A Christian with Knowledge

 

 

 

 

[Proverbs 17:27-28]

 

 

What qualities and characteristics are necessary to become a true top leader? According to an internet article from the LG Economic Research Institute, leadership experts Tomas J. Neff and James M. Citrin, in their book Lessons from the Top, mention 15 common qualities found in 50 successful leaders who have led their businesses to the top. However, of these 15 qualities, only 3 are related to intellectual or technical abilities, while the majority are based on attitudes and willpower grounded in emotional intelligence (EI). Emotional intelligence is defined as "the ability to objectively assess one’s limits and potential, manage one's emotions well, truly understand others from their perspective, and maintain good relationships with others." So why is emotional intelligence gradually becoming a fundamental quality that future leaders need to possess, particularly in business management? First, the values and perspectives of organizational members are changing as rapidly and diversely as the pace of change in the business environment. Therefore, leaders must understand and embrace the diverse values and perspectives of their members and establish close, interactive relationships with them. In other words, they must demonstrate emotional leadership based on abundant emotional intelligence. Only in this way can they meet the needs of their members and help them feel fulfilled. This, in turn, allows members to become deeply engaged in their work with passion, leading to higher performance. Furthermore, from an organizational standpoint, the mutual understanding and consideration between leaders and their subordinates help form human bonds that create an enjoyable work environment and a strong organizational culture. Regarding this, psychologist Daniel Goleman has stated that the difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders is largely determined by emotional intelligence (EI), rather than technical skills or IQ. He suggests that when emotional intelligence makes up about 80% and intellectual abilities account for about 20%, a leader can effectively exercise leadership.

However, I think differently from Daniel Goleman’s claim. If emotional intelligence accounts for 80% of effective leadership and intellectual ability 20%, I believe that the 20% intellectual ability must guide the 80% of emotional intelligence. In other words, I believe that intelligence is more important than emotion for effective leadership. The reason is that emotions without knowledge can be dangerous. In my view, emotions must be guided by intelligence. This belief is grounded in the Bible, specifically Proverbs 19:2: "Desire without knowledge is not good, and he who makes haste with his feet misses the way."

Today, I would like to reflect on the concept of "A Christian with Knowledge" based on Proverbs 17:27-28 in two main points:

First, a Christian with knowledge restrains his speech.

Let’s look at the first part of Proverbs 17:27: "He who restrains his words has knowledge..." The writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, says that a person with knowledge restrains his words. Here, the phrase "restrains his words" means "restrains his mouth" (Brown). Why does a person with knowledge restrain their speech? We can find the answer in Proverbs 10:19: "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." A Christian with knowledge restrains their words because speaking too much makes it difficult to avoid sin. In other words, speaking too much inevitably leads to sin. But the issue is, as a pastor or Bible teacher, I cannot avoid speaking, can I? What should we do in such cases? I found the answer in James 3:1-2: "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body." In the case of pastors or Bible teachers, we must speak a lot, but we must strive to be perfect in our speech, avoiding mistakes. In other words, we must be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect (Mark 5:48). To pursue the perfection of our Father, we should listen carefully to what Paul says in Romans 2:21: "You therefore who teach another, do you not teach yourself?" Those of us who teach the Word of God must first diligently teach ourselves before we teach others. When we live in obedience to what we teach, we become perfect and are equipped to teach the Word of God with integrity.

So, what should those who learn the Word of God from pastors or Bible study teachers do? I found the answer in James 1:19: "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." In other words, those who learn the Word of God should be slow to speak and quick to listen. They should quickly listen to the words of Christ (Romans 10:17). By doing so, our faith will grow.

