Key Thought

Knowledge is powerful, but without wisdom and understanding, it can either build your future or burn it down. What you choose to learn—and how you choose to apply it—makes all the difference.

 

The Limits of Passion and the Need for Discernment

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Follow your passion.” And yes—passion fuels curiosity, makes learning fun, and helps us stay engaged. However, passion alone won’t carry you where you need to go. Eventually, passion without wisdom becomes reckless.

That’s why Proverbs doesn’t just say “get excited”—it says:

 

“Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

‭‭—Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

 

Wisdom teaches us when to apply what we’ve learned. Understanding teaches us how things really work. Without those, you may be highly informed but dangerously directionless.

 

The Right Kind of Knowledge

Peter takes this a step further in his letter to the early Church:

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge…”

—2 Peter 1:5 (NKJV)

 

The word “knowledge” in that verse is translated from the Greek word gnōsis, which means a deep, firsthand understanding—like a scientist who studies, observes, tests, and uncovers truths through disciplined discovery.

 

God created everything we see and interact with—and He delights when we seek to understand it! Ever have that “wow” feeling when you grasp something new? That’s built into your design.

Also, not all knowledge is equal.

Some knowledge is dangerous.

 

The Dark Side of Discovery

In my book, Unlikely Candidate, I discuss how curiosity led me down the wrong path. I wanted to learn more about the world of drugs and stealing, so I did. I discovered where to buy, how to use, and how to keep the cycle going. That knowledge almost killed me.

We live in a time where every kind of knowledge is at our fingertips—and that includes things that destroy.

 

As my friend Pastor Shawn Lyons says in The Abide Factor:

“What you feed will grow, and what you starve will die.”

The truth is: you are what you consume. Your mind, your heart, and your habits are being shaped by the knowledge you seek out. Choose wisely.

 

When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they didn’t just learn something—they unleashed a reality that separated them from God.

All knowledge is not worth knowing.

 

Learn What You’re Called to Learn

This doesn’t mean you stop learning—it just means you stay intentional.

Don’t pursue a degree just because someone else thinks it’s the right move. Don’t follow a trend because it’s what everyone is doing. Instead, ask:

What has God placed in my heart?What do I feel truly called to learn and develop in?What knowledge will help me better serve, lead, and love others?

Wisdom isn’t just about learning more. It’s about learning what matters.

 

Challenge & Call to Action

This week, ask yourself:

What kind of knowledge have I been consuming lately?

Is it producing life, growth, and wisdom—or something else?

What area of wisdom or understanding do I need to pursue more intentionally?

You don’t need to know everything, but you do need to grow in the right things.

 

My Books: 

Unlikely Candidate: https://a.co/d/5Dow4U3

The Never Ending Pursuit: https://a.co/d/6zEtbWh