When will people learn?...No, REALLY, when???

We’ve all heard it, and we’ve all said it. It always follows news that, yet again, the same old thing has gone the same old route and has ended the same old way. We glare at “it”, we shake our heads, seeing that things could’ve worked differently “if only” someone-ANYONE- would just learn. And then we say it. “When will people learn?”

When will people learn?

Typically it is in the times of hardship, or in result to a wrong decision. Unfortunately, because we’ve learned something doesn’t always mean that we’ll do something different in the future. Learning things…Knowing things, only equips us with a tool. In order to experience change, we must implement this knowledge.

Therefore, the question really shouldn’t be “When will people learn?”, for they probably already learned it…several times. The question should be “When will people use what they’ve learned?” This new question asks us if we will implement our knowledge in order to gain an altered outcome. Did we learn? Will we then apply what we’ve learned? The application of knowledge is defined as Wisdom. Wisdom is more than just knowing something; it’s using that knowledge in your circumstances.

When we think of wisdom, we think of our elders, or of contemplative scholars. Wisdom is not outside of our reach. Wisdom can, and should, be attained in our personal lives. We can attain the knowledge for wisdom through several different ways: learning from our mistakes, learning from other’s mistakes, and taking advice.
Solomon encourages us to “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver. Seek them like hidden treasures.” Proverbs 2:3-4.

This serves as a reminder to me, that I may gain knowledge and understanding through my circumstances and through other’s advice. But I must still cry out to God and beseech Him for His knowledge and His understanding. I haven’t, and won’t, experience everything that life has to offer in order to attain knowledge on every subject. I must heed Solomon’s advice to search for insight and understanding in order to fill the gaps that my life experiences have yet to fill. Most importantly, though, searching through a Spirit filled heart in order to find the things that are true and right in God.

We must not be defiant, in accepting advice, allowing ourselves to be held accountable by others and gaining further insight. But we must seek God’s truth in everything, that we may make wise decisions based on truthful knowledge. We must be careful to also discern, within ourselves, lesson that we learn from our own paths. How many times do we act based on warped feelings, claiming that these actions are the result of our past. This is not wisdom.

My strength and determination are renewed to continue towards God’s wisdom, that I may then be equipped to influence the course of my life.
Otherwise, God will continue to ask me “When will you learn?”