Hello once again and welcome to a new episode of Walking the Way with Dr. Carlos Quijada. I am so blessed to be here and share the second episode of this series that we started with. A great way to start, and what a great way to start this way by uh exploring a very important topic, which is the topic of wisdom. And before we jump into what I'm gonna share today, I just want to thank uh all the people that have been so supportive uh after the release of episode one, where I was just sharing some uh uh I some thoughts on what our vision, the purpose of this uh podcast is, and and all that. So so thank you so much. And if you're uh new, uh a new uh listener or or viewer, uh I just want to encourage you to follow uh this podcast and share it with your loved ones. And and like I said last time, uh I'm here to share some thoughts and principles on life and what the Bible says and and how we can apply them to our daily living. And uh this is for anybody, and and of course, if anybody wants to uh connect with me with questions or any feedback, uh you may do that as well by uh following us on uh Facebook right now. Uh we have our ministries Facebook page, which is the Way Ministries, uh located in the city of San Antonio. Uh, so you can follow and stay up to date. And also uh I have my Facebook page, Pastor Carlos Quijada, uh, where uh you will find some updates on this podcast and also on our YouTube channel, the Waste Ministries Central. Uh, you can also uh watch all of the previous episodes and as well as other teachings that I uh impart at the church and in different other settings. So, once again, thank you so much for tuning in. And and today I am going to uh continue on this theme about wisdom, and and there's something that we see a lot today. I remember uh some time ago when I was uh finishing high school, getting ready to college, uh they would teach us about these different eras that humanity has gone through. Uh there was the the time of the medieval times and the modern uh uh and and and then they were talking about that now we're in the era of information. And with the uh coming of the internet and and technology, information is so easily available to us uh with just the click of a button, and now with the uprise of artificial intelligence, uh people can access so much information so much easier than it was years ago. And and and we're in this era of information, and and I want to talk about information versus wisdom because there's a a big difference here. Um information focuses on the what while wisdom focuses on the how, when, where, and why. And this difference is important because a lot of times people they put more emphasis on knowing things, and and there's this hunger for knowing things, like dyi, diy projects and how to do this, and uh now you can learn anything by watching YouTube videos and things like that, and and knowledge is something that we've become wealthy of, but the question is is that knowledge, that amount of knowledge, truly making us wiser or not? I want to share some notes here on the modern dilemma. Uh we definitely have more access uh to facts than any generation in the past. Uh now kids they they have to do a project, they can just go to Google and ask different questions. I I have my son that uh sometimes he asks me these very deep questions, and if I don't know the answer, he tells me, Well, why don't you just Google it? And and that's our go-to uh when it comes to getting to know this. However, one thing that we see is that even though information is so readily available to us, oftentimes we feel uh frustrated, we can feel confused. Uh, there's so many conflicting uh data that appears out there, uh, like information on statistics and and and where should I live or what kind of job should I choose? And and there's heavy information on these things, but we see a great need for wisdom in making the right decisions in life. So there was an article written several years ago uh by a colleague uh named Douglas Van Prayet. And um this article that was by the way published on psychology today. So if anybody wants to uh take a read of it, uh it's titled The Paradox of Information. More data is making us dumber. And I'm like, wow, that is that's really uh an impactful uh title. And Pride, he argues that an abundance of data can lead to poor decision making uh and is overwhelming to the brain and causes a shift from rational thought to emotional lazy thinking. So one phenomenon that we see here is that what we might have thought that was gonna make us wiser actually is doing the opposite. Knowing more things is not necessarily uh the greatest thing. And I mean, not saying that knowledge in itself is bad. What really makes the difference is what we do with the knowledge. What do we do with what we know? We can have, uh, like a friend of mine says, uh, more degrees than a thermometer. But if we don't know how to apply this knowledge in ways that could be helpful, that could be uh fruitful and edifying, then what's the knowledge good for? He says, uh, and I'm just summarizing this article. It says, this cognitive overload and reliance on emotional, non-conscious processing facilitates the rapid spread of misinformation and reduces collective intelligence. Um there's a book in the Bible uh called Ecclesiastes. Maybe some of my viewers uh are familiar with it. There's a lot of uh interesting things there. Um I've read that some scholars uh say that this book barely made it to the Bible because it's it may seem very pessimistic, uh, you know, like everything is vanity. What's the point of this? And what's the point of that? Um, but there's a lot of truth in it. And um the the writer of Ecclesiastes says