One of the hardest things for me to do is deciding what’s for dinner. It should be easy enough. Open the refrigerator and see what pops out. I’ve even been known to make a meal schedule ahead of time for the week or month so I can be prepared and avoid the big decision each day. It should be simple enough–you cook and/or eat what you have. Sometimes there are too many choices. Sometimes I just don’t want to decide. I’d rather the meal just cook itself. I do dream of the day when I will have a full- time cook preparing our meals.
Enough about food, but I do wonder what you’re hungry for. Verse 14 says, “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” What is this saying to us? It’s not food at all. It’s hungering for truth, for more wisdom, for learning something new each day. It is a way of becoming better at what we do, what we know, and who we are. There are so many resources available on almost any topic. You can be an expert in pretty much anything you want these days.
So why do people still fill their minds with “trash?” What exactly would this trash be? Fake news. Horror films. Books with no plot. Pornography. Gossip. Mindlessly surfing the internet. I’m sure you’ve got a few ideas to add to this list. Do we feed on trash out of boredom, laziness, low self-esteem, or because we don’t know any better?
We can’t be learning every minute, but I don’t think this is what this proverb is getting at. It’s our attitude. It’s what motivates us. Are we drawn in when we can learn something new or are we satisfied and comfortable just being who are in this moment? Are we more interested in filling our heads with “fluff” or “trash” that isn’t going to help or serve us in any way?
Solomon seems to be saying that wise people seek knowledge. They aren’t content to just be. They want answers. They want to learn new things. I happen to be married to a man who thrives on learning. Since I’ve known him, his is always reading a book, watching a training, finishing a course, etc. with the intention or purpose of learning, getting better. He didn’t stop with his Ph.D.
I have embraced this to a degree and love how it feels to be learning and trying new things. I’ve learned how to make flan, Ponche Navidad, tortillas from scratch, and I’ll soon be embarking on making tamales. I’m embracing the new culture I’m living in. I also watch webinars, read books and complete challenges to be better in business. I am becoming just as addicted to knowledge. And according to Solomon, this puts me in the “wise” camp. I like that.
How about you? What motivates you? Do you hunger for truth and wisdom?
Let’s pray … Lord, you know how I hunger for knowledge and to be the best me I can be. Thank you for all of the resources you have available for me to use. Help me to resist getting lost in the weeds and spinning my wheels on frivolous things. May I be an inspiration to others and help them in their own faith journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
