Wisdom’s Journey: Proverbs 13:16

Terri GillespieWisdom’s Journey Through Proverbs

Do we really know the answer?

TODAY’S PROVERB: Everyone shrewd acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts folly. Proverbs 13:16, TLV

Research takes time. It’s an important ingredient to the foundation of knowledge. So, when we’re asked a question we don’t know the answer to, what should we do? Pause before we respond. Make certain we actually know the answer. If our tendency is to want to answer a question whether we fully understand the answer of not, this may be particularly difficult.

The same applies to making a decision.

I’m one of those people who felt they had to answer a question — to provide information — even without fully understanding the answer. Until I learned how to keep my mouth shut so I could begin my response with, “I don’t know.” I sure got into a lot of trouble.

My husband is an engineer. Since research was critical to working on multi-million dollar projects, he has become very good at it. In fact, he enjoys it. Which is good, because giving an off-the-cuff answer could have meant a disaster in his line of business.

I still struggle with impatience when it comes to research, especially where it pertains to a decision. And that’s not good.

The most vital part of our research for a decision begins with knowing our Father’s direction. Once we get His okay to move forward, that’s when researching for knowledge becomes part of our stewardship to the task.

In this proverb, a fool flaunts their folly by answering without knowledge. So, if a fool answers to other fools or the uninformed, what happens? Misinformation grows like wildfire. It seems there’s a lot of that around us these days. Let’s not be a member of that group. Right?

May we take the time to be informed, my friends.

Proverbs 13:16 Tree of Life Bible Society, Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible#tlvproverbs