Smart or Wise?

Mike is a friend of mine, though that’s not really his name. He struggled in school and barely made it through. I’ve never heard anyone accuse him of being very smart. But neither have I ever heard anyone call him a fool. He really is not that gifted with natural intelligence. But the guy is a master and making good decisions and inspiring people. He has a good marriage, good kids, and he runs his own successful small business. He often jokes that if it were not for his bookeeper, he’d have lost all his money a long time ago because he is so bad at math. Like I said, he’s not really that smart. But he is very wise, in his marriage, his kids, his friendships, and his business.

I have another friend who rarely studied to get straight As throughout school. If I’m ever wondering about random information about anything, I can ask him and get a good answer. He remembers almost everything he’s ever read, seen, or heard. He’s a really smart guy. But he struggles at work, home, and in life. Few people would want to trade places with him.

It’s great to be smart, and if you’ve been blessed with intelligence, thank God for it and use it well. But it’s a whole lot more important to be wise.

Here’s the thing. Not everyone can be smart. That’s a blessing that comes from God. But everyone can be wise. Whether or not you are wise is up to you. Smart can be an asset. Wisdom, on the other hand, will bless every aspect of your life, throughout your life. Solomon said this, “Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom!” (Proverbs 4:7 HCSB).

What does wisdom look like? Jesus’ half-brother, James, said this, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (James 3:13 NIV). And a few verses later he added, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV).

There are a lot of good things that can be learned from these two verses, but in essence, James taught that the wisdom God gives us will make us authentic and sincere people who make good decisions that benefit others as well as ourselves, who bring people together rather than apart, and produce a good life that exalts the giver of this wisdom, God himself. 

You may or may not be smart. But whatever your level of intelligence, you can be wise. God offers it to you (Proverbs 2:1-6). And that matters far more!