These three things are important. They are all important, and they are all important to each other. We need all three, and I pray for all three.
As I talk about how God is teaching me about the nature and relationship of each of these, remember that I am no theologian.
First of all, I had a question posed to me in a women’s ministry tea a couple weeks about what I thought the difference between knowledge and wisdom is? I had never been asked this question and had never thought of how they relate to each other. But immediately, God began to show me that knowledge is a set of facts and truths, what we know, and wisdom is found in our application of these facts and truths. So, we may gain the knowledge through our reading that we should “have unity of mind, sympthay, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8). I have read that, it is a fact, it is truth, and so I have it as knowledge. But it is not enough. I need the wisdom to be able to apply that truth to my life. How, God, do I work this out in my life to bring you glory and honor?
Now what about strength? Strength is required to be able to apply wisdom. Let’s look at another example of all three working in a situation. If in reading, I come across 2 Timothy 2:3-4: “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” So I know this, I’ve read it, I understand it. I should not be involved in civilian pursuits outside of the battle that the army of the Lord is engaged in. But I need wisdom. How do I apply this to my life? What civilian pursuits am I entangled in? Is it a relationship, a friendship, a hobby? I need God to give me a spirit of wisdom to give me revelation of that knowledge in my life (Ephesians 1:17). So what if He shows me that there is a relationship in my life that is taking up time, thought, and energy that is out of balance? Now I need the strength to be able to cut that thing out. It is not good enough to know that something doesn’t honor God; I have to have the strength to remove it. Paul shares this struggle in Romans 7:18: “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”
Knowledge, wisdom, and strength all come from God. I pray for all three. If we lack one, we may find ourselves in legalism, liberalism, or lost.
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” – Proverbs 24:3-6
something thoughtful 