receiver needs. Pride pushes its help in whatever way the
sender needs. Be a person of love
instead of a person of pride. Turn our
knowledge into questions, curiosity, and options. Allow the person the chance to analyze and
grow themselves in the process. Who
knows … we ALL might get a little wiser if we learn together instead of trying
to assert our own opinions.
God has full knowledge, yet He chooses to reveal it slowly
at a pace we are ready to learn. He has
the ability to advise us on everything, but waits until we are ready to seek
the answers. Because God is love, He
chooses to use ways that build us up instead of beat us up.
And He should know … since He has been there before.
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