that in in much knowledge, uh there's much vexation. Increasing knowledge increases sorrow. That says so much. There are moments that the more we know uh might bring more pain when we don't know how to apply that knowledge. Uh I remember that going through uh my undergrad in the medical field, uh there was some students that they knew a lot, a lot of a book knowledge. But when it would be the the the practical experience, uh they would fail terribly. And I'm not saying all of them, but there were some that had a hard time connecting the knowledge with its application. And that doesn't only apply to to science, it can also apply with practical things in life. We can learn a lot of things and have a lot of uh head knowledge, but if we don't know how to use that knowledge in a good way, then it's useless, and and it just adds more sorrow to our souls when we think about it. Now, like I said in the beginning, information is the what. It's it's it's almost like an object. Let's say you have a computer. Uh years ago, when computers started to become more popular, I remember when I got my first computer, it was one of those refurbish um desktops. And uh me not knowing a lot how to use them, I all I could do was play solitaire and and and play a few games. And uh I my use of a computer was so limited. So even though I had uh an item that deep inside I knew that it could be very useful, but not knowing how to use it, it just turned it into something useless. Um, and with time, of course, uh uh I learned how to use it, uh able to connect to internet and things like that. And I I can imagine some people from my generation and and and previous generations could relate to that. And and that is how information is. It's the what, it's the is the object, and and it's something that could be used for good or it could be used for bad. Sometimes you can have a piece of information and and use it to cause harm to other people. Uh we see that all the time. Some people that you know and sometimes in movies we have we see the the evil uh person that is this crazy scientist, and and by having the recipe to that potion or or that uh uh technology that is going to take over the world, uh this person tries to bring destruction and do all kinds of harm, but then comes the good guys that in their hands they can do a lot of positive change. So um I know it's kind of dramatic and extreme, but it's it's so true. Like the information that we have can be used for good or bad. Now, wisdom, on the other hand, um, it's a profound ability to use knowledge, experience, and understanding and insight to make sound judgments, discernment of the right course of action, and navigate life's complexities with good sense, empathy, and ethical consideration, often involving a deep grasp of human nature and long-term consequences. And so it goes beyond intelligence and it helps you and I apply learning practically and meaningfully. So I know it's a mouthful, but it it's it shows us how deeply uh wisdom goes when we know how to apply it. And one thing I mentioned in the last episode is that one thing we read in the Bible is that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So having a right relationship with the one who created you is going to cause an impact on how you use your knowledge. You and I, and we can know a lot of things, but if we don't have a right relationship with the one who designed us, the one that is the source of knowledge and wisdom, then we are limiting ourselves from reaching that potential. Uh, I'm fascinated by the abilities that we as human beings have attained, all the discoveries that have been made through history, all the the things that we've been able to build. Some of the things uh have been beneficial, some have been harmful, but yet it's undeniable that humans among all the species in the world are special and have uh abilities to do things, but another ability that we have, the Bible teaches us that we were created in the image of God, so we can reflect. We we see uh a rainbow, we not only uh get to see the colors and identify it, but it can produce an deep emotional reflection on the greatness of the universe and and many other things, even the sound of rains or or the sound of the birds. We have this ability to appreciate these things and be able to uh make music and and and even uh write poems and things like that. Those are abilities that we as humans uh share with one another and that no other uh species on earth is able to appreciate. And yes, of course, birds can sing songs and all that, but but birds they uh act out of instincts, same as other animals and other species, but humans have the ability of acquiring wisdom. Uh, wisdom, like Proverbs 4:7 says, is the principal thing it can cost us to attain, but it is worth it to get understanding. Now, a little bit more on uh information. Information uh it has its limits, it can be a burden. Uh, knowing everything that is wrong with the world without a way to fix it can lead to a holy sorrow, like we saw in Ecclesiastes. Um, another limitation of information is that it can puff us up uh when we just have a knowledge without love or appreciate application, can lead to pride. Another limitation is that information is not transformation. You can memorize a map without ever taking the journey, and that's so huge. You can have all the knowledge on how to get from point A to point B, but until you don't get on that car or that vehicle, that motorcycle, and you hit the road and go there, you will not experience that destination. So knowledge is about okay, I know the path, I know I have the knowledge, but wisdom is about walking the way, it's about the journey. Some thoughts about wisdom