Contemplative Bible Reading

Acts 7:9-10 (New Living Translation)

“These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.

Sometimes, God makes some people smarter than other people. Well, maybe that isn’t correct. This passage doesn’t tell us that God made Joseph smarter than everyone else, but God gave Joseph unusual wisdom.

Now, if you can tell me what wisdom is and how it is different from smarts, please do. For now, I’ll go with the idea that God made everyone equally smart, i.e., having the same mental capacity. I put this under the category of the magnificence of the created being.

God created each of us with mental and physical capacities that none of us realize or utilize. Sometimes we meet a person who has tapped into those God-created capacities a little better than the rest of us. Still, it is there, a gift from God. And yes, it is another of those many gifts that we don’t seem to fully accept.

What is wrong with us? Again, if you know the answer, please tell me.