Understanding
I have been thinking a little bit about understanding lately, because I have spent a few weekends at educational conferences since school began, and understanding has come up more than once. In the 28th chapter of the book of Job, this question is asked twice: "Where does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?"
Knowledge is not understanding. We all know people who know a lot of things and can pass tests on those things they know, but they don't necessarily understand the knowledge they have and therefore can't explain it to someone else - all they know is a lot of answers to test questions. If you know how to spell a lot of words and can define them too, but never use them in your writing or speaking, and can't use that knowledge of words to help you comprehend what you are reading, do you really have understanding?
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." (Proverbs 3:13) My challenge to all of us, myself included, is to get understanding. Understanding lasts and lasts, but knowledge is easily forgotten. I want us all to understand who God is, who we are in relationship to Him, and what His eternal purpose is for our lives. I'd also really love for us all to understand what we read, how to communicate via the written and spoken word, how to do math, how to really think biblically and logically, and how to use technology to communicate and gain greater understanding. I think we can do some of this here in school. GGCA is not here to train future Jeopardy! champions who have lots of random knowledge kicking around in their craniums, but to produce young men and women of deep understanding who lean not on their own understanding, but receive understanding from the Lord God of all wisdom and understanding (Job 32:8).
Knowledge is not understanding. We all know people who know a lot of things and can pass tests on those things they know, but they don't necessarily understand the knowledge they have and therefore can't explain it to someone else - all they know is a lot of answers to test questions. If you know how to spell a lot of words and can define them too, but never use them in your writing or speaking, and can't use that knowledge of words to help you comprehend what you are reading, do you really have understanding?
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." (Proverbs 3:13) My challenge to all of us, myself included, is to get understanding. Understanding lasts and lasts, but knowledge is easily forgotten. I want us all to understand who God is, who we are in relationship to Him, and what His eternal purpose is for our lives. I'd also really love for us all to understand what we read, how to communicate via the written and spoken word, how to do math, how to really think biblically and logically, and how to use technology to communicate and gain greater understanding. I think we can do some of this here in school. GGCA is not here to train future Jeopardy! champions who have lots of random knowledge kicking around in their craniums, but to produce young men and women of deep understanding who lean not on their own understanding, but receive understanding from the Lord God of all wisdom and understanding (Job 32:8).
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