This past Christmas, Will, my oldest son, gave me a book that wasn’t for me to read but for me to write. It’s called Dad, I Want to Know Your Life Story, and each page prompts me to answer a different question about my life.
What was your favorite class in high school? Did you have a curfew? What happened if you broke it? What was your first car? Who taught you to drive? Question after question, page after page—for 160 long pages.
At first, I thought, What a scam! You pay $13.99 for a book you have to write yourself! But after eight months, I finally opened the book and started answering the questions. Poco a poco, little by little, I’m now working my way through. Whether or not my kids and grandkids ever open the book when I’m long gone, I’m now discovering it to be a cathartic journey for remembering my past and reflecting on lessons learned.
Just this morning I answered the question, “Now that you are older, what would you say to your teenage self?” Oh, I would say a LOT of things to my teenage self! Make wise choices. Don’t be an idiot. Develop healthy habits. Be kind. Be more respectful.
As I was filling the page with my answers, one thought rose above all: Get wisdom. Solomon wrote, “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:5-7).
When I was younger, I sought knowledge but not wisdom. I had curiosity, but I lacked humility. I went on to college and graduate school to gain the knowledge and training needed to serve as a pastor, but I neglected the deeper quest for wisdom and understanding.
Seeking knowledge is good but insufficient. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) once wrote, “There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love.”
I would call that third motivation to seek knowledge the gift of wisdom. We can know something but lack understanding. We can gain knowledge but be remiss in wisdom.
I am now forty years older than my younger, teenage self, but I am still on my wisdom quest. The only difference is that now I know I need wisdom; back then I simply didn’t care.
I encourage you to continue your quest as well, and may our quest ultimately lead us to the Source of wisdom, the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Amen.
