Is Wisdom In the Room With Us Right Now?
Disclaimer: Nothing in this blog post is intended to be considered medical or mental health advice or treatment. It’s written from the perspective of the author’s lived experience and reflects personal views expressed with the intent to encourage and share hope.
You might have seen this in different Facebook posts I’ve written since 2010, or heard others say it in different ways. I stand by it:
Speaking or writing something does not automatically make it true–no matter how loudly it is proclaimed.
No matter how repeatedly or creatively it is spoken, or how well documented. I can open a notebook and scribble anything I want, and that means anyone else can too. Words are not automatically true, no matter how much we think we know about the people, places, or things involved.
Yes, words have power.
Yes…things can come into existence just because someone had the courage to speak on it.
However…sometimes information can be incomplete, misunderstood, or shaped to fit a certain point of view. Sometimes it can be repeated so often that people stop asking whether it is actually true and they start asking people who don’t agree to quiet down.
If something is wrong, it is wrong.
When we love truth, love people, and want to walk wisely with God, we need to be willing to slow down and ask better questions.
Confidence is not the same as truth
A person can sound confident and still be mistaken.
A story can be compelling and still be incomplete.
A statement can be repeated by many people and still lack the fullness of truth.
That is why discernment matters.
We do not have to become suspicious of everything and everyone. That is not peace, and it is not wisdom. We also do not have to accept everything at face value simply because it is popular, convenient, emotional, or spoken by someone we like.
Truth is worth caring about.
People are worth caring about.
Because both matter, we should be careful with what we believe, repeat, endorse, or build decisions around.
Learning to question with humility
Many people have either lost the habit of questioning what they see and hear, or they have grown tired of doing it. Others may know how to question things, but choose not to when doing so feels inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unlikely to benefit them personally.
Questioning something is not automatically disrespectful, distrustful, or rebellious. Asking questions can be an act of wisdom. It can be an act of love.
It may be how we keep from agreeing with something that may hurt someone else.
We should not ignore things that do not match what we already know. At the same time, we also should not assume that everything we currently know is perfectly complete.
Humility leaves room for learning.
Wisdom leaves room for correction.
Love leaves room for truth.
When something does not add up
It is not wrong to question or challenge something that appears obviously wrong, potentially mistaken, or maliciously misleading. In fact, there may be times when it is 100% right and naturally expected to pause and say:
“Can we look at this more carefully?”
“Is this the whole story?”
“Where did this information come from?”
“Are we repeating something we have not actually verified?”
“Are we assuming something about a person or situation that we do not truly know?”
These questions do not have to come from a critical spirit. Curious questions often come from a desire to do what is right. It’s wise to desire not to harm others with careless words, careless agreement, or careless silence.
The difference between peace and echoes
There is a difference between unity and silence, peace and fear, and there is a difference between agreement and simply becoming one of many echoes in the hills.
Healthy relationships, families, churches, teams, and communities make room for wise questions. They allow people to offer thoughtful input, and do not require everyone to pretend that something makes sense when it does not. If no one around us feels safe asking questions, that may be something worth praying about. If we are the ones who never ask questions because we are afraid of upsetting someone, that may also be something worth bringing before God.
The goal is not to become argumentative–the goal is to become honest, humble, loving, and wise.
Being wrong is not the end of the world
There is nothing shameful about realizing we were wrong. Being wrong for a moment does not make us foolish. It means we are human, and it may even mean we cared enough to learn, listen, and grow. What becomes painful is when we discover that something is wrong and still keep pretending it is right because we are embarrassed, proud, afraid, or overly concerned with other people’s approval.
Growth requires honesty.
Sometimes that honesty sounds like:
“I did not have the whole story.”
“I misunderstood.”
“I repeated something I should have checked first.”
“I need to correct that.”
“I am still learning.”
That kind of humility is not weakness.
It is maturity and a mark of bearing the fruit of wisdom.
Love wants what is true
To love others as we love ourselves, we must care about truth. We must want what is good for people, even when it does not directly benefit us. We must be willing to protect others from harm, even when the easier thing would be to stay quiet or go along with whatever is being said. Speaking up in good faith does not make us disloyal. Looking into something carefully does not make us foolish. Wanting to understand before agreeing does not mean we are difficult.
It may simply mean we care.
We want to be aware…part of healing, not harm…part of wisdom, not confusion.
We want to be part of truth–not a cycle of repeating something just because it was handed to us.
Be careful who you listen to
We have to be careful about who and what we allow to shape our thinking. That includes media, social circles, online conversations, family narratives, community assumptions…and even our own thoughts. Our minds are meant to grow. A growing mind is willing to examine what has taken root. It learns to recognize what does not belong and replace it with what is healthy, true, loving, and wise.
That is not always easy.
Sometimes it requires repentance, correction, and courage. Sometimes it requires stepping away from people who keep feeding fear, pride, suspicion, bitterness, or confusion.
But it is worth it.
Growing in truth and love
A person who loves others as Christ loves them does not use truth as a weapon. They do not use correction as a way to feel superior or ask questions simply to trap or embarrass people.
They seek truth because truth matters to God.
They seek truth because people matter to God.
They seek truth because love and deception do not belong together.
When we grow in truth and love, we model something healthier for the people around us. We show that it is possible to be both discerning and compassionate, honest and humble, careful and kind. We do not have to choose between truth and love.
In Christ, we are called to walk in both.
Wisdom can be in the room with us wherever we go. We just need to be a good host and willing to receive this valuable guest.
As Proverbs 3:13-15 (NKJV) puts it: “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.”
Reflection
Take a moment to consider:
Have I accepted or repeated anything recently without asking whether it was true?
Do I feel free to ask thoughtful questions when something does not seem right?
Am I more concerned with being right, being approved of, or being faithful to truth?
Are there trusted people speaking in my life who consistently lead me toward wisdom, humility, and love?
Where might God be inviting me to grow in discernment?
Prayer
Lord, help me love truth without becoming harsh. Help me ask questions without becoming suspicious. Help me listen with humility and speak with care.
Teach me not to repeat what I have not taken time to consider. Give me discernment when something does not seem right. Give me courage to pause, learn, correct myself, or speak up when love requires it.
Forgive me for the times I have cared more about being right than being faithful. Forgive me for the times I have gone along with something because it was easier than asking questions. Help me become someone who values truth, honors people, and reflects Your heart.
Let my mind keep growing. Let my words bring life. Let my choices be rooted in wisdom, humility, and love.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Closing Thoughts
Speaking or repeating something emphatically, with sincere belief, does not make it true.
But God is truth, and He invites us to become people who care about what is true. We can be humble enough to learn, wise enough to question, loving enough to be careful, and courageous enough to grow. When we care about truth in a spirit of love, we help create safer, healthier spaces for ourselves and others.
That is worth practicing and protecting. It’s worth it for wisdom to be in the room with us.
