October 14, 2026

Business by the Book

Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

You’ve heard it “Give a man a fish he will eat for one meal, teach a man to fish he will eat for a lifetime.”    The reason is self-evident; the ability to fish will provide fish every day, while one fish will be consumed in one meal. Likewise, wisdom and understanding are better than silver and gold. Why? Wisdom and understanding will bring forth silver and gold over and over and over and over. Silver and gold, once received, do not increase inherently.

Let’s say that a person gains wisdom and understanding yet fails to increase their holdings of silver and gold (money). It is probably because they have chosen to serve mankind an honorable yet lowly paid profession, or some other unforeseen limitation hinders them (such as health, accidents, etc.)  Not all wise and understanding individuals are wealthy, nor are all who are wealthy wise or understanding.

A person with wisdom and understanding that has wealth will increase that wealth. A person without wisdom and understanding, that through some situation or circumstance obtains some wealth, will ultimately see that wealth diminish and perhaps evaporate. A wealthy man once told me, “It is far easier to gain wealth than it is to keep wealth.”  Why? Wisdom and understanding! Through wisdom and understanding a person may earn much money through a certain trade or intellectual discipline, but keeping that money (or wealth) takes another skill set. A plumber may know plumbing and make much by doing excellent plumbing type work, but growing and maintaining wealth does not require the wisdom and understanding of plumbing. It takes wisdom and understanding of growing and maintaining wealth. Through that type of wisdom and understanding silver and gold obtained by plumbing can be retained and increased.

Through wisdom and understanding silver and gold can be obtained and retained for a lifetime. Given the choice which would you choose? Some silver and gold received today, or the wisdom and understanding that would bring silver and gold to you for the rest of your life?

Dr. William Howe