from a biblical perspective. Um, the Hebrew word for wisdom is kochma, uh, which means applied skill or craftsmanship for living well. So when we think about this, wisdom is about your health, wisdom is about your relationships, wisdom is about managing the resources that you have, managing your time in a way that is good and that is gonna help you grow. Wisdom requires a foundation, it begins with the fear of the Lord. Uh uh, it's a humble reverence that positions us to receive from God. One of the limits of uh when people they get to a place where they feel that they know a lot, that they are uh uh those like know it all, is that your growth stops. But when you have the humility to be like, you know what, I can still learn, I can still experience, I can still reflect on my own biases, on my own limitations as a human being, that is wisdom, and that's how growth growth happens. We need to maintain a level of humility in order for us to keep on growing. So that's very important when it comes to having wisdom. Wisdom is embodied. Um, like I said earlier, right nowadays with artificial intelligence, uh, it just processes information. I in my practice as a counselor, sometimes uh my clients they tell me about their chat GPT, right? And nothing against it, uh, but sometimes I think to myself, well, I guess that's your counselor right there. But but when we think about it, it's just processing information. But humans must live out wisdom through suffering, community, and prayer. The role of pain in our lives. That's something that no computer, no robot can ever experience. I I know people that have been through uh indescribable pains in their lives, and and and it's natural to ask yourself, why, Lord? Like, why am I going through this? Why is this happening? And some of these questions might not have uh uh an immediate answer, but one thing that pain does in us humans is that it helps us grow. Uh one uh philosopher said that a broken heart is an open heart, and and pain it helps us have a sensitivity to things in life. Those that have gone through hurtful experiences, like losing a loved one or or losing uh their home or losing their health. They have a special perspective on life that those that haven't gone through that don't have. So even through the pain and suffering, we can embody wisdom in our lives and community. Uh, we we need one another to grow in wisdom. Sometimes people are like, you know, I want to live alone. I want to, I wish I could be in a deserted island and be by myself. But what would be the point of being humans when we don't have anyone to share the human experience with? We learn from each other. Me as a as a pastor, as a counselor, don't give me uh a car to fix because I might make it worse than what it was. Uh I I need someone to help me in that area or or to operate a heart. I mean, if if you be like, oh, well, you're a doctor, you come and go into surgery. Yeah, but I'm not that kind of doctor. I need a medical doctor to work on that. I need a doctor of the car, who we call a mechanic, to work on my vehicle. We need that community to help us with our needs. We need each other. And when we have that understanding, there is wisdom in there. And prayer. Whether you are somebody who prays or somebody who just meditates, it's important to have that reflection of where we are. How is it with your soul right now? So wisdom is about transformation, it's about movement. Uh different from information, whether it's just knowing is just the what. Wisdom is a journey, it's a gift from God that allows us to grow as human beings. I want to wrap it up with some thoughts here. How to get it? How do we get wisdom? I already gave you some hints on that. By living, we gain wisdom, but it's not just living. There are some people that have lived for decades on this earth, people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, uh in their age, but they lack wisdom. We need to allow transformation to take place in our lives. We need to open our hearts to those lessons that we go through and let them transform us, let God work in our lives. And and ultimately, and talking about prayer a few moments ago, Apostle James gives us the key in chapter one, verse five. If someone lacks wisdom, ask God, and he will give you generously. Uh the context there, he he was writing to a faith community that was going through hardships left and right, persecution of the Christians in the first century. It was harsh, and a lot of people were feeling uh discouraged. Some would leave the faith, but he writes this letter and he says, you know, count it all joy. Uh just ask God for wisdom when you're going through suffering, when you're going through the pain, ask him to help you see things from a different angle. Let me tell you that the angle that you see things right now, that's not the only one. There are times that we need to zoom out and broaden our perspective about things that uh are going on around us. And the ultimate goal is that we were we're going to reach those treasures of wisdom and knowledge through Jesus Christ, in whom these treasures are found, like it says in Colossians chapter 2, verse 3. So I just want to invite you to jump in this journey. There is so much out there, and join me in this pursuit of not knowledge, but wisdom of what lies ahead of us on how to make decisions in your life. So thank you so much for tuning in. I pray that this uh message has been edifying to you, and stay tuned for the next episode of this uh series, a great way to start, where we're continue diving deeper into the topic of wisdom. So may the Lord bless you, may the Lord keep you, and may all your path be made straight by the Lord. God bless.