ENCOURAGEMENT 36 january 2026 www.goodnewsfl.org Good news • South Florida Edition A couple of days ago, Colby asked me at the gym to review his newly completed term paper for content, spelling and grammar. Besides being a close acquaintance, this young man is a very dedicated and hard-working individual, so I paused my workout and began to check the 10-page essay focusing on the Chinese dynasties. The read was rather boring but well thought out and constructed in a proper fashion. What intrigued me, however, was the purpose of the exercise. This young man is paying substantial amounts of money to a learning institution in hopes of preparing him for future integration into the workplace. His major, Business Administration, will most likely thrust him towards supervision and management of commerce. Although of pivotal historical significance, the history of these magnificent and powerful clans loses relevance when compared to the bottom line, the company spreadsheet, which I surmise will be part of Colby's job upon graduation. Enter Dave, who arrives for his daily workout, sees me perusing the assignment and joins in the conversation. I share my apprehension with him regarding the rationale behind the task at hand prompting his take on the matter. Turns out his son Joey recently returned from a state university where he studied for one year with no plans or desire to return. Turns out that Joey, like Colby, was studying Business Administration in preparation to join his dad in the family business. Turns out that the experience, in his estimation. was not only a waste of time and money but also detrimental to his moral and ethical beliefs. Turns out the professors were theorizing business practices to a young man who worked in his father's business since he was 12, thus confusing the lad with ideologies which did not match the practices learned "in the trenches." Turns out the best teacher Joey could afford is his father who happens to be extremely gifted in coaching "on the job training." Theory I have no beef with institutional education despite its shift from Liberal Arts to Liberal Approval during the last few years. In fact, I spent 15 years of my life serving as an adjunct professor in two area universities, during which time we took turns sharing learning, knowledge and information with our students. Much like chasing dope dealers, though, the job was rather frustrating for me. In many cases I found that the theory expounded from the podium was too fragile to support practicing it. As a criminologist, it is hard to comprehend how a diploma can stop a bullet. But in my estimation, the "problem" lies not with the mandatory core classes needed to graduate but rather with the optional elective courses at the student's disposal. For instance, why not offer a curriculum on how to judge rightly in matters relating to life conduct, on willpower, common sense perception and intuition?... in other words, a course on WISDOM! Let's see...one can select "Dogs and Theology" as an elective at Georgetown University, "History of Ignorance" at Stanford or the popular honors class at the University of Nebraska entitled "Neuroscience of Zombies." Those who may be interested in wisdom are invited to matriculate in the few remaining evangelical or Catholic universities that still offer short courses on this subject matter. Wisdom Maybe one of the shortcomings of the learning process is not offering Introduction to Wisdom courses or Wisdom 101. Given the subject matter, this can only be tendered as a preparatory course and not as a continuing series. Wisdom takes a lifetime to develop and is learned through life processes, but it should be discussed with our youth in order that they may differentiate it from knowledge and experience as they mature as human beings. Instead, we are rearing a generation today savvy about ignorance and zombies while clueless on sagacity, in great part due to their detachment from the Creator. It has been said that “growing older is no guarantee for wisdom, for wisdom comes from God. There is no automatic path to attain it and no guarantee that age will reveal it. Wisdom comes from knowing God, obeying his Word and applying his truth." Introductory teaching can point us in the general direction, but it takes conviction and a relationship with the Lord to achieve in us a wise lifetime perspective. Solomon’s desire Just as our friend Joey, - although a long, long time ago - Solomon was a young man inheriting his father's business. He had at his disposal many advisors, prophets and teachers, not to mention King David himself, to assist in preparing him to lead Israel. He could seek advice from the sharpest and most experienced minds of the era. Instead, when Jehovah appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon and asked the young man what he desired, his response was clear, "give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning between good and evil"... he chose wisdom. He subsequently became one of the richest businessmen ever to walk this planet. In his spare time, he wrote numerous proverbs whose central theme was that the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. Unfortunately, in time his flesh trumped his spirit, which allowed his pride to lead him to idolatry, showing that the wisest need to heed their own advice. Moral of the story... being wise is avoiding egotism while being meek before the Lord. Most of us are "surrounded by a cloud of witnesses." One of the most awesome byproducts of our surrender to Jesus is who we now choose to do life with. Our circle of friends and acquaintances change drastically as we seek to attain the fruits of the Spirit instead of the gains of the world. Well enough, there is a tendency to think that all the folks around us now are somehow wiser than the crew we left behind. Granted, they are saved by the justification provided at the cross, but that does not make them automatically wise. In my experience, the wise counselors are those who practice the teachings of the Apostle Paul which appear in Chapter 8 of his letter to the Romans; that is, to daily attempt to bury the flesh while resurrecting the spirit. This constant struggle tones our spiritual muscles daily, which in turn allows us to attain increased sanctification, the litmus test for wisdom. Proverbs 20:6 states that "many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?"... sounds like a great discussion piece during the first day of Wisdom 101. Omar Aleman is a retired federal agent and consultant. He and his wife Julianne assist and support several Christian non-profit organizations both here and abroad. Ditch the Flesh - Pitch the Spirit - Omar Aleman - Aleman and Associates FLORENCE, ITALY - MAY 31, 2019: King Solomon meets the Queen of Sheba - one of ten bronze panels on the famous Ghiberti Gates of Paradise to the baptistery of St. John.
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