A Different Kind of Intelligence

Your value cannot be measured by an IQ test, school grade, diploma, or paycheck.

The other day, my 8-year-old daughter lamented, “Mommy, I’m not very smart.”

“Yes, you are!” I replied. “You’re a very smart little girl. Why would you say that?”

“I am not very good at math,” she said. “My friend at school got an A+ on her math assignment, and I got a C, but I tried really hard.”

After promising to help her figure out her math, I sought to reassure her. The following is a paraphrase of what I said:

You are extremely smart. Some things, like math, take extra effort and work to understand. Even extremely smart people have to work hard to learn and become proficient at things.

Also, there are many different kinds of intelligence. For example, some people excel at art. They might not do as well at math or science, but they can draw or paint a picture that shows us what they’ve seen or what they imagine in a beautiful or interesting way. That’s a kind of intelligence, right?

You are very good at art and math. But do you know what you’re best at? You are very good at being thoughtful and taking care others. That’s a kind of intelligence too, and it’s a kind that most people don’t have or notice often enough in others. But you know how to tell when people are sad, or lonely, or upset, and you know how to find ways to make them feel happy again.

That’s a kind of intelligence that can’t be measured in a school grade or a test. And it’s a very special kind of intelligence. Most people have to work hard to be kind. They have to practice and learn to consider what others might be thinking or feeling. You, on the other hand, are naturally gifted.

So, don’t feel sad thinking you’re not smart just because you didn’t get an A+ on a test, or just because you struggle in one subject or another. That doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent. It just means you have a difference kind of intelligence. And it’s a kind of intelligence that’s arguably more important than all the others. Because you know how to love.

In our world of business and busyness, we tend to measure intelligence by our college diplomas, or by how much money we make, or by how influential we are in our community. It’s something to be especially wary of with children who may come measure their value based on a school grade or an athletic score.

These things are all good, but God is far more concerned with a different kind of intelligence. The book of Proverbs is particularly dedicated to defining and cultivating it. Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

In other words, our intellectual foundation should be an awe for God and a love for his Word. Everything we learn and understand – our worldview, our education, our lifestyle, our politics, our philosophy – must be firmly rooted in and flow out of our understanding of our Creator.

A rocket scientist may be able to solve mathematical equations, but if she does not know Jesus, she can’t tell you how to repent of your sins. A university professor may be able to tell you all about the comings and goings of ancient peoples and kings, but if he doesn’t love God, he can’t teach you about eternal life. An actress may be able to recite Shakespeare and portray the most love-struck Jane Austen heroine, but without the Holy Spirit, she can’t define the love of God.

So, when we look at ourselves and the people around us, let’s make an extra effort to acknowledge the kinds of intelligence that come from God. The smarts you can’t learn in school. The accomplishments that won’t earn you a diploma or certification.

And you will find them in unbelievers too. By God’s grace, qualities like love, joy, and patience, can be found in our atheist neighbor or our Buddhist coworker. In context, they’re not flowing from that person’s belief in God. Rather, they’re little fragments of a hope that one day they will believe. Acknowledging these slivers of hope - these fingerprints of their Creator - can be an excellent way to share the love of Jesus with a soul who is searching for Him.

Particularly, as we raise up our children in the awe and admonition of the Lord, let’s be sure to remind them:

I see God working in you.

Much love,

Jenn