This post is the 3rd in a 6-part series on Idolizing Knowledge. Read the rest of the posts here. Guest directory info is available here.
Serving with a mission which crossed over daily into Mexico, I didn’t head to the border with any intention of interpreting. My Spanish was mas-o-menos just okay. But as I was regularly immersed in groups of friends only speaking Spanish, I thought I was really starting to get good.
Fast forward 4 months to my last week in the community.
Happily chatting away in Español, I casually said “estupido.” Directly translated “stupid,” it was just an adjective to me. According to my shocked and then hysterical friends, I was swearing. Red in the face and mortified, I’d been unknowingly swearing in front of children, the elderly, and everyone in between for months.
For all I knew about Spanish and the regional dialect, I was certainly lacking in some understanding.
Being fully immersed doesn’t mean we are fully informed. <Tweet This>
Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! –1 Corinthians 13:9
No person except for Christ has ever walked this earth with a complete understanding of anything. Even people with special knowledge of God- people whose prophecies were realized in Christ- had to live by faith.
We don’t even know our own hearts fully. –Jeremiah 17:9
Even the disciples, seeing Jesus face to face and following Him diligently, had to have their eyes opened and the truth explained several different ways. They were divinely inspired to write the New Testament but still spoke with humility because they knew they couldn’t know it all while still on earth. And that was okay.
Beth Moore has said she wouldn’t tell her younger self a thing if she could go back in time. She explains there are many things she’s glad she didn’t know ahead of time because she would have said “no way.” Discovery, even through the terrible and painful, is what grows us up and into closeness with the One we’re following and putting our faith in.*
Andrew Wilson explains: “If God’s glory is infinite, and my concept of Him is not, then I never stop needing an increased understanding of His greatness.”**
While attempting to comprehend how incomplete our comprehension is drives us knowledge idolaterers to our knees, we ought to stoop all the lower in awe and praise.
All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. –1 Corinthians 13:12
Someday we will not be wanting for knowledge out of reach.
Someday knowledge will be complete.
Wholeness will satisfy us for eternity as we know fully the One who has always known us fully.
Since God says there will be no more pain in that day, soaking all of the fullness of Him and of knowledge won’t even give us a headache. We will enter into God’s understanding- and there will be no more sorrow or sin. There will be nothing left to make us foolish.
As for now, God keeps us on a need-to-know-basis to focus us on what’s more important: who we know. Him.
The “by faiths” of the OT heroes are extraordinary and emboldening because of what they didn’t know. They didn’t know the whole plan. Abraham went by faith when God said “go” even though he didn’t know the destination. Noah built the ark by faith, not knowing how it could possibly turn out alright when the earth was flooded. Moses led a nation out of slavery by faith, not knowing what was to come, where they would settle, or even how to feed them all.
Hebrews 11:27 sums up why, despite not knowing, these faithful people followed God when they were blind to the whens, wheres, hows, and whys.
Moses “persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”
Because knowledge isn’t complete, idolizing understanding keeps us distracted with something meant for life after death.
Idolizing knowledge distracts us from Who we need to know if we are to persevere, live by faith, and walk securely along the narrow way.
Whether our current knowledge-worship has us bloated with self-assurance or hopped up on the thrill of the chase, we must fix our attention on the One we follow- by faith.
How do faith and knowledge interact in your mind?
*Beth Moore, Entrusted Bible Study, Audio Session 6
**Andrew Wilson, GodStories, pg19
Join me for the next 5 weeks to delve deeper into shattering the idol of knowledge to take hold of knowledge as God intends it to be.
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I’m so glad I found your blog on #momentsofhopelink up! This post is so important and I often want to jump ahead to understand. This is such a wonderful reminder to me to see what Jesus is revealing to me….today. Great post!
So glad you’re here Lauren! I often want to too, but the slow discovery with the Lord is precious! Praying we both revel in what He gives and teaches and shares with us (today!)
Idolizing knowledge distracts us from Who we need to know if we are to persevere, live by faith, and walk securely along the narrow way…this line is so great. While we can often emphasize certainty, it’s faith that’s the key. Such an interesting topic for a series.
Thank you Wanda! It’s a topic dear to me! I love how you summarized this about certainty and faith. Yes!
I had a conversation with a friend today about this idea of discovery – though that’s not what I called it. The idea that there are many things that I thought “should have” happened in my life, but the longer I walk with the Lord the more I realize that the fact that they didn’t is truly His grace and protection. While I often crave that global understanding, I’m so grateful to a God who sees and knows all, and writes His very best over me. Great post, Bethany – so thought provoking.
Thank you Tiffany! What did you call this idea of discovery? : ) I think about that often too. Even though it hasn’t been so pleasant, I thank the Lord that He has sometimes allowed me what I think I want because that’s filled me with all the lesser and empty of “should haves.” Whatever we know, want, dream up, isn’t as good as what He has for us. A delightful truth when we let go of our understanding and accept that trusting in Him means recieving the best there is!
I didn’t have a name for it. I described the emotion and experience, but “discovery” is such a perfect word. So grateful we are always discovering more of Him! xo
Knowledge can be an idol, and you’ve got me thinking about this for sure. I’m grateful God has revealed himself through his word and through our very lives. The distance between the head and the heart transform knowledge to wisdom and facts to loving obedience and action. Linking with you today from GingerHarrington.com. I’ve been writing on the second command lately. I love seeing how God speaks so many things to us from the same scriptures.
Yes, I have so enjoyed your writing on the second command lately : ) Thank you Ginger! Glad the Lord has us both thinking on this!