Proverbs 30:3
"Neither have I learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One"
These are the stylized ways of showing humility. Our culture has largely forgotten that it is not wise or righteous to brag about yourself and the people you know. In this proverb, Agur is stating the obvious. He does not know all there is to know. He does not know all about God and His ways. While almost everyone would admit that, many in our day and age parade around like they know everything and understand God.
While this single verse is not the point of this section of the Proverbs, God's Word is always instructive even in its smallest sections. We need to have a way to acknowledge that we do not always know what to do. We need to acknowledge that there are a lot of things about God and why He lets certain things happen and other things not happen that we do not understand. We need to walk in daily humility, not as though we know it all.
How do you display to others that you are not a know-it-all? What phrase do you use to say, "I am still teachable." "There is a lot I still don't understand." This is how Agur says it, and it was breathed into by God so that we would see his humility.
I have found that it is important for me to say that I could be wrong, or that people should feel free to disagree with me, or that I would love to hear other people's point of view on a topic, or if someone else has other insights, then I would love to know them.
We must live with a level of humility that is on display. We must demonstrate that we do not think that we have arrived. It is crucial that we live this way and demonstrate this. Now many times we must demonstrate that we are teachable before we have actually embraced this truth. In other words, you must say that there is a lot you can learn, even when you do not believe that there is much that you can learn because your feelings of complete knowledge are always wrong. Find a way to say, live, and act in a humble way so that you do not have to apologize so much for your lack of knowledge and your proud, condescending attitude.
It is the wise person who is willing to admit that they will never know it all – even in their own area of expertise.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz