Wisdom Is Not Catch and Release

(Pro 19:8 KJV) He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

It is one thing to “get” (7069) something.  It is a totally different thing to “keep” (8104) it.  We tend to forget this.  Remember your first paycheck?  I don’t either but I can imagine how I would have had a change of emotional state when I moved from the moment I got the check to the understanding that I had already lost 25% before I could cash it.  And then when you move down the road to how quickly it was spent.  When we are young we are not too good at being stewards of our wealth.  Sometimes we never learn.

We are used to acquiring.  We go to college and can’t measure our knowledge but we can keep track of our classes and grades.  We cram for a test and forget it all after the crisis.  We are good at that part.  Where we fail is in the maintaining what is gained.  A key part of our understanding of the Hebrew for “get” is that it involves guarding.  That involves vigilance and care more than a loaded AR.

So?  I find it helps me establish some priorities if I ask myself if I will take care of something once I have it.  My lack of attention to maintenance is one reason I am in no hurry to get a new car.  My spiritual life is a little higher on the list.