It doesn’t take more than a casual look around our society to see that there are some strong and loud ideas about what makes someone knowledgeable or wise. We live in a world that says truth is in the eye of the beholder and rewards clickbait headlines, animated reactions, outrage, and agreement with whatever the majority thinks about the latest cultural issue. More and more, opinions become tools of division that end friendships and discourage community with anyone who thinks differently than you.  

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So, who (or what) gets to decide what truth is or where wisdom is found?  Proverbs provides the answer in our key verses today: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. It’s important to know that “fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean being scared of Him. It’s more like deep respect, reverence, and healthy fear, recognizing that God is God and that we should submit to that authority. God, Creator of the Universe, defines truth, and we become knowledgeable and wise as we walk with the Lord. Sounds easy enough, right?  In some ways, it is; if truth is defined and true knowledge only comes from one source, then all I have to do is follow Him. However, living like this does come at a cost.

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Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 that the gospel, the cross, and the wisdom of the Lord look like foolishness to the world we live in. In verses 18-20 Paul writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

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For us to become wise by God’s standard, we have to be okay with looking foolish by the world’s standards. Some things our world highly values will be hard to hold on to as we learn to walk closely with Jesus.  

Are the messages you’re listening to trying to convince you that how Jesus expects you to live is insane? Our world has so many ways of getting nonstop messaging in front of us. We are the only ones who can put limits on it. Are we saturating our minds with God’s truth found in His Word, or do we spend most of our time swiping through an algorithm designed to push us more of what will hold our attention, even if it’s not good for us?

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Take some time to read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 fully today and ask yourself when the last time was that you felt the sting of “being foolish” by the world’s standard. As I ask myself that question, I have to face the areas of my life, like time and finances, where I may be starting to align with the world’s standards. Thankfully, God loves us enough to call us back to the right path to walk. We can ask Him for the wisdom and courage we need to look foolish for Jesus.