October 27

It’s a reality of life that some of the smartest people are the least astute spiritually. In fact, that’s often the case. It almost seems that great intellect and spiritual faith are incongruous. Perhaps that’s because those among us who are extremely intelligent have little need to develop the spiritual side of life—they gain all of what they perceive themselves to need through their keen minds.

But the Word of God tells us that it is the fool who denies God or his need of God. It is the fool—no matter his I.Q.—who negates the only aspect of his existence that will extend beyond his final breath. It is the fool who convinces himself that only the things that can be perceived though the senses are real.

What is one to do whose existence is anchored in the material realm? How can one expand to embrace the spiritual when his mind is focused on the things he can do, or say, or study, or solve, or own? The first step is to acknowledge that he, like his Creator, is a triune being—he is body, mind, and spirit. The things related to the body and mind may be well under his control, but the things of the spirit need to be awakened to the reality of his need for God.

So, he must pray the prayer from Psalm 51:6, “Lord, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.” Recognizing that the mind is the seat of knowledge but the heart is the seat of spiritual wisdom gives tremendous impetus to the discovery of the eternal side of one’s existence. Once that discovery has been made, its growth and maturation can begin. At that point, the brilliant, accomplished individual will have become truly wise.