Chase Wisdom, Not Just Popularity, at School

Hey, carpool crew. Some of you might be watching this at home with your family, and some of you might be riding in the car, giving it a listen, and some of you might be finishing breakfast before heading out for a day of adventure. Wherever you are, I'm so glad you pressed play. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm honored that you're listening to Carpooling with Jesus. Our verse is from Proverbs chapter four, verse seven. Here's what it says, wisdom is supreme, so get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get understanding. So Solomon, who wrote this, was actually talking to his kids here. He wasn't yelling or lecturing, he was trying to pass down everything he had learned, and he starts with this bold idea. Wisdom is supreme. In other words, if you are going to chase anything in life, chase wisdom. But here's the deal. Wisdom usually comes with two main ingredients, time and experience. And guess what? If you're between the ages of five and 12, you don't have a ton of time behind you and not a lot of life experience yet either. But that's not a bad thing. It actually means you are in the perfect spot to start learning now so you can become wise without having to learn everything the hard way. The verse says, get understanding. That's more than just get good grades or know facts. Understanding means you start to see how things work. Why words matter, how encouragement really changes someone's mood, how choices have consequences. Good consequences for good choices, and bad consequences for bad choices. Why some things feel fun at first, but leave you feeling empty later on. Understanding helps you see deeper, to get what's really going on under the surface, past the obvious stuff to the things that really matter. And Solomon says, don't just wait for it. Go get it. If Jesus were sitting beside you at school today, he might lean over and say something like, you don't need to have it all figured out yet. Just keep chasing wisdom and I'll guide you step by step. See, Jesus didn't start teaching big crowds until he was all grown up, but even as a kid, the Bible says he grew in wisdom and understanding. That means he learned this verse when he was a kid. He also lived out this verse when he was a kid. Think about playing a new video game for the first time. You don't know all the maps. You mess up a bunch. You lose. But with each round you learn. You start to understand how the game works. That's life. That's what Solomon is saying. You're not supposed to know everything yet, but every day God invites you to learn, grow, and gain understanding. Wisdom isn't about being perfect. It's not about making every perfect decision. It's about being teachable your entire life. And it starts now. So what are some ways we can apply this today? First, don't be afraid to admit you don't know something. That's how understanding begins. Next, ask questions about life, about God, about faith, about friendships, to your parents or teachers. Ask questions, gain wisdom. Lastly, choose to be a learner. Wisdom starts with wanting to grow. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Hey parents, if this episode encouraged you, tell your church's kid pastor about it. We would love to be a resource for your church families. Now, before you go, answer this question together. What's something you don't understand yet but want to learn more about this year?