The Cost of Knowing Nothing
PROVERBS DAILY—Thursday, April 17, 2025
Proverbs 17:16
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no intention of acquiring wisdom?
There’s a quiet dilemma baked into today’s education system.
We’ve been sold the idea that money plus credentials equals intelligence.
But Proverbs already warned us—
Put cash in a fool’s hand, and it won’t make him wise.
If the desire isn’t there, the degree won’t help.
Let’s talk about the Education Industrial Complex.
We’ve turned learning into a luxury.
Education has become a commodity—expensive, transactional, hollow.
And in a culture where capitalism looks more like cannibalism, it’s turned into bait.
We're paying too much for too little in return.
But the root of the word education is educare—Latin for “to draw out.”
Not cram in.
Not test to death.
Not buy a diploma.
To draw out the treasure already placed inside someone.
That’s not just knowledge.
That’s wisdom.
Some of the wisest people I’ve ever met never stepped foot in a university.
No degrees. No ivy-covered credentials.
Just everyday people with deep insight.
Everyday intellectuals. Neighborhood sages.
As Ted Gioia put it:
“Expertise is the credential. The credential is not the expertise.”
And let’s be real—less than 30 days from now, how many folks will ‘graduate’ only to be handed their official welcome packet to the “Now You Gotta Pay It All Back” Club?
Trust me, I’m a charter member—still making monthly donations to the student loan gods.
I mean, if degrees = wisdom, then me and half the country should be levitating by now.
But nah—we just out here paying interest and googling how to change a tire.
True wisdom doesn’t need to be bought.
It’s like the sun—shining freely on everyone bold enough to lift their face to the light.
It’s not trapped behind a paywall or locked in a professor’s office hours.
It’s available to anyone who pursues it.
And James said it best:
“If anyone lacks wisdom, let them ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” (James 1:5)
We don’t pursue wisdom to get rich.
We pursue it to enrich—
The heart, the mind, and the neighborhood around us.
Because when one soul truly wakes up, the whole block starts to rise.
A rising tide lifts all ships.
Prayer
I open to You, O Divine One... draw wisdom out.
Today’s Challenge
Ask yourself:
What wisdom is already in you that needs to be drawn out today?
Pursue something that feeds your soul, not just your résumé.
Call a mentor, re-read Proverbs, start that journal, or teach someone what you’ve learned.
Don’t just chase knowledge—draw out wisdom.
About the Author
Fred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch
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Be Wise and Be Well...peace.
This was sooo good! Perfectly written!! Thank you so much baby!
Happy Mothers Day to all the Mothers💐💐💐🌺🌺🌺
Brother Fred, you brought the full sanctified sizzle with this one—nostalgia, theology, and a little holy side-eye to my inner skeptic. I felt like I just got rebaptized in a Hammond B3 solo.
But let’s not pretend the verse from Proverbs was just warming up the choir.
“Each heart knows its own bitterness…”
Translation: Your trauma has VIP access to your soul’s greenroom—and guess what? No one else gets a pass.
“…and no one else can share its joy.”
That part? That’s the dagger. Because it means even your celebration might be met with polite applause by folks who didn’t survive your storm.
You’re right—it’s not just a chant, it’s a spell. A holy incantation cast from the deep, echoing from the sweat-stained pews of people who’ve seen too much and still chose praise over pettiness.
We don’t repeat it because we forget.
We repeat it because the world keeps trying to convince us our voice doesn’t matter.
Thanks for reminding us the gospel isn’t just written—it’s testified.
And sometimes the loudest choir is the one inside your chest, still beating despite the bitterness.
Amen and all that holy noise.
—Virgin Monk Boy