The Knowledge Vault! by Yeap Chee Seng, Guest Writer (April 13, 2008)

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
Proverbs 10:14 (NLT)

One of the characteristics of the wise is we love to learn. It does not matter where you are or what you are working as, there are always things to learn. There is always knowledge to be gained. God wants us to store up knowledge. He wants us to make continuous learning our life long habit. I don’t think I have to explain why. We are living in a knowledge economy. Knowledge brings power and riches. Peter Drucker coined the term “knowledge worker” to describe the transition of the economy in 1966. Knowledge workers are people who work with their knowledge and not muscles. If we can apply our knowledge correctly, there is no limit on how much we can earn.

There are several parts in storing up knowledge.

The first is formal education. I am referring to education systems that come with certificates, diplomas and degrees. If you have the opportunity, I suggest you go for it. Professional certifications from recognized institutions are among the best assets you can ever have because you can use them to convince your prospective employers or clients that you have what it takes to do what you claim you can do. They serve as platforms to jumpstart your financial prosperity and career success. In short professional certifications gives you a good start.

However, having a good start does not guarantee a good finish. This is where the second part of knowledge come it. It refers to continuous learning. What have you done in your job? Did you just do what you are supposed to do and pack up when the time is up? Or, did you attempt to find out more about your organization, find out how the system works and the interaction with external parties? Did you read books or articles related to your job and industry?

Why do you think it is necessary for you to learn and do more than what you are paid to do? Doing so will prepare you for advancement. You can pray and ask God to create promotions for you but will you know what to do when you get there? For example, you can ask God to make you a CEO of a multinational company. However, you must realize that no companies will pay huge salaries to hire a CEO who does nothing. As the CEO you have to deliver results which is usually better profits. Your company must be more profitable after your appointment in order to justify your huge paycheck. How are you going to create results if you are not prepared for it? So, start seeking God and ask him to lead you to the path you need to go in order to learn the knowledge you need in order to prepare yourself for the position you are longing for.

Finally, storing up knowledge must always include reading the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God. It contains the wisdom of God. It is a reflection of what God is thinking. Since, God is the one who created the entire universe, he must knows a lot on how to be successful. In fact, if you read self-help books you will find that the principles they teach come from the Bible itself. The Bible is the source of success principles. You can save a lot of money reading the Bible instead of buying self-help books. Reading, meditating and obeying the Bible brings you prosperity and success.

8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
Joshua 1:8 (NLT)

The second part of Proverbs 10:14 tells us the mouth of a fool invites ruin because fools only know how to speak evil. These are the people who like to talk bad, spreading slanders, lies and curses on others. If you find yourself in a position that people talk bad about you, don’t be sad about it. They are only inviting ruins into their lives. This is also a lesson for us not to be involved in the gossips and slanders of the fools. You may not be able to stop them from talking bad about people but the least you can do is not to be involved in them, or you might share in their ruins