The Smartest People I Know

They’re Probably Not Who You’d Guess

Admittedly, I’m a bookish sort of person, and chances are good that, if you’re reading this Substack, you’re likely the bookish sort yourself, because book people have a way of finding each other. I always enjoy hearing what others are reading, and it’s fun to share what I am reading too.

So, I’ve been thinking about my recent post where I shared a list of books I’ve read this summer, and it’s possible that such a list could give the impression that I might think book people are the smartest people in the room.

But I believe there are multiple types of intelligence.

You see, I have a very close relative who is dyslexic and hates to read. When we were growing up together in the 1970s, there wasn’t much help for dyslexia back then, especially not in the small rural town where we lived. But this dear relative of mine is one of the smartest people I know because he is better at reading people than anyone I know. He can zero in on what is really happening in any given situation because he is a keen listener and an astute observer.

I have learned from watching my dyslexic relative that some of the smartest people on the planet are those who are good listeners and good observers. They’re deeply insightful because they know how to read people and how to read a room.

At the same time, I have also known some well-educated people who were not very insightful at all. They may have had post-graduate college degrees, but that didn’t matter much. (Sorry, it’s true.)

And so, I like to think of Peter and John, who were described in the Bible as ordinary men. They weren’t part of the Jewish elite, and they weren’t highly educated in the Jewish system. They were lowly fishermen, and yet, they were the ones Jesus called to be his disciples. They were the ones Jesus entrusted to build the church after his resurrection.

Acts 4:13 says,

When they [the high priest and the rulers, elders, and scribes] observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, CSB)

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible because it shows us the difference Jesus makes in a person’s life. Peter and John were not formally educated, but everyone could tell there was something different — something special — about them. People could tell they had been with Jesus.

I want this to be true of me, too. I want it to be deeply evident that I have spent time with Jesus. Because the most important thing we could ever do is share the love of Christ with others — in our words, our deeds, and our attitudes.

Paul encapsulates this idea well when he says,

If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2, CSB)

Without love, we are nothing.

It doesn’t matter how smart we are. It matters how well we love.

When people encounter me, I want them to encounter Jesus. I probably fail at this more often than not, but with God’s grace, it is my aim in life.

I may be a bookish sort of person, but I recognize that book learning is only one piece of the learning pie. I also believe the old adage is true: People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

The smartest people I know are not the ones who got straight A’s in school; they’re the ones who helped their peers succeed, too.

The smartest people I know are not the ones with letters after their names; they’re the ones who remember other people’s names and make a point to reach out and connect.

The smartest people I know are not the ones who read hundreds of books every year; they’re the ones who help others read the one Book that is truly life-changing.

Today, let’s strive to be people who love well. Let’s learn other people’s names and reach out to connect. Let’s join a group that wants to study the Bible. And let’s love people well by being the aroma of Christ everywhere we go. (2 Corinthians 2:15-17, CSB)

Shalom.

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*No part of this newsletter was made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) or ghostwriters. All the words, including any accidental typos, are my own, except where I have quoted others with appropriate citations and links.