The Beginning of Wisdom|5-Minute Videos
You need wisdom to browse the obstacles and complexities of life. How do you get it? Owen Anderson, teacher of viewpoint at Arizona State University, recommends the perfect place to start.
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SCRIPT:
On the very first day of my Philosophy 101 class, I ask my students this concern:
Does life make sense?
A couple of uncomfortable minutes pass. One hand goes up and then another.
No, life does not make sense, numerous trainees inform me. It appears arbitrary and full of discomfort and suffering.
How does this make them feel? I ask.
They inform me it causes them stress and anxiety and even depression.
What do they plan to do about it? I ask.
They have no response. And this, of course, just adds to their anxiety.
There is a response. It’s called knowledge. Not precisely a fashionable principle nowadays however provided how much mental illness is reported on school, it’s primed for a comeback.
The Oxford Dictionary defines wisdom this way: the “capacity of judging appropriately in matters relating to life and conduct; stability of judgment …” That’s something we all desire. Wisdom assists us to deal with them.
By the method, the word philosophy implies “the love of wisdom.”
So, where should we begin our wisdom journey?
How about with the most prominent and substantial book in human history, one for which there is no close 2nd– the Bible. Not remarkably, it has a lot of thoughts on the subject.
Proverbs 9:10 takes us right to the heart of the matter.
” The worry of God,” the saying informs us, “is the beginning of knowledge.”
Whoa. That’s a bold declaration.
Let’s unload it and see what we find.
Indiana Jones fears snakes, Ron Weasley fears spiders, many individuals fear public speaking. Individuals fear getting ill, being reliant on others and ultimately, they fear death. If knowledge is your concern– and the Bible thinks it should be– then worry of God is fear number one.
Why?
To fear God is a recognition that you are not God.
Life unexpectedly has order.
A clear hierarchy is established.
God.
Then Man … then animals.
We make the rules if we take God out of the equation and location ourselves at the top of the pyramid. We only response to ourselves. The whole notion of an objective requirement of right and incorrect goes out the proverbial window. Morality ends up being a matter of opinion.
When we fear God (He did create the universe, after all) we take our rightful location in the hierarchy. It’s much easier to acquire knowledge when you do not believe you already “understand it all.”
As it states in another verse in Proverbs, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”
Second, fearing God will very likely make you a much better person.
There are scholastic studies to back this up. A 2012 study released by the Public Library of Science found that worry of magnificent penalty results in more ethical habits.
Simply as the majority of children fear their father (” wait til your father comes home”), we are to fear God’s rage. Many of the most important rules in the Bible like “do not put a stumbling block in front of the blind” are immediately followed by the phrase “You will fear God.
Fear God and you’re much less most likely to do something you should not. By definition that will help you to make smarter decisions. That’s some severe wisdom right there.
And 3rd, if you fear God, you will fear others less.
Doing what is right becomes much easier even if the effects are not to your instant benefit since you understand you must answer first to God, not individuals. This will give you guts along with knowledge.
Of course, you may dismiss whatever I’ve just stated with one simple objection. You don’t believe in God. You’re an atheist, so this indicates absolutely nothing to you. You might be amazed to know that the Bible expects your objection. The Psalms tell us, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'”.
The Bible knows that many will decline its suggestions. Naturally, it states you’re absurd to do so. However you can do it. You have free choice– another Biblical belief, by the way.
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source
Indiana Jones fears snakes, Ron Weasley fears spiders, the majority of individuals fear public speaking. Individuals fear getting ill, being dependent on others and eventually, they fear death. If knowledge is your concern– and the Bible believes it ought to be– then fear of God is fear number one.
When we fear God (He did develop the universe, after all) we take our rightful place in the hierarchy. Simply as most children fear their father (” wait til your daddy comes home”), we are to fear God’s wrath.
