Knowledge without understanding is dead—knowledge and understanding without wisdom can be dangerous .
Legos are amazing. Our boys played with them more than any other toy they ever owned. When we put Legos in front of each of our sons as babies, they had no knowledge of them. They were gaining knowledge, facts, truth or information about Legos. They discovered they were different colors, had bumps on top, holes on the bottom, and smooth sides. They also learned they came in many shapes and sizes. They acquired some knowledge, but had no understanding or wisdom regarding Legos.
As they grew, their ability to acquire knowledge grew. It grew into an ability to understand the knowledge they had acquired. They learned that the bumps on top of one Lego block could fit into the holes on the bottom of another Lego block. They learned the blocks would stay attached to one another. They were learning the meaning of the knowledge and the relationship between the facts. They started to understand Legos, where previously they had only known certain facts about Legos.
As they continued to grow, their ability to acquire knowledge continued to grow and their understanding of their knowledge grew. Eventually their understanding grew into an ability to take certain Legos and make certain shapes and figures out of them. They were acquiring wisdom.
Wisdom is the ability to take facts, or knowledge, and with understanding, accomplish a certain goal. In the case of our sons’ Legos, the goal was to take the facts about Legos, along with the understanding of how to use them, and create an inanimate object they desired in their play, like a car or train.
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9-12
In the case of Paul’s prayer, wisdom to take the knowledge of God’s will and using our understanding, accomplish the goal. The goal is to obey God in a way that will please Him—Paul calls it walking worthy.
If you walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (having been filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding), you will please Him in all respects.
1. You will bear fruit in every good work.
2. You will increase in the knowledge of God
3. You will be strengthened with all power, according to His Glorious might so that you will attain all steadfastness and patience.
4. You will joyously give thanks to the Father for qualifying us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
I thank God that Paul did not cease to pray for the Colossians asking that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding! God answered his prayer and the result was saints walking in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Thank you God, for teaching us to pray the same for one another! May we walk worthy today, this hour, this moment!