Lately, I have been reflecting on myself and praying to God, thinking about various concerns. One of the things I’ve been pondering is the idea of being quick to listen and slow to speak. Of course, I think I’ve been struggling with this since my third year of university. While serving in the Christian club, I encountered many members, and on many occasions, the words that came from my mouth hurt the hearts of others, and I felt distressed. I would often return to my school apartment and before going to bed, I would pray to God asking for forgiveness for the people I may have hurt that day. Yet, despite this, I often failed to restrain my tongue and, out of impatience, ended up speaking in ways that unintentionally hurt others. Proverbs 29:20 speaks about such people: "Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them." So these days, I try to think and reflect more carefully before speaking, but there are still times when I struggle to do so. Nevertheless, I don’t want to give up, and I am trying to speak more cautiously, using fewer words whenever possible. Additionally, I have come to the conclusion that I should avoid gossiping about others (Proverbs 26:22). Especially, when someone shares a prayer request with me, I believe I should not speak of it without their permission, even if we are very close. I also believe that even when giving compliments, I should be sincere and avoid exaggeration. Above all, I must restrain myself from criticizing others. I aim to be generous to those who criticize me, yet be self-reflective and self-critical without being too lenient on myself. Lastly, I also believe that when it is time to be silent, I should remain silent. Looking at today's passage, Proverbs 17:28, I personally find this verse both humorous and somewhat pitiful as I reflect on my own struggles to live it out: "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent."

Secondly, a Christian with knowledge is calm.

Let’s look at the second part of Proverbs 17:27: “… The one who has a cool spirit is discerning.” Another translation of this would be, "A discerning person has a calm spirit." The phrase "cool spirit" here refers to someone who is calm and composed (Park Yun-seon). In English, we have a phrase: "Be cool!" This means, "Stay calm!" It is often used when someone is excited or upset, meaning, "Please, calm down." In today’s passage, Proverbs 17:27, the literal meaning of "cool of spirit" is "a calm soul" (Walvoord). This means that a discerning person remains calm, no matter what situation they are in. If we look at the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, it translates "cool spirit" as "even-tempered." This word means "calm" or "balanced," but as we can understand from the word "temper," it can also imply someone with a quick temper (according to the Naver dictionary). In other words, having a calm spirit means being able to control one’s emotions and respond with composure, even in situations where it is easy to become angry. This is why Proverbs 14:29 says, "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly." What does that mean? It means that someone who is slow to anger (James 1:19) is greatly discerning, but a person who easily loses their temper reveals their own foolishness. So, let me ask you: Are you someone who is greatly discerning, or do you find yourself quickly losing your temper?

In our previous meditation, we learned from Proverbs 17:12: "It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly." This teaches us that a fool is more dangerous than a bear robbed of her cubs. Why is the fool more dangerous than a bear robbed of her cubs? The reason is that when a fool becomes angry, their anger is more irrational (unreasonable) than that of a bear. Now, if a fool is more irrational in their anger than a bear, can we remain calm if we meet such a person? A Christian with knowledge (wisdom) can. A Christian whose soul is calm can remain composed even when faced with an irrational person. This is because a wise Christian knows how to control their own heart (Proverbs 16:32). Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and allow the word of God to rule over our hearts, we will be slow to anger and able to control our hearts. Therefore, we can face any situation with calmness.

Conclusion of the Reflection

The age we are living in is often referred to as the "postmodern era." One of the characteristics of this postmodern era is "relativism." People no longer acknowledge objective or absolute truths (values or norms). Another characteristic of postmodernism is "emotivism." In this age, emotion is emphasized over reason. People pursue the emotional and sensory, and are governed by their feelings, speaking and acting according to their emotions. This also shows up in our spiritual lives. Rather than building our faith on the foundation of Scripture and doctrine, many people give more importance to experiences, mysticism, or feelings, and even in worship, praise, and prayer, the emotional aspect takes precedence (according to online sources). However, as we learned from Proverbs 17:27-28, we should not become emotional Christians but knowledgeable Christians. To be a knowledgeable Christian, as reflected in today’s passage, means two things: First, we must restrain our words, and second, we must remain calm. In other words, we should control our speech, speaking slowly, and when we do speak, we should be careful with our words. We must never speak recklessly, driven by our emotions. Furthermore, we must remain calm. Our character should be more composed. That is, we need to control our emotions even in situations where we could get angry and respond calmly. Therefore, we must honor the Lord Jesus Christ through our lives. May all of us live such lives, bringing glory to Him.