I have been reading in the book of Proverbs lately, and since I write as I read, I thought I would share my musings from a few days ago.
There are three terms used distinctively throughout, and although I know what they mean, I wanted to understand the nuance, so I went to my handy dandy New International Webster' s Standard Dictionary (I don't read with my computer on):
knowledge - Information or awareness gained from study or experience
wisdom - An accumulated body of knowledge
understanding - comprehension, the ability to retain knowledge
I wrote these down, because of this verse: Proverbs 3:19
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding established heaven
I really wanted to dissect this to better understand and apply it to my life. This is a hidden gem. I can best explain my thoughts using engineering as a metaphor. I can learn math and science and the rules that govern them, how to apply those equations and in so doing, solve them. There are plenty of things that I can construct in my life simply by learning, but until I comprehend, until I internalize, until I do more than gather information and apply rules, I will never produce anything divine.
When you know an equation, you can solve problems, but when you can derive the formula because you comprehend the underlying concepts that the equation is based on, you can discover. Look at Newton, Einstein, Edison..all of the great scientists and mathematicians didn't just apply equations, they wanted to comprehend them. They sought to gain a deeper understanding so that they could deconstruct the mysteries. When that happened, they made transformative discoveries that revolutionised not only their lives, but the lives of countless others!
My take away in short: To learn is earthly, but to comprehend is divine. To approach life based on an accumulated body of knowledge will get me only so far. I tend to be something of a"jack of all trades," learning a little about a lot of things. This can be both good and bad. I am going to choose one thing that I love, and fully commit to creating something...divine! When I do, I will share that with you, and maybe, it will change our lives.
