Meekness is further displayed by a thirst for knowledge.
A proud and disdainful young man once came to Socrates, the Greek philosopher, and with a smirk, said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.”
Seeing the shallowness and the vanity of the young man, Socrates led him to the sea into waist-deep water. Then he said, “Tell me again what you want.”
“Knowledge,” he responded with a smile.
Socrates grabbed the young man by his shoulders and pushed him down under the water, holding him there for thirty seconds. “Now what do you want?”
“Wisdom, O great Socrates,” the young man sputtered.
The philosopher pushed him under once again. When he let him up, he asked again, “What do you want?”
“Knowledge, O wise and…” he managed to spit out before Socrates held him under again, this time even longer.
“What do you want?” the old man asked as he let him up again. The young man coughed and gasped.
“Air!” he screamed. “I need air!”
“When you want knowledge as much as you just wanted air, then you will get knowledge,” the old man stated as he returned to shore.
Meekness will almost always reveal itself in a thirst for knowledge. Cecil A. Mace (1894-1971), emeritus professor of psychology at the University of London said in his book, The Psychology of Study: “The ultimate source of efficiency in observation, in memory, and in constructive thought is insatiable curiosity and the itch to know.”
Let me ask you, “Do you seek to be known or do you seek to know?”
Many are busy seeking to be known, embarking on futile ego trips. Stop seeking to be known. Start seeking to know. I can tell you from experience that when you get busy seeking to know, men will get busy seeking to know you!
Paul, the apostle after years of preaching the gospel and founding the churches of Asia yet cried out, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” (Philippians 3:10). I always wonder, what yet is there for this giant of the faith to know. This was the man who wrote that some fourteen years prior, he was caught up to the third heaven and heard things which a mouth cannot utter (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-6). Yet he was meek. He still was thirsty to know God!
Solomon was widely famed for his wisdom but beneath that was a thirst for knowledge. He attained greatness, prominence and wealth yet he still had a thirst to know more.
“I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven…I have seen all the works that are done under the sun…I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge…And I set my heart to know wisdom…” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-14, 16-17)
It’s time to get on a fresh quest for knowledge. Like Plutarch said, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be ignited.” No matter what you know, there is still much to know. In fact, you will discover that the more you know, the more there is still to know. The more you know, the more you can make known. The more you know, the more you will be known. With all your getting, get this attitude of meekness! YOU WILL SUCCEED! (Excerpts from a yet to be released book by Yomi Olufiade)
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