The More I Learn, The Less I Know

By Deb DeArmond –

Have you ever heard the evolution of how our children think of us as they move through life? The story goes like this…….

• At age 5, the little boy says, “That’s my dad! He’s the smartest man in the whole world.

• At 10 years old, he says, “That’s my dad. He’s a really smart guy!”

• The pre-teen at 12 says, “My dad is okay.”

• At 15, he warns, “That’s my dad. He’s a total idiot – just ignore him.”

• At 20, he says, “My dad’s not a total loser.”

• At 30, the young man says, “My dad might know.”

• At 40, the adult son says, “I’m gonna ask my dad what he thinks.”

• “I’m not making a decision till I talk to my old man,” the mid-life man of 50 says.

• At 60, he says sadly, “Man I wish my dad was still alive. He’d know what to do.”

If you’ve ever been down in the valley in this process, you know it can be a challenging place. As teenagers, kids really do believe they know all that needs to be known. You have to be a lot older to know what you don’t know.

How does that happen? As youth, our sphere of life is very limited. It’s almost claustrophobic. In other words, we live in a little world. And then life happens, and we move beyond our zone of the familiar. Maturity may come from the lessons that mistakes teach us. And at some point, we have this flash of understanding: I know very little, and have so much growing left to do.

We realize that the more we learn, the less we know.

The Word of God warns us to be careful about such self-aggrandizing assessments:

• “What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever” Isaiah 5:21 (NLT).

• “There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise” Proverbs 26:12 (NLT).

• “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others” Proverbs 12:15 (NLT).

• “Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise” 1 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT).

• “At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike” Matthew 11:25 (NLT).

Just as it blesses us as parents when our children seek knowledge and are open to learning, the same is true with our Heavenly Father. A teachable spirit, one that desires wisdom, blesses Him. And as we grow in the knowledge of Him, the more we realize there is much still to learn.

Find more from Deb at http://www.debdearmond.com