So, You Want to Know Stuff?

Why following Jesus makes us rethink what it means to “know.”

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash

Information has never been easier to find than it is today. With the tap of a screen or a voice command, you can access powerful AI tools that make the Google searches we grew up on feel like stone tablets. If I want to know the best way to water my front-yard maple tree? I'm a search away. If a repairman needs help finding a specific part for an upcoming repair, he's a search away. It seems like you can always find the answers in seconds.

In that sense, we’re swimming in information. But there's a catch.

Information and knowledge aren’t the same thing.

You can have access to all the information in the world, but if you don’t know how to apply it in a way that brings clarity, goodness, or healing—you wouldn’t be called knowledgeable. You might be informed, but not wise. Efficient, but not helpful.

We often think of “knowing” as collecting data points. But in Scripture, knowledge is deeply relational. To know God isn’t just to know about Him. It’s to walk with Him, to listen, to obey, to trust. The same is true of wisdom. It’s knowing the right way to live, not just having all of the answers.

And that brings us to the golden thread running through the book of Proverbs:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

I love how this scholar puts it:

Proverbs assumes that you cannot make sense of the world or live a full and successful life unless you see God behind it and involved in it, and seek understanding of it from God with reverence and humility.

John E. Goldingay

That’s the starting point. Not information. Not intelligence. Not quick access or cleverness.

It's good, old-fashioned "fear of the Lord".

But when Proverbs talks about "fear," it doesn’t mean terror. It means a holy reverence—an awe that acknowledges God as the Creator, Sustainer, and Source of all wisdom. It's a posture that says, I don't know everything, but God does. And I trust Him.

Let's put it this way:

Yielding to God is where true knowledge begins.

And that knowledge often comes not through instant downloads but through lived experience. When you follow God’s lead, He shapes you. He teaches you things you couldn’t learn from a book, podcast, or blog post.

In Jesus, we also see the fullness of wisdom revealed. If we want to grow in true knowledge, we look to Him. His life, His words, His way.

While writing this, I've thought about how God opened the door for me to begin my marketing career at my church. That job was a Spirit-led step that shaped my vocation, equipped me with experience, and gave me the knowledge I now use to serve others in unique ways.

Maybe for you, yielding to God looked like pursuing a passion you couldn’t shake. That passion may have led you into a fulfilling career or ministry. Those desires aren’t accidental. They can be invitations to follow Him more deeply.

However it plays out, this is the truth: a posture that yields to God follows Him down His path. And once we’re on that path, the knowledge we gain isn’t just for our benefit—it’s how the Spirit equips us to love and lead and live well.

And maybe, the most important knowledge isn’t even about strategy or skill. Maybe the greatest knowledge we gain is knowing the Father and His love.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge? Yes. And it's also the beginning of life.

So friends, this week, let's be people who recognize that we don't need to know everything or feel inadequate about the things we don’t understand. Let's yield to God and trust that He'll take us where we're supposed to go.