Being Smart And Being Wise Are Not The Same

Over the past three months I had the rewarding experience of teaching a "Bible class" at our house with our two local grandsons age 8 and 11. Their church meets nearby, and this was an opportunity for me to have some special time with them during their usual Sunday School hour.

We called this a "Basic Bible Knowledge" course, one introducing them to more of the Bible's stories as well as adding inspiring stories of believers since who have been impacted by the Bible's message. I emphasized that this was not only about helping them become more smart about how to know what's in the Bible, but to help them to become more wise in learning to live in ways that would cause the least regret and result in the greatest happiness.

Among the items on their final open book "exam" were the following:

1. Write the most important commandment in the Bible, and the one Jesus said we should consider equally important (We stressed these often as key themes in scripture). 

2. Number these in the order they appear in the Bible: ___Abraham and Sarah    ___Ruth     ___Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego    ___Joshua  ___Adam and Eve  ___Isaac  ___Joseph  ___Jesus   ___Jacob (Israel)  ___King David  ___Noah   (These were among the stories we reviewed)

3. Arrange these in the order they are found in the Bible: Stories of Hebrew history (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, etc)  ___Books of Poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes)  ___the Jesus Stories And Teachings (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)  ____Moses Stories and Laws (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) ____The Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, etc.)

4.  In your own words, what is the difference between being smart and being wise?

Some of the above were a little challenging for young men of this age, but we they were great students and easily passed their "test" with a little help. 

I especially like the 11-year-old's answer to the last question: 

"Being smart is like you know a lot. Being wise is like you know what is right and wrong and you do the right thing."

I couldn't have said it better.