City Life Starter

By Aisha Darwesh

The Word: Proverbs 9:8-10

Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

James 3:13-18

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

From the scriptures above, God makes it clear that there is wisdom in being teachable, correctable and fearing God. Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. James points out that there is a dark kind of wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Heavenly wisdom, on the contrary, is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, and without partiality or hypocrisy.

Science, like wisdom, can be holy and produce good fruit, or it can be perverted and lead to evil works. This past Sunday having the panel of scientists field our questions was so eye-opening and made me feel so blessed to have such knowledgeable and accomplished professional scientists in our church.

Though these scientists practiced in different fields, the common denominator among them all was they all had a heart for God and wanted to glorify God with their professions and research. That is very commendable and respectable.

This shows us that science is not evil in itself but can be used as a tool for either good or evil. It just depends on the motivation and intentions of an individual’s heart.

Science can be perverted and used as a means for evil when God is taken out of the equation. Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Not knowing God or fearing God is the beginning of foolishness and ignorance.

Application

Do you vilify science as a believer in God? On the other side, do you exclude God from your scientific pursuits? I think doing either one of these is a mistake. God wants us to walk in wisdom, not in ignorance. However, we must be cognizant of the truth that wisdom begins with fearing God and cultivating a relationship with Him.

Whether you are in the field of science or not, allow God into your thought processes. God wants to be a part of your intellectual life. The Bible tells us to love God with all our minds (Matthew 22:37).

The next time you have to think through a puzzling situation, inquire of the Lord. Find out what He has to say about the matter. Search the scriptures and seek the Lord in prayer. See where that leads in your day-to-day life.

Prayer

Father God, I thank You for giving me a sound, healthy mind that is hungry to know You. Reveal Yourself more and more to me, oh God Creator of the heavens and the earth. You are all-knowing and all-powerful. I trust You with every step I take. In Jesus Name, Amen.