Ignorance is bliss

There are many times I've used the statement "Ignorance is bliss" and so many times in life that I've wished I didn't know something.  While some information is for our benefit, there is even more that is harmful !  I seem to be stuck on this wisdom theme lately and have wrongfully been comparing wisdom with knowledge.  There is a HUGE difference!

While a search for more knowledge is admirable and can be beneficial - we have to be able to discern the types of knowledge that will be healthy to us.  It's as easy to be distracted by harmful information as it is to be distracted by a chocolate bar when we're on a diet.  There is nothing more tempting or delicious than the most recent gossip going around town!  Not gonna lie - my head tilts to the side and my ear perks up when I hear a bit of scandal!  I also like the sweet taste of a little reality television occasionally.  I will even admit that I often seek knowledge that conforms to my wants or desires rather than what might truly benefit me (example - it's much more fun to read a Cosmo than pick up a devotional book!)

So if I want to become truly wise, it is really not about useless knowledge I can obtain in my social circles or on television.  It's about knowing what will develop and train my brain in a way that I can not only gain healthy knowledge but also be able to turn away from the unhealthy junk.

It's also in reminding myself that sometimes ignorance is an indicator that I need to dig deeper in a certain area.  Do some research.  Find the answer to my questions - not from junky resources like Glamour or Cosmo - but from those that have a proven record of wisdom.  One of my favorites is Joyce Meyer.  She quoted the following:

There's no such thing as trust unless you have unanswered questions in your life.  If you know everything, there's nothing to trust God for.

The reason this statement is so profound to me is that had I not had so many unanswered questions in my life a year ago, I would never have come to the ultimate resource for answers!  I had everything stripped away from me last year and found myself with nothing left on which I could rely......  or so I thought.  But God was there - ever present, ever comforting and ready to be my resource for the rest of my life.  If I had not found myself in that place, I might not have ever realized that being clueless is actually a blessing.  Being clueless fosters new relationships and deepens existing ones.  Not only has my relationship with Christ been strengthened but also my relationships with my family and friends have grown by leaps and bounds.  When I was at my lowest low - feeling like I could trust no one - God picked me up and put me in His palm.  And the blessing has been never ending since then.

So wisdom goes beyond the scope of seeking.... it extends to being thankful when knowledge eludes us and knowing whom to trust with our unanswered questions.  If I'd had all the answers a year ago, I'd still be in my unhappy place....trusting only myself to make life into what I *thought* I wanted.  Thing is, I don't know what I want - and that's ok!  God knows what's best.  He knows what I want even more than I know myself.