Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3
This verse struck me as a foster mom. It’s so easy to believe I know best for our sweet little guy: surely I see the most clearly, I can give him more, I have the better situation for him, I know the way this case should go. This belief in my own superior knowledge only serves to puff up my heart with pride and breed condescension toward his birth family.
As soon as I reach of place of thinking highly of my own knowledge, it is exactly at that moment I know nothing at all.
On the other hand, when I am focused on loving God and loving His image-bearer people, then my heart becomes a place of strength. I am able to see their difficulties through eyes of grace and understanding, showing honor instead of contempt. I am able to honestly acknowledge my own weakness, humbly admitting I do not know or clearly see all nuances of the situation or the court case.
Those who love God, and for his sake love their brethren and seek their welfare, are likely to be beloved of God; and how much better is it to be approved of God then to have a vain opinion of ourselves!
Matthew Henry
Do you have a situation in your life where you are tempted to let knowledge puff up? Instead, we must consciously turn our hearts toward the God of love. While we will never know fully, He Himself is the never-ending fount of perfect knowledge, the kind of knowledge that builds loving hearts.
A heart is “built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding; by knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.“
Proverbs 24:3-4
