Knowledge and Insight
Do you know how to love others wisely?
Verse of the Day
‘And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ’
Today’s Devotional
Yesterday we talked about the need to practice discernment. And I think that will look different for each of us, because we are all at different places in our spiritual journey. And because each of us struggles with different things.
Today’s verse tells us to keep growing in knowledge and insight. It is a prayer that our love will be ever increasing, and as it increases that our love will be wise. Why does love need to be wise? And what does that have to do with discernment?
Loving other people is hard. Loving ourselves can be hard. Loving God can be mysterious and hard. But if our most important assignment on this planet is to love, and loving is hard, then we need to continue to seek out how best to put this into action. In my experience, my first instinct for how best to love someone may not be well received.
To be honest, this is one of those verses that is difficult for me to write about. So, when I’m stuck, I research. Here is an excerpt from bibleref.com about these concepts.
“However, Paul is not merely concerned with love. Even though it’s a critical characteristic, it’s not the only important aspect of the Christian life. He specifically prays for two other qualities: knowledge and discernment. True, biblical love requires knowledge. We grow in love when we learn more about God’s love for us, and about how to love others. In addition, love includes discernment. Discernment helps us love better by allowing us to focus on God’s kind of love. His love is unconditional, rather than human love, which typically focuses on ourselves.”
I desperately want to receive the promise in this verse to “be able to discern what is best”. It sounds like learning to love wisely will help me with that. Love is not always pleasant and rosy. Anyone who has raised a child will know this truth. And anyone who has raised more than one child knows that each child responds better to different kinds of discipline, encouragement, praise, and feedback. Which tells me that we all receive love and instruction differently. Therefore, I need knowledge and insight in order to love well.
Lysa TerKeurst, a wonderful Christian author, posted this quote on social media a few weeks ago:
“Knowledge is wisdom that comes from acquiring truth. Insight is wisdom that comes from living out the truth we acquire. Discernment is wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit’s reminders of that knowledge and insight.”
Today, may we be people that are actively and constantly seeking out and devouring God’s truths. May we be intentionally living out those truths. And may we deliberately listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How have you tried to show love to someone and it was not well received?
How can you actively seek to learn more about God’s love for you?
How can you acquire truth from God today?
How can you live out the truths that God has already given you?
How can you listen to the Holy Spirit today?