“And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil. And he had hope to shake me from the faith…” (Jacob 7:4-5)
Do you ever find yourself giving more credence to the words of the “learned” over those of the faithful? I certainly do. A persons pedigree or having a lot of letters they can list after their name tends to give them some sort of power. If they are “smart” and educated, then they must know something I don’t. We tend to trust what they say because clearly, if they were smart enough to finish a PhD, or they are a doctor, then they must be smarter that the average person which means that the conclusions they have come to must be correct.
When you really look at it though, a brain surgeon is smart and knows a lot about brains. But does that make them more qualified to talk about computer programming? Or operating heavy equipment on a construction site? Of course not. A person who has studied molecular biology knows a lot about molecular biology, but that doesn’t mean they know more than anyone else about the gospel or the existence or non-existence of God.
Those who would try to sway us use “flattering words,” logic, and reason to make us feel like our faith is somehow less than their learning. But we can know better. We don’t have to play that game. We can listen and learn through the spirit and rely on those experiences so that we, like Jacob, cannot be shaken from our faith.
Meditation and Journaling Prompt: When someone tries to “reason with you” about your faith, how do you respond? Have you fallen into the trap of thinking that because someone is “smart” or well educated they must be right? Or that their words have more weight than someone else who might not be as educated?
Call to Action: We are on day 3 of our 2 week focused gratitude practice. Try this today: Take 3 minutes today – set a timer and list out loud everything you can think of that you are grateful for for the full 3 minutes.
For further study: Read the entire chapter 7 of Jacob. There are so many parallels to our present time